Overview:
The Senior Safety Coordinator – T&D (Storm Response) provides guidance and support to construction employees and field leadership on transmission and distribution (T&D) projects, with a strong emphasis on storm readiness, rapid deployment, and 24/7 restoration safety. This role promotes proactive prevention during normal operations and ensures disciplined execution in emergency response. Key responsibilities include reinforcing safe work practices such as job briefings, minimum approach distance (MAD) and cover-up, grounding, traffic control, and arc-flash protection, in alignment with OSHA, National Electrical Safety Code (NESC), and Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) standards.
Essential Functions:
1. Field Safety Leadership – T&D: 35%
- Leads and develops Safety Coordinators, providing proactive leadership by observing and assessing outside line crew operations for compliance with OSHA 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V standards.
- Ensures pre-job and toolbox briefings are thorough, MAD calculations are verified, and safe work practices – including cover-up, grounding, switching/clearance communications, PPE use, and substation entry controls – are consistently applied.
- Coaches and supports Foreman and Safety Coordinators to strengthen adherence to safety requirements, reinforce accountability, and embed a culture of risk awareness and prevention across crews.
- Holds Safety Coordinators and field leadership accountable for compliance.
- Documents field observations, provides constructive feedback, and escalates concerns when necessary to maintain high standard of safety performance.
2. Storm Readiness, Mobilization & Response: 25%
- Supports and monitors organizational readiness for storm events in collaboration with Superintendents and General Foremen.
- Ensures the storm safety playbook remains current and is implemented effectively.
- Provides safety oversight during staging and logistics activities, verifying that Incident Command Post (ICP) role assignments and mobilization practices align with company guidelines and regulatory expectations.
- Serves as the safety lead during deployments, integrating with host-utility and mutual assistance frameworks while maintaining strong communication with field leadership.
- Monitors compliance with fatigue management, crew rest cycles, and handoff procedures, ensuring operational leadership applies them appropriately.
- Confirms completion and documentation of ICS100/200/700 training and provides coaching on applying ICS principles to storm operations.
3. Training & Competency: 15%
- Delivers and documents training to ensure crews remain competent in OSHA 1910.269 topics, including job briefings, MAD, grounding, and energized work methods.
- Provides instruction on arc flash hazard assessment, flame-resistant (FR) clothing requirements, and aerial/bucket rescue expectations.
- Ensures First Aid/CPR training is current and verifies that rescue readiness is maintained across all crews.
4. Incident Prevention, Reporting & Investigation: 10%
- Conducts and supports field investigations of incidents and near misses, ensuring accurate fact-finding and documentation in alignment with safety department guidelines.
- Coaches crews and leadership through the investigation process, develops SMART corrective actions, and aligns reports with corporate standards and closure protocols.
- Provides first aid care when necessary and coordinates licensed medical care in accordance with corporate protocols.
5. Regulatory & Client Compliance: 10%
- Maintains compliance with OSHA, NESC, and MUTCD requirements across all transmission and distribution activities.
- Ensures host-to-contractor information transfer—such as system conditions, reclosers, and remotely operated devices—is accurately communicated and consistently applied.
- Verifies that site-specific utility rules are understood, implemented, and followed by all crews.
6. Performs other duties as assigned. 5%
Education and Experience:
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- 5–7+ years in T&D safety, with a minimum of 3 years in outside line operations or utility construction required; Outside Lineman or Foreman background strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated storm deployment experience (utility or contractor).
- OSHA 30 (Construction) or equivalent preferred; documented OSHA 1910.269 training required.
- OSHA 500 and 510 certifications strongly preferred; Electrical Transmission & Distribution (ET&D) Trainer certification is a plus.
- FEMA ICS 100/200/700 certification required, or ability to complete within 90 days of hire.
- First Aid/CPR/Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Train-the-Trainer certification required, or ability to complete within 90 days of hire.
- Experience in utility/contractor host-rule environments, with knowledge of IBEW collective bargaining agreements across multiple states preferred.
Skills/Abilities:
- Able to communicate clearly and calmly at all levels, from field crews to executives and utility clients.
- Able to mentor and influence crews and safety staff to reinforce accountability and a culture of prevention.
- Able to build and deliver effective pre-job briefings, verify MAD calculations, and manage control of energy sources, including switching, clearance, reclosers, and remote devices.
- Strong ability to operate within ICS during storm operations, including managing fatigue, staging/base camp safety, and coordination with leadership, utility representatives, and mutual assistance partners.
- Strong ability to investigate incidents and near misses, identify root causes, and recommend SMART corrective actions.
- Proficient in maintaining precise, timely, and compliant documentation, including job briefings, JSAs, switching/clearance notes, incident reports, and utility-specific forms.
- Proficient in applying OSHA 1910.269 and 1926 Subpart V, NESC (ANSI C2), and MUTCD Part 6 for temporary traffic control.
- Skilled in conducting arc flash hazard assessments and selecting appropriate FR and arc-rated clothing to ensure full-body protection.
- Competent in T&D rescue methods, including pole-top, bucket, and vault rescues, with readiness to perform or direct emergency response as required.
- Familiarity with mutual-assistance operations.
Work Environment:
- Field-heavy role across energized and de-energized T&D sites, substations, overhead and underground environments, public Right-of-Way (ROW) areas, and storm-impacted regions.
- Requires flexibility for extended deployments, including nights, weekends, and holidays, as dictated by operational needs and emergency events.
- Frequent travel required; outdoor exposure to heat, cold, dust, wind, standing water, and uneven or unstable footing. Work occurs around traffic and heavy equipment, requiring MUTCD-compliant traffic control.
Physical Demands:
- Prolonged periods of walking, standing, climbing, and traversing uneven terrain and ROWs; ability to ascend structures or access aerial devices using three-point contact.
- Must be able to wear FR/arc-rated PPE and other required protective equipment for extended periods and perform duties in inclement weather conditions.
- Must be able to lift up to 40 pounds at times.
- Must be able work in confined spaces.