REDDING/SAN FRANCISCO -- State Compensation Insurance Fund and the California Utility Public Safety Alliance will jointly sponsor a safety seminar about the dangers of working near overhead and underground gas and electrical lines on August 7 in Redding. The seminar, “Contractor Beware: Safety around Overhead and Underground Gas and Electric Lines,” is specifically designed for workers and contractors in the construction industry.

When a worker or the equipment he is using comes into contact with an overhead electrical line, a shock can occur that can lead to severe burns or death. 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. If a worker strikes an underground gas line, it can cause an explosion that can kill or injure workers as well as others in the vicinity. Hitting an underground electric line can cause power outages, and can also shock or kill equipment operators. In addition, contractors who do not protect underground facilities during excavations may be held financially liable for damages.

In order to prevent death and serious injury, contractors and employees working around natural gas and power lines need to follow safe practices and procedures to identify these hazards in advance. The seminar will focus on explaining these dangers, and how workers can avoid making costly and tragic mistakes. The seminar will also address what to do if an accident does occur at the work location.

The featured speaker at the seminar will be Jack Latiolais, Electric Line Manager, Redding Electric Utility. He will discuss safe work practices around utilities, and will explain to attendees how to inform others about jobsite safety.

The seminar will be held from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. at the Shasta Builders' Exchange in Redding, 2990 Innsbruck Drive. Free parking is available. To register, please call Jennifer Enriquez at (530) 223-7139, or send a fax to her attention at (530) 223-7166. To register via email, please email mnechelberger@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 Redding 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. State Fund has the largest safety and health services program among California workers’ compensation insurance carriers.

Additional seminars in this series of educational programs are also available.