ELECTRICAL SAFETY Slide # 1 Business 21 Publishing © 2007 Electrical Safety The Business 21 Publishing Safety Training Series Take Personal Responsibility

ELECTRICAL SAFETYSlide # 1

Business 21 Publishing © 2007

Electrical SafetyThe Business 21 Publishing

Safety Training SeriesTake Personal Responsibility for Safety and Make a Difference

A user-friendly training module to help supervisors and workers:

Understand the causes and consequences of electrical injuries at work.

Prevent these injuries.



About this presentation

By the end of this presentation, you’ll be able to:

Spot potentially dangerous situations involving work with and around electricity.

Avoid these situations, or find safe ways of handling them.



Electrical injuries and fatalities at work …

Between 300 and 400 deaths per year.

More than 5,000 injuries requiring time off work per year.

Between 5% and 6% of all work-related fatalities are from electrical shocks and/or burns.



Who can help prevent unsafe electrical set-ups?

Who is the competent person (or persons) for electrical processes at your site?

Everyone must know who this person is.



How serious are electrical injuries at work?

They tend to result in long periods of disability.

They can cause deep, long-lasting harm that is very expensive to treat and/or correct.

They affect a company’s safety culture and the insurance process.



What are the main types of electricity-related injuries?

Shocks

Burns

Falls





What creates an electric shock?

Touching wires with different voltages.

Touching a live wire and an electrical ground.



What are the factors of injury from electric shock?

1. Amount of current measured in milliamperes.

NOTE: As little as 50 milliamps is enough to kill you … a simple hair dryer draws 10,000 milliamps.



Factors that cause electric shock injury (continued)

2. Length of time the current passes through the body.

3. Path of the current through the body.



What about electrical burns?

38% of electrical injuries involve burns, which can range up to third-degree.

Electrical burns take three main forms:

1. Contact burns

2. Arc burns

3. Thermal burns



Falls

When working around electricity and at heights (ladder, scaffold, etc.):

Take precautions to avoid being shocked, but,

Plan for a fall as if you expected to be shocked.



Common types of electrical accidents?

1. Direct or indirect contact with an overhead electric power line.

2. Installation/maintenance of electrical equipment.

3. Incidental contact with energized circuits.

4. Installation/maintenance of power transmission or distribution lines.



Electrical accidents: Type #1

Direct or indirect contact with an overhead power line.




Installation and maintenance of electrical equipment and/or systems.




Incidental contact with energized circuits.




Installation/maintenance of power transmission or distribution lines.



Main on-the-job hazards linked to electricity?

1) Inadequate wiring.

2) Exposed electrical parts.

3) Bad/defective insulation.

4) Electrical systems that are not grounded.



Main on-the-job hazards (continued)

5) Damaged power tools.

6) Overloaded circuits.

7) Overhead power lines.

8) Wet conditions.



Hazard #1:Inadequate wiring

Watch for:

Replacement fixtures that pull more current than the circuit’s wiring is rated for.

Extension cords whose wiring is inadequate for the tool you’re using.



Hazard #2:Exposed electrical parts

Why parts may be exposed: Someone has removed the cover

from a wiring or breaker box. Older electrical equipment may have

exposed parts due to design or damage.

Terminals in motors and appliances may be exposed.



Hazard #3: Bad or defective insulation

Situations to beware of:

Extension cords with damaged insulation.

Hand tools with damaged or old insulation inside them.



Hazard #4: Ungrounded electrical equipment

This is the most common violation of OSHA regs on electrical safety. The main problems are:

Metal parts of an electrical wiring system like switch plates and light fixtures if the system is not grounded properly.

Metal parts of motors or appliances plugged into improperly grounded circuits.



Hazard #5:Damaged power tools

Broken ground wires or plugs on extension cords or tools.



Hazard #6:Overloaded circuits

Why they’re dangerous:

They can overheat and cause fires.

They can arc, producing dangerous, unpredictable flashes.



Hazard #7:Overhead power lines

Out of sight, out of mind: When the danger is overhead, workers may forget about it until it’s too late.



Hazard #8:Wet conditions

Any dangerous electrical situation gets worse when water or humidity is involved.



Safety measures to prevent electrical injury

1) Lock out and tag out circuits and machines.

2) Use the right size and type of wire.

3) Isolate live electrical parts and equipment.

4) Use proper insulation.



Preventive measures (continued)

5) Ground electrical systems and tools.

6) Use ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

7) Use overload protection devices.

8) Wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

9) Make electrical safety personal.



Preventive measure #1: Lockout/tagout all circuits and machines

Lockout/tagout is a key safety procedure for all sources of industrial energy, including electricity.



Preventive measure #2: Choose the right size and type of wiring

If you’re working on a project where it’s possible to install a fixed wiring system, do so. Fixed wiring is more safe and reliable than extension cords.

If you must use extension cords, use the right size wire and make sure connectors are in good condition.



Preventive measure #3: Isolate live electrical parts and equipment

Remove covers or guards shielding live electrical parts only for good reason, and with the circuit de-energized.

Report missing covers and guards.



Preventive measure #4: Make sure proper insulation is in place

Repair or discard wiring or equipment with damaged insulation.

Don’t damage insulation while installing wiring, by piercing it with staples or bending electrical cables too sharply.



Preventive measure #5: Ground electrical systems and tools

Grounding creates a low-resistance path to earth for any stray currents.



Preventive measure #6: Use ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs)

GFCIs are a highly effective means of detecting ground faults and shutting off the dangerous circuit.



Preventive measure #7: Use overload protection devices

These are designed to protect equipment and buildings from fire – NOT to protect you from electric shock. GFCIs and other protective equipment are for that.



Preventive measure #8: Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)

PPE is your last line of defense against electrical hazard.

Use PPE religiously, but don’t expect it to do the job of other preventive measures.



Preventive measure #9:Take electrical safety personally

Take personal ownership of your safety behavior around electrical conductors.

Speak up for safety – don’t just walk on by.



First aid for electrical injury victims

1) Shut off the circuit. Don’t touch someone who is being electrocuted. You may be, too.

2) If you can’t find the circuit control, pry the victim away from the contact point using a non-conductor like a piece of wood.

3) While you’re doing this, get someone else to call 911.



First aid (continued)

4) Call the victim to see if he or she is conscious.

5) If so, tell the victim not to move.

6) If the victim is unconscious and not breathing, administer CPR.



Summary

Electricity is a powerful and useful force when harnessed; unharnessed, it can kill you.

Knowing the major electrical hazards and appropriate preventive measures can keep you and co-workers safe.

Documents

ELECTRICAL SAFETY Slide # 1 Business 21 Publishing © 2007 Electrical Safety The Business 21 Publishing Safety Training Series Take Personal Responsibility