Preventing Maintenance Shop Injuries: Practical Guidance for Utility Fleets

In a busy maintenance shop, even a small misstep can lead to injury. Common hazard mitigation tactics include shop safety protocols, signage, and training and personal protective equipment for employees.

But once a fleet manager checks those boxes, is there more they can do? To find out, UFP spoke with Jeffrey James Neal, fleet maintenance operations manager for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E), and T.K. Rayburn, fleet shop supervisor at Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD).

Big Threats
NPPD technicians work on a variety of equipment whose overhead components can pose injury risks – think aerial devices, digger derricks and large cranes. Overhead lifting, stored energy, swinging heavy loads, and hydraulic actuator pressure and power also present potential for serious injuries and fatalities.

“To avoid these hazards, one needs to stay vigilant and be aware of what is going on around them,” Rayburn said. “Utilize good communication so that everyone knows what is going on in the area as well as cone or block off the area around the hazard.”

That advice, he noted, doesn’t just apply at the shop: “It’s important to maintain good situational awareness, especially in the field where one could be working around energized equipment or other projects going on simultaneously.”

Smaller Stuff
Large, powerful equipment can cause grave injuries, but much more commonplace are minor hazards that may go unnoticed.

According to Rayburn, “Trip hazards on the shop floor or in the backs of trucks, loud noise, dirt and fumes, especially when working in a tight space such as a digger or aerial turret – these are the conditions and hazards that are easily overlooked.”

Seasonal changes may prompt additional hazards. For instance, during winters in Nebraska, snow stuck to equipment melts when brought into the shop, which can create slick floors. To address this issue, Rayburn said, “We keep floor squeegees accessible to push water off into the drains as necessary and utilize cones as well.”

Housekeeping
An ineffective shop layout and poor housekeeping can also lead to increased numbers of slips, trips and falls.

“Cluttered work areas can obstruct pathways, making it difficult for employees to navigate safely,” Neal explained. “Ensuring proper organization and maintaining cleanliness are critical to minimizing these hazards.”

Lighting
Poor lighting may hide safety hazards, cause eye strain or headaches, or make it difficult for shop employees to perform detailed work, potentially leading to improper installations, missed damage or overlooked safety issues.

Keep in mind that proper lighting encompasses more than overhead lights. Neal said SDG&E provides technicians with several light sources to improve visibility in any situation.

“We are continuously working under trucks, inside pedestals, booms, and other small, dark areas with limited shop light,” he said. “We try to make sure that our techs have access to good headlights, magnetic LEDs, et cetera. If you can’t see a hazard, it’s pretty hard to accomplish your work safely.”

Lockout/Tagout
Risk of injury significantly rises if a vehicle unexpectedly starts up while a technician is working on it. Rayburn said NPPD has protocols and training in place to prevent this from happening.

“When we pull a truck in,” he shared, “we hang a red tag on the keys at the remote starting locations and a ‘danger’ sign on the hood if it is open. Nobody is to start the truck except the person who tagged it out.”

Ergonomics
Some jobs require technicians to lift heavy items, squeeze into small spaces or work from awkward angles. Training technicians to consider ergonomics in such environments will help them to avoid sprains, strains, tears and fractures.

According to Rayburn, “Preplanning a job should be done to determine the best body position as much as possible. Vehicle/boom positioning and the use of floor lifts and overhead cranes can go a long way toward being able to work in a better position. If there is a tool that can do the heavy lifting, use the tool and save your body.”

The Best Tool
Forethought, communication and vigilance greatly help to eliminate or minimize shop safety hazards.

“The best tool for preventing accidents is between your ears,” Rayburn said. “It’s up to all of us to ensure that everyone goes home in the same condition that they came to work in. Watch out for yourself and each other and speak up if something doesn’t seem right. After all, safety is everyone’s responsibility.”

About the Author: Shelley Mika is the owner of Mika Ink, an Omaha, Nebraska-based branding and marketing communications agency. She has been writing about the fleet industry since 2006.