Vehicle Safety for the Workforce

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCColumns, Fall 2026 Columns, Safety Corner

Commuting to and from work by car is a daily routine for most people. Many people are also required to be on the road to a jobsite, client site, the shop, the parts supplier, or anything in between.  One thing that is often overlooked is that driving is one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities. According to the Insurance …

CPR: The First Link in the Chain of Survival

Charlie Simpson, Asplundh Engineering ServicesColumns, Safety Corner, Summer 2026 Columns

In October 2025, the American Heart Association (AHA) released the first full revision of its Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC) since 2020. The AHA maintains that cardiac arrest claims more lives globally than colorectal cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, influenza, pneumonia, auto accidents, HIV, firearms, and house fires combined.  Cardiac arrest is an immediate occurrence, …

Safety Tips for Circuit Breaker Maintenance and Testing

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCColumns, Safety Corner, Spring 2026 Columns

Breaker testing and maintenance can expose personnel to many types of hazards. Mitigating them can be achieved in various ways. First, it must be verified that the personnel are qualified to perform the required tasks. The person doing the work must recognize and understand the hazards that may be encountered while performing the tasks.  To better understand the many hazards …

Walking and Working Surfaces

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCSafety Corner, Columns, Winter 2025 Columns

The most common injury in any industry is a slip, trip, or fall. Whether a fall occurs on the same level — or worse, from a higher level — any fall can cause significant injury, resulting in production downtime, reduced maintenance activity, loss or reduction of wages for the employee, loss of profit for the company, trips to doctors and …

The Dos and Don’ts of Electrical Equipment Lubrication

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCColumns, Fall 2025 Columns, Safety Corner

Switching devices must be adequately lubricated so they operate smoothly and efficiently as designed. This helps ensure a safe environment for employees working with, on, or near the equipment. Many things must be taken into consideration when selecting a lubricant for electrical equipment. Let’s take a look at some of those factors. First, the correct type of lubricant must be …

Pre-Job Briefings

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCColumns, Safety Corner, Summer 2025 Columns

Protection from hazards always begins with paying attention to the 6 Ps: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.  One of the most important tools for planning a job correctly and thoroughly includes using a pre-job briefing, more commonly called a PJB. In some industries such as construction, this may be known as a tailgate or tailboard; in others, it is …

Better Questions = Better Outcomes

Shelley Baber, Eaton CorporationColumns, Safety Corner, Spring 2025 Columns

For great leaders, safety is typically not their number one priority; it is an unwavering core value. Priorities change, while values remain constant in all situations. Great leaders also typically want to have success….operational success, individual success, and especially safety success.   SAFETY SUCCESS How do you define safety success? Have you achieved safety success if you have zero recordable …

Human Error Traps and Safety

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCColumns, Fall 2024 Columns, Safety Corner

The Six-P Rule (Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance) can go a long way to preventing human error, but humans still make mistakes. James Reason, a prominent University of Manchester professor, psychologist, and author, states: “Human error is a consequence, not a cause. Errors are shaped by upstream workplace and organizational factors. Only by understanding the context of the error …

Power Transformer Hazard Awareness

Paul Chamberlain, Asplundh Engineering Services, LLCColumns, Safety Corner, Summer 2024 Columns

Performing condition analysis or maintenance on a power transformer and ancillary devices is a potentially hazardous task that requires well-trained test personnel to identify and mitigate risks. Products and equipment that are designed to test and diagnose equipment while in operation, such as infrared cameras, partial-discharge detection equipment, and online oil analysis can be used to determine a power transformer’s …