Anatomy of Utility Safety Communications

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Anatomy of Utility Safety Communications

• Charlie Basham
• Manager of Public Safety
• Southern California Edison

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Southern California EdisonBy the Numbers.

• 120 years old
• 50,000 square miles
• 4.7 million meters
• 13 million people
• 13,500 employees
• 21,100 MW (peak)
• 84.5 million GWh
• Generation mix
• Gas 45
• Renewables -- 19
• Nuclear 20
• Coal 13
• Other 1

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Southern California EdisonBy the Numbers

• 857 substations
• 26,000 steel towers
• 120,000 miles of wire
• 231,000 underground transformers
• 459,000 overhead transformers
• 765,000 street lights
• 1,500,000 wooden poles

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Key Audiences

• Contractors with high at-risk jobs
• Agricultural workers
• Tree trimmers
• First responders
• Electronic news organizations (ENG)
• Schools
• General public
• Ham radio operators
• Outdoor recreational enthusiasts

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Desired Business Results

• Prevent injuries and save lives by reducing third
  party contacts with overhead and underground
  wires
• Reduce electric service outages and equipment
  damage due to third party contacts.
• Provide documented account of communication
  outreach efforts.

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Critical Issues

• People in general are busy, and not likely to
  read extensive amounts of safety information.
• Contractors encompass a wide range of job
  classifications but have common safety messages.
  
• Contractors and field workers are transient
  typically report directly to field locations
  travel regularly in and out of SCEs service
  area.
• People working within SCEs service area are just
  as likely to live outside SCEs service area.
• Audiences are ethnically diverse communications
  require -- at a minimum -- English and Spanish.
• Some target audiences have a low literacy level.

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Message Strategies

• Create top-of-mind awareness of the seriousness
  and dangers of contacting overhead or underground
  electrical equipment.
• Align messages with other utilities.
• Position SCE as a company that cares about the
  health and safety of its customers and safely
  manages its electrical system and its product.
• Express that SCE has high standards for
  electrical safety, both for our employees and for
  the people who work, live and play near our
  facilities.
• Provide explicit and simple safety guidelines.
• Reference workplace safety regulations and the
  benefits to contractors for responsibly providing
  a safe working environment for its employees.

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Tools

• Direct mail
• Media relations
• Events and activities
• Web sites
• Bill inserts
• Training presentations
• Speakers bureau
• Build and leverage relationships

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Communications Strategies

• Use direct mail as the primary outreach tool.
• Printed materials incorporate a heavy use of
  graphics photos reflect a job-specific target
  audience (ag worker, tree trimmer, heavy
  equipment operator).
• Work in partnership with other utilities.
• Use in-language materials.

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Other Essential Communications Activities

• Tactics what you will use and why.
• Measurement Quantify the effort and the
  results how do you know youve reached your
  goal?
• Timelines seasonal opportunities how does
  everything blend together?
• Budget.

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General Public

• Bill inserts
• February Kites and metallic balloons
• March Look Up and Live (tree trimming)
• June Pool Safety
• August Heat stress
• October Electric Safety for Seniors
• November Safe Holiday Lights
• December Safe Holiday Trees
• Media Relations
• Metallic balloons
• Kites
• Post storm and natural disaster
  interviews/releases
• General outdoor summer safety
• Tree trimming/yard safety
• Meter Reader safety
• Safe Holiday Lights
• Work with the ethnic media on all public outreach
  activities
• Update and monitor sce.com

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Schools

• Offer 4th Grade teachers free in-classroom safety
  materials which meet state science curriculum
  standards.
• Update sce.coms Electric Safety World pages
  targeting kids, teachers and parents.
• Promote in-classroom and assembly presentations.
• Work with university Schools of Education to
  encourage the use of safety education materials
  in the classroom.
• Provide educator publications with article on
  teaching electric safety in the classroom.

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Electronic News Gathering (ENG)

• Produce and distribute a safety awareness video
  and DVD PowerPoint presentation for TV station
  trainers (in cooperation with DWP, PGE, SDGE
  and SMUD).
• Work with local TV stations and trade unions to
  write, shoot, edit and distribute.
• Distribute awareness video/DVD to cable
  companies, film production companies and trade
  unions.

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Sample Messages -- Contractors
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Safety in the Work PlaceIts often just common
sense!
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Look Up and Live!

• Before you begin work, survey the job site to
  find overhead power lines, poles, and guy wires.
• Look for lines that may be hidden by trees or
  buildings.
• Conditions change quickly, so check daily.

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Point Out Power Lines at Daily Work Briefings

• Assume all overhead lines are energized and
  potentially dangerous, including service drops
  that run from utility poles to buildings.
• Remember the 10-foot rule Keep vehicles,
  equipment, tools, scaffolding, and people at
  least 10 feet away from overhead power lines.
• Higher-voltage power lines require greater
  clearance. Contact SCE for specific clearances.

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Remember the 10-Foot rule

• Keep vehicles, equipment, tools, scaffolding, and
  people at least 10 feet away from overhead power
  lines.
• Use a spotter. No equipment operator working
  alone can safely judge the distance from the
  equipment to overhead power lines.
• When a crane or overhead equipment hits a power
  line the workers on the ground, guiding the
  load, are in the most danger. Electricity can
  travel through a tag line!

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About Those Overhead Lines

• If you must work closer than 10 feet to an
  overhead power line, call Edison in advance to
  make safety arrangements.
• FOR FREE -- We will de-energize the line or move
  it. Just please give us a few days advance
  notice!
• Clearly mark boundaries to keep your workers and
  equipment a safe distance from the lines.

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Call Before You Dig

• Five Steps to Safe Excavation
• 1. Survey and Mark
• Survey proposed excavation areas and mark the dig
  sites in white paint. 2. Call Before You Dig
• Call Underground Service Alert at 1-800-227-2600
  at least two working days prior to starting work.
• 3. Wait the Required Time
• Allow the utilities the two working days to
  locate and mark lines.
• 4. Respect the Marks
• Maintain the marks and follow them when digging.
• 5. Dig with Care
• Hand excavate within 24 inches of each side of
  the lines.
• NOTE if you dont call and you hit an
  underground line, you could be hurt or killed.
  You may also be liable for costly damages.

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Have an Emergency Plan