CLEVELAND, December 3 — The Switching Operations Fatality Awareness working group is urging employees to stay vigilant in the coming weeks. December and January have the highest switching fatality rates when compared to the other months of the year.
Since 1992, December and January have each had 16 switching fatalities, or 23 percent of the total of 134. Seven of the December fatalities occurred in a 10 day period between December 22 through December 31.
The SOFA working group urges all employees to make an extra effort to stay focused on the job during the holiday season, and offers the following suggestions for employees:
— Secure equipment before action is taken;
— Protect employees against moving equipment;
— Discuss safety at the beginning of a job or when a project changes;
— Communicate before action is taken; and
— Mentor less experienced employees to perform service safely.
Please make December a safe switching month.