What is the greatest challenge facing utilities providers regarding worker safety, and how can they overcome it?

One of the greatest challenges facing utilities providers is the fact that much of the infrastructure for energy distribution is old and in need of repair or upgrades. The age of these systems makes preventing breakdowns and malfunctions challenging. Unfortunately, these malfunctions not only inconvenience customers who experience service interruptions, but also pose a serious risk to workers. As any electrician or engineer knows, there are increased risks when working on old equipment.

The best way for utilities companies to promote worker safety, then, is to set up effective preventative maintenance programs. By ensuring the integrity of the infrastructure, utilities companies will put fewer of their workers and contractors at risk (find out how to Effectively Eliminate Breakdowns with Total Productive Maintenance).

By far the most efficient and effective way to handle maintenance is by using the data technicians collect in the field. Analyzing that data can predict when a piece of equipment is likely to fail or when accidents are most likely to occur. Scheduling maintenance around those projections reduces the number of problems associated with ageing infrastructures.

Analyzing that data also helps managers decide what areas of their system needs updating, and when. This allows infrastructure to be updated before things go wrong while also maximizing the lifespan of existing systems without compromising worker safety.