National Electrical Contractors Assn.'s Safety Professionals Conference to be held May 21-23 in St. Louis

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is rolling out 2012 with a renewed focus on workplace safety for electrical safety. The Association will host its second Safety Professionals Conference, May 21-23. In the meantime, several new and updated safety publications will help NECA contractors and workers make 2012 their safest year ever. "NFPA 70E is the bedrock when it comes to electrical safety, but the standard can seem intimidating and complex for some users," said NECA director of safety Jerry Rivera. Rivera also spearheads NECA's Safety Professionals Conference. "We've worked hard to revise the NECA safety guides to reflect the changes in NFPA 70E-2012 Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace," Rivera said. "We know that working in a de-energized environment is always the safest option, but it's not always feasible. NECA's safety products can offer practical guidelines for staying safe on any job, with easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations." New in 2012 is the Supervisors Guide to Job Site Safety. This field guide and companion training CD (available in March) will assist project supervisory staff in effectively implementing jobsite safety requirements. It provides a high-level review of NECA's Standing Policy on Safety, planning, training and inspection requirements. Also new this year is the Guide to Decision-Making: Energized vs. De-energized Work. The publication, available in late February, offers a simplified approach when determining if working on circuits in an energized or de-energized state is justified. This guide includes hazard identification and assessment, energized work permit requirements and a decision-making flow chart. For further information, contact NECA Boston Chapter at 617-969-2521 or visit www.necanet.org