Good communications - The essence of safety

Since electrical workers do hands-on, electrical work and they cannot move faster than an electron, their skill set must enable them to out-think electricity. Among the most important of these skills is clear, concise, and effective communications. Good communication´s skills are necessary for every activity that involves more than one person. Nowhere is good, clear communications more imperative than when electrical safety (or any safety area) is at issue. Whether written or oral, communications must carry the message clearly and concisely. This paper presents the elements that should be included in all communications. It also discusses the many bad habits that sneak into our language and distort or completely cover our meaning. All of the good techniques that are discussed can be used in report writing, procedure development, intra-office memos, public speaking, and safety, job briefings. Since the authors of this paper share English as our native language, the paper focuses on English. There are two important considerations regardless of the language used. 1. To the extent possible, all safety related communications should be made in a common language. 2. The same words or phrases should be used when referring to the same equipment or processes.