Utility workers keeping themselves and others safe is the focal point for the annual North Texas Regional Safety Day.
“Safety can bring you home,” said John Zahm, who handles signs and marking for the City of Lewisville. He was among hundreds of city crews, utility workers and first responders to take advantage of available information at the October 26 event organized by the North Texas Damage Prevention Council.
“If you ignore safety, you won’t come home,” Zahm said. “If you pay attention to safety, you come home. And, everybody wants to come home.”
One of many vendors, USIC, which specializes in underground utility location and damage prevention, educated attendees on how it works with CoServ and other utilities to locate underground lines.
“We continue to educate people on the proper things to do to protect utility lines,” said Josh Daniels, USIC area manager.
Gas and electric demonstrations at CoServ’s headquarters, where this year’s event was held, showed crowds how both energy sources operate. CoServ linemen exhibited extensive skills in how to help an injured person down from a utility pole or out of an underground vault.
“We bring our guys out here to see what would happen if we hit a gas (or electric) line,” said Lewisville crew foreman Buddy Phillips.
ES&H of Dallas, an emergency response company, highlighted how they can assist with hazardous material situations.
“We’ve had quite a few people come by our table, and I’d say it’s been pretty successful so far,” said Adam Evans of the ES&H operations center.
Eric Sigl, who works on the City of Bedford’s water maintenance crew, said meeting vendors gives employees contacts on who to call in safety-related situations.
“It’s good seeing all of the different advances in safety,” Sigl said.
Creating a culture for safety makes a difference.
“If someone is looking after me, I should do the same thing and look after them,” Zahm said. “We all should.”
