Since the creation of OSHA, electrical safety in the U.S. has focused on compliance with regulations and industry standards, including NFPA 70E, helping decrease electrical fatalities in the U.S. However, other countries have demonstrated better results in reducing electrical fatalities. Leading safety institutions in the U.S. have promoted a risk-based approach as critical to further improvement in injury and fatality reduction. Without taking away from the importance of compliance with regulations and standards, this presentation discusses the limitations of a compliance-based safety culture and a more comprehensive solution based on concepts derived from system safety.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the limitations of simple compliance with regulations and standards
2. Demonstrate techniques to identify residual risk that may exist in utility work environments after compliance with regulations and standards
3. Develop “a lens of system safety” to identify residual risk 
4. Apply methods to engage management and workers in shifting the culture of electrical safety

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