CWA Pushes Verizon for Electrical Hazard Training

Under a settlement in Indiana that Verizon has agreed to extend throughout the Midwest and ultimately nationwide, outside technicians as well as central office techs and engineers will receive potentially life-saving electrical safety training.

Unfortunately, CWA leaders say, it took a rash of recent deaths and investigations by state OSHA divisions to get Verizon to agree. Between CWA and the IBEW, five Verizon technicians have been killed in electrocution accidents since 2006 and many others have been injured in recent years.

The Indiana agreement — drawn up between Verizon and Indiana's Occupational Safety and Health Division with CWA's input — follows a similar settlement in Maryland in response to the death of Marvin Benson in October 2006. Benson was working in an aerial truck when it came in contact with a power line, electrocuting him.

Verizon expanded the Maryland agreement to all of District 2 — Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. — but initially only outside technicians were to be trained. Now, Verizon has said it will follow the language in the Indiana agreement and train all workers who could be exposed to electrical shock, inside or outside.

In Indiana, Local 4773 member Brent Cheney was electrocuted in May 2006 while working inside on a mainframe to fix a customer's cable problem.

CWA Safety and Health Director Dave LeGrande said Verizon has signed a letter pledging to expand the training throughout District 4 in the Midwest and has agreed verbally to put technicians in all states through it. A timeline for launching the program nationwide hasn't been set, but sessions are underway in District 2 and will begin soon in District 4. New hires will also receive the training and all technicians will get annual refreshers.

Topics include power line contact with vehicles and aerial lifts, identifying electrical hazards, health effects from exposure to electrical power and how to resolve hazards.