JM Electrical’s Health and Safety Manager Shares Critical Fire Safety Strategies in EC&M Magazine
Kevin Kolhonen, Health and Safety Manager at JM Electrical, contributed an important article to Electrical Construction & Maintenance Magazine, focusing on fire prevention and risk reduction in the electrical industry. Published during National Fire Safety Month, Kevin’s insights provide essential guidance for electrical professionals on protecting lives, property, and businesses.
Understanding Electrical Fire Hazards
Kevin begins by outlining the primary causes of electrical fires that professionals must be aware of, including overloaded circuits and panels that can overheat wiring and equipment, fault or damaged wiring with degraded insulation or improper splices, improperly maintained equipment that creates hidden hazards, arc flash and arc fault incidents, and poor housekeeping practices that store combustible materials near electrical equipment.
Proactive Prevention Techniques
The article emphasizes that fire prevention measures should be built into daily operations. Kevin highlights several best practices including strict adherence to NFPA 70E and NEC standards to ensure compliant installations and safe system performance, regular installations and safe system performance, regular inspections and testing to identify issues before they escalate, proper load management to prevent circuit overloads, routine equipment maintenance to keep systems clean and functioning property, and the exclusive use of certified, UL-listed materials rated for their specific environment.
Risk Reduction on Job Sites
Beyond prevention, Kevin stresses that every crew member plays a role in reducing fire risks while working. He recommends completing Job Hazard Analyses before each task to identify potential fire hazards, ensuring proper authorization and fire watch protocols for hot work, maintaining clean and organized work areas, confirming fire extinguisher accessibility and employee training, and always wearing appropriate PPE and arc-rated gear.
Building a Culture of Fire Safety
Kevin emphasizes that preventing fires isn’t just about following code, it requires creating a safety culture throughout your company. This includes leadership commitment to safe work practices and providing the right tools, employee empowerment to speak up and stop unsafe work, and ongoing training to ensure teams understand evolving codes, standards, and fire risks.
At JM Electrical, fire safety and risk reduction principles are integral to our operations throughout the year. Kevin’s expertise in advancing safety standards reinforces our commitment to protecting every team member on every project while maintaining the highest industry standards.
Read the full article: https://www.ecmweb.com/safety/article/55320982/national-fire-safety-month-fire-prevention-and-risk-reduction-in-the-electrical-industry