Calif. State Fund Hosting Safety Seminar Feb. 28

California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund and the California Public Utility Safety Alliance are sponsor a safety seminar about the dangers of working near overhead and underground gas and electrical lines on Feb. 28. The seminar, “Contractor Beware: Safety around Overhead and Underground Gas and Electric Lines,” is designed for workers and contractors in the agricultural and construction industries. The seminar is also open to the general public and will be conducted in Spanish and English.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), electrocutions from contact with overhead power lines result in an average of 128 work-related fatalities each year. The National Agricultural Safety Database reports that more than 60 electrocutions per year occur on farms. Thus, the seminar will focus on explaining the risks involved when working around overhead electrical and underground gas lines, and how to avoid making mistakes that can lead to death or injury as well as financial liability. The seminar will also address what to do if an accident does occur at the worksite.

Speakers include Richard Ascaso, State Fund senior loss control consultant, and David Powell, manager of public safety for Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E).

The seminar will be held at State Fund’s Stockton District Office, 3247 West March Lane. The seminar schedule is as follows:

Construction
9 a.m. – 10 a.m. (English)
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (Spanish)

Agriculture
1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (English)
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. (Spanish)

To register, call Aurora Zendejas at 209-476-2723, or fax 209-476-2550. To register via e-mail, send a message to: amzendejas@scif.com.

The State Fund seminar is supported by a coalition of public utility companies: Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, City of Anaheim, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, California Public Utilities Commission – Utilities Safety & Reliability Branch, San Diego Gas and Electric, Southern California Gas Company, and IID Energy, a division of Imperial Irrigation District. The event is sponsored by the Western Regional Master Builders Association, Golden State Builders Exchanges, and the California Farm Bureau Federation.

The Stockton seminar is part of a series of educational programs State Compensation Insurance Fund is holding throughout the state in order to help employers create safe workplaces.