WICHITA'S SAFEST ELECTRICIANS

Blog - Watt's New
Blog - Watt's New
Behind the Scenes of being Wichita’s Safest Electricians

Our safety protocol is unprecedented among electricians in Wichita. And not just for our safety, but for yours – and your family or business.

Saying that you’re “safe” is one thing. Proving it can be quite another. So as Wichita’s Safest Electricians, here are the actions behind the words.

The People
Starting with their first day on the job, each new employee at Young Electric undergoes mandatory Safety Orientation. This includes, among other things, Lockout/Tagout Training, Fall Protection, Ladder Safety, and a thorough review of all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and their proper use. (PPE consists of a hard hat, safety glasses, hearing protection, and an individually-sized personal fall arrest system – composed of a fall harness and lanyard.) The new employee is then sized up for their own fire-resistant coveralls – two pairs per employee.

Following Safety Orientation, the new team member is given the Young Electric Safety Policy Statement, which stipulates in no uncertain terms that “… all employees will comply with all safety policies and procedures, including proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)." As you might expect, strict adherence to the Safety Policy Statement is a condition of employment – no ifs, and, or buts! All employees sign the statement that conveys not only the importance of safety at Young Electric, but their ongoing commitment as a professional electrician.

Going the extra mile (and setting the safety standard for other Wichita electricians)
Interestingly, although Arc flash rated, fire-resistant (FR) clothing protection has been mandated for many years, its use is just now becoming more common. Meanwhile, we’ve been issuing this protective equipment to each employee since 1999. And during that 16-year span we’ve not had one single electrical mishap that put our fire-resistant clothing to the test. Regardless, we’ll never stop providing this critical safety equipment to our team. And, they’ll never stop using it.

The same holds true for Fall Protection. Tragically, most employers don’t issue individual fall protection equipment. Instead they make everyone share, regardless of whether it fits properly, or if there’s even enough to go around. Fall Protection equipment must be properly sized, and each person needs to be distinctly familiar with their own gear, versus having to worry about “Who had the suit last?” Their equipment is their equipment, period.

After initial Safety Orientation, the training doesn’t stop there. We follow an inclusive, 52-week curriculum in our mandatory Formal Safety Meetings, held every Friday morning, before anyone leaves the shop. Certain topics are so safety-critical that they’re repeated at six-month intervals.

The Equipment
All the safety training in the world would be of no value if our equipment isn’t up to the task. So our relentless commitment to safety extends into ensuring our equipment is as prepared as our people. Here are just a few examples:

  • Quarterly inspections of all ladders, power tools, and extension cords.
  • 6-month laboratory testing of our electrical “hot gloves” to verify their dielectric properties and voltages ratings
  • Monthly inspections, and an annual ANSI inspection & testing by a third party, of our industry-certified bucket truck.
  • Annual ANSI inspection & testing, again by a third party, of our scissor lift work platforms.

The Company
At the end of the day, safety permeates everything we do. We’re immersed in a culture of safety that touches every aspect of the company. And, we’re darn proud of that, to be honest, which is why we’re honored to wear the label “Wichita’s Safest Electricians.”