It is not uncommon knowledge that often, there are issues concerning the wellbeing of workers in the energy industry. These issues mostly lean towards the dangers associated with the job, be it wirings, installations, or routine checks.
The most dangerous of these dangers is electrocution and it often leads to death. With a percentage of 3.6 fatalities per 100,000 electrical workers in 2019, it has become very important to find ways to make working in the energy industry safer.
Some of the ways to increase safety for/amongst workers include the following:
- There should be the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as insulated ladders and gloves, to protect against the dangers of current leaks. Also, working equipment should be checked and maintained regularly to avoid malfunctions during critical times.
- Electrical workers should be trained and certified before being assigned to tasks. Employers of labour in the industry should ensure that their employees have adequate certification that guarantees their experience in handling electrical faults. In Nigeria for example, to handle wirings, one must possess a Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN) certificate. However, in the case of forging and easy accessibility to documents as such, there should be monitoring organisations that double-check the validity of these certifications and punish offenders.
- Another way to increase safety would be the timely and efficient evaluation of risks. Workers should be extensively aware of what they are dealing with and understand the gravity of the situation before trying to solve it. This would require a planned method or methods for addressing said issue(s). This can be encouraged by the regular checks on electrical infrastructure such as cables and transformers; and also, attending to faults in a timely manner to prevent them from degenerating into worse scenarios.
With these precautions adequately put in place, there is no doubt that it would sensitise the entire industry on the importance of safety to boost productivity.