Utility Safety Podcast by Incident Prevention Magazine

In high-voltage environments, what you can’t see can kill you. While traditional open-air substations display their isolation points and energized components out in the open, enclosed switchgear conceals its dangers behind metal panels and doors. In this episode, we sit down with industry safety expert George T. Cole (CUSP, CESCP, CESW, CIT, SGE) to dissect why switchgear design creates unique...

In high-voltage environments, what you can’t see can kill you. While traditional open-air substations display their isolation points and energized components out in the open, enclosed switchgear conceals its dangers behind metal panels and doors. In this episode, we sit down with industry safety expert George T. Cole (CUSP, CESCP, CESW, CIT, SGE) to dissect why switchgear design creates unique...

In this episode of the Built In, Not Bolted On podcast, host Doug Hill is joined by co-host Nick to dive into the critical topic of job site preparation and equipment setup in utility operations. Prompted by evolving working conditions—such as severe air quality impacts from Canadian wildfires—the hosts discuss why safety practices must be proactively integrated into daily work routines rather than "bolted on" as an aft...

Join host Kate Wade as she sits down with Derek Sang, Senior Technical Training Manager at Bulwark Protection, to answer the utility industry's most burning questions about protective clothing. With 25 years of experience, Derek breaks down the critical differences between flame-resistant (FR) and arc-rated (AR) garments, exposes common field errors in wearing and maintaining PPE, and highlights dangerous everyday products like fab...

In this episode, we dive deep into David McPeak's article, "250 Years of Safety," featured in the July 10th, 2026 issue of Incident Prevention magazine. We explore the staggering evolution of workplace safety, starting from the 1890s when electrical line workers faced a nearly 50% on-the-job mortality rate. Discover how financial liabilities, worker's compensation laws, and the establishment of OSHA in 1970 transformed corporate ac...

Listen to Part 1: https://utilitysafety.podbean.com/e/beyond-root-cause-shifting-to-a-root-conditions-mindset-in-utility-safety-part-1-with-billy-martin-cusp/

In this 2 part series of the Utility Safety Podcast, host Nick sits down with Kate Wade and safety expert Bill Martin to challenge the traditional frameworks of incident investigation. Moving away from the "blame and shame loop" of traditional root cause analysis, the group ...

Listen to Part 2: https://utilitysafety.podbean.com/e/233errrff/

In this 2 part series of the Utility Safety Podcast, host Nick sits down with Kate Wade and safety expert Bill Martin to challenge the traditional frameworks of incident investigation. Moving away from the "blame and shame loop" of traditional root cause analysis, the group explores the concept of "root conditions". Using vivid metaphors like the decision funnel, the...

Beneath every major city lies a high-voltage world that powers our daily lives—and presents some of the most dangerous conditions utility workers face. In this episode, we break down the critical safety protocols for manhole and vault inspections. Drawing from Mark Savage's recent insights in Incident Prevention, we explore why these confined spaces can turn deadly in seconds due to invisible atmospheric hazards and electrica...

In this episode, Danny Raines discusses the "100 Days of Summer," a critical period spanning roughly from May 20th to September 10th. During this timeframe, approximately 60% of all major accidents and fatalities occur. The conversation covers the severe dangers of distracted driving , the catastrophic risks of head-on collisions and intersection accidents , and the life-saving importance of using seatbelts. For utility workers fac...

In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Pantelides and Gary Percy from Telesteps to discuss the next evolution of climbing safety. While traditional fiberglass ladders have been the industry standard for decades, Telesteps is disrupting the market with their patented, DuPont Kevlar non-conductive telescoping ladders. Engineered for use near energized electrical systems, these ladders are 25–30 lbs lighter than traditional mo...

Read the article: https://incident-prevention.com/blog/confronting-data-bias-to-improve-safety-outcomes/

This podcast episode features Gina Vanderlin, CUSP, CSP, CHMM, CIT, Health and Safety Program Manager at PSEG Long Island and a self-professed "Safety Alchemist...

In this hard-hitting and deeply personal session, industry veteran Danny Raines, CUSP, challenges the "normalization of deviation" in the electrical utility industry. Drawing from decades of experience in the field, as well as his perspective as a pilot, Danny explores why skilled professionals continue to bypass safety regulations despite having better equipment and training than ever before.

Read the article written by Tom Cohenno, Ed.D., CSP, CUSP, NBC-HWC: https://incident-prevention.com/blog/spiritual-preparation-for-safer-work/

The provided text explores the concept of spiritual preparation as a vital component of occupational safety, particularly within high-stakes utility work. It argues that while rules and training are necessary, they often fail when workers face stress or fatigue, leading ...

Join host Doug Hill and guest Jeff "Odie" Espenship—former USAF fighter pilot and founder of Target Leadership—for a deep dive into the heart of high-performance safety culture. In this episode, we move beyond "bolt-on" safety programs to explore how true safety must be built into the daily DNA of an organization. Odie shares powerful lessons from his time in the cockpit, revealing how "the little things" like miscommun...

In this hard-hitting and deeply personal session, industry veteran Danny Raines, CUSP, challenges the "normalization of deviation" in the electrical utility industry. Drawing from decades of experience in the field, as well as his perspective as a pilot, Danny explores why skilled professionals continue to bypass safety regulations despite having better equipment and training than ever before.

In this episode, we go beneath the surface into the high-stakes, "unforgiving" world of medium-voltage underground cable splicing. Drawing from Mark Savage’s expert insights in Incident Prevention Magazine, we explore why cable identification isn’t just a technical task—it’s a survival skill. We break down the "Zero Trust" philosophy where every cable is treated as lethal until proven otherwise, and even the...

In this episode of the Influencing Safety podcast, Kate Wade and Bill Martin pull back the curtain on their creative process with a raw, "behind-the-scenes" brainstorming session. They explore the critical shift from reacting to downstream incidents to identifying the "upstream" conditions that create them. By discussing concepts like the "teaspoon fallacy," psychological safety, and the importance of neurodiversity, they challenge...

Host: Kate Wade, Editor of Incident Prevention Magazine Guest: Dr. Eric Rogers, Founder of Peak Sleep LLC and former sleep specialist for US Navy SEAL teams

In this episode of the Utility Safety Podcast, host Kate Wade dives deep into the science of sleep with Dr. Eric Rogers, a performance sleep coach who has trained elite military units like the US Navy SEALs. Designed specifically for the high-hazard utility industry, this conv...

"Built In, Not Bolted On" explores the critical integration of safety into the core of organizational operations rather than treating it as a secondary, compliance-based add-on. Author Doug Hill argues that when safety is established as a fundamental organizational value—rather than just a priority—it naturally drives improvements in quality, productivity, and overall operational excellence. By utilizing Human and Organ...