Reducing SIFs in the Utility Industry

In the utility industry, irrespective of whether it’s an electric, gas or water supplier, safety always comes first.  This includes times of normal business operation as well as those chaotic times responding to, and recovering from, a massive outage situation.

Of particular importance when it comes to safety is reducing serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs).  Obviously, the goal is for employees to leave work the same way they arrived, and serious injuries in particular can be life-changing.

How to Improve Performance Around SIFs

In a first-of-its-kind study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an attempt was made to quantify the specific company safety actions that correlate to a reduction in injuries and SIFs.  The study collected data from 13 electric utility participants, and it accounted for variables around company safety culture, proactive items companies do to promote safety, and how organizational structures can influence safety performance.

In total, of the 78 variables that were measured and quantified, 9 emerged as the most critical in terms of their impact on the frequency and severity of SIFs.  These are:

1. Safety communication – Does the company effectively communicate safety protocols and is it done in a way that maximizes employees’ absorption of the information?
2. Contractor safety management – Is a formal contractor safety program in place?
3. Contractor prequalification – How are contractors vetted and selected?
4. Risk-assessment frequency – How often are risks analyzed by the company?
5. Drug/alcohol testing – Has random testing been deployed?
6. Field safety support – What is the ratio of employees to safety-contact support personnel?
7. Constructability review frequency – How often are constructability assessments done during project design planning efforts?
8. Percentage of project design with field input – How often are field personnel allowed to provide feedback on project design attributes?
9. Safe behavior recognition – Does the company have a program in place to recognize examples of good safety behaviors?

The conclusion of the EPRI study is that companies that focus on the 9 items above are better able to have a positive influence on employee safety behavior, ultimately improving safety performance and reducing the occurrence of SIFs.

The bottom line is that safety is always paramount, and being safe is especially difficult to focus on during emergency response.  That’s why having a good organizational structure and culture in place is the foundation for reducing injuries, be it SIFs or otherwise.