April 1, 2015 – In its ad, “Routine”, Alberta’s Joint Utility Safety Team (JUST) is reminding workers they cannot afford to succumb to daily routines and repetitive actions when safety is on the line.

JUST says it conducts annual market research with those most at risk who work around overhead/underground powerlines. Dubbed ‘operators’, this group includes members from the electric utilities, oil & gas, construction, agriculture, transportation and forestry industries.

“The 2013 research indicated that operators are informed about the threat powerlines pose to their safety but, because they are exposed to this threat on a daily basis, they can become too comfortable in their routines,” said Kathy Morin, chair of the JUST Working Group. “This new campaign strives to create awareness around the risk of complacency on the job site.”

Some other highlights from the research include:

• Only 25% of all respondents consider potential contact with powerlines to be a major safety threat as compared to other work related hazards.
• Agricultural workers are least likely to identify powerlines as a major threat (13%), compared to 47% of oil & gas workers.
• Almost 25% of all respondents had been involved in direct hits or near misses with powerlines, poles or transformers on the job.