Electrical Safety Measures – It is not necessary to express that electricity is so essential to all aspects of life and one cannot imagine living without it. You are at home, in the office, on the road or anywhere on planet earth, you are connected by electricity at every step of your life. You need electricity at work or when you are resting, cooking or doing anything. From the operating room to the simplest medicines, everything depends heavily on electricity. Some of us who are electricians, engineers, electronic technicians, line workers, etc. deal directly with electricity on a daily basis while others deal with electricity indirectly. Due to too much penetration of electricity in our lives, we only tend to understand the dangers that electricity brings to us, so we expose ourselves to electrical hazards very often.
HSE UK statistics show that around 1000 workplace accidents involving electrocution and electrical burns are reported each year. About 30 of these accidents are fatal. According to the Electrical Safety First Organisation, UK, around 54.4% of fires in England alone are caused by electricity. During 2015-2016, a total of 28,350 fires were reported, of which 15,432 fires were caused by electricity. These electrical fires caused about 1380 deaths and serious injuries. According to OSHA, in 1999, 278 workers died from electrocution, accounting for nearly 5 percent of all workplace deaths that year. Statistics show that electrical hazards alone cause more than 300 deaths and more than 4,000 workplace injuries each year. So it is very important, especially at work, to carefully identify and investigate electrical hazards and implement all necessary controls to avoid the consequences of exposure to electrical hazards.
Electrical Safety Measures
Electrical Hazard: An electrical hazard is a dangerous condition where a worker may or does make electrical contact with energized equipment or a conductor. From that contact, the person may suffer a shock injury, and there is a possibility that the worker may receive a flash burn (electrical blast), thermal burn, or blast injury.
Electrical Safety Emergency Response
Electric shock: It is the passage of electric current through the body. Electrical contact can cause involuntary physical movements. Electric current can do the following:
Arc Flash: It is a release of energy caused by an electric arc. The flash causes the explosive expansion of air and metal. The explosion produces:
Flow of Electricity: Electricity flows easily through materials that offer very little resistance to electrical current. Such materials are called conductors like metals. Some materials offer very high resistance to the flow of electric current. Such materials are called insulators like plastic, dry wood, glass etc. Even air, normally an insulator, can become a conductor, as occurs during an arc or lightning strike.
Effect of water on the flow of electricity: Water in its purest form is an insulator, but a very small amount of impurities such as salt, acid, solvents or other materials make water itself and substances that generally act as insulators of conductors or better conductors. Dry wood, for example, generally slows or stops the flow of electricity. But when saturated with water, wood turns into a conductor. The same goes for human skin. Dry skin has a fairly high electrical resistance, but when the skin is moist or wet, it offers very little electrical resistance. So working with electricity in a wet environment makes the conditions much worse. This means that while working in a damp or wet environment, you must be careful to prevent electrical hazards.
Electric Shock: Causes, Effects, & Treatment Options
Many organizations incur large losses and costs each year simply because of their failure to treat electrical hazards with the respect they deserve. These hazards continuously expose employees to electric shock, electrocution, burns, fires, and explosions, while most of these injuries and deaths are easily avoidable.
Generators are commonly used as a substitute source of electricity when electricity is lost. Overloading, poor maintenance, and abuse of the generator are conditions that increase the chances of an electrical hazard causing damage. You should always adopt best practices when working with generators.
Overhead and buried power lines are particularly dangerous because they carry dangerously high voltage. Fatal electrocution is the main risk, but burns and falls are also hazards. Knowing your limits and applying electrical safety best practices can help reduce the risk of electric shock and death. It is safer to work within your scope of expertise rather than risk working outside your capacity. If you are not sure that you will complete the work, do not hesitate to call for help from an authorized person. Also, instead of relying on your memory, use a checklist when implementing electrical safety practices in your workplace.
Electrical appliances require electricity and the most common and easy way to power them is to use extension cords. Similarly, many tools and pieces of equipment are attached with extension cords. Where these wires provide so much ease and utility in supplying electricity wherever it is needed, they are also the most dangerous and abused piece of equipment. Their misuse is one of the most common causes of electrical fires, electric shocks and other injuries. According to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association, each year electrical extension cords represent:
Electrical Safety. Security Measures. A Bright, Warning Sign. Stock Photo
These injury and property damage statistics can be avoided by using some fairly basic safety practices when using electrical extension cords. Key security practices include:
Electrical equipment, in various industries, comes from the dynamic range and rough nature of various jobs like construction work, cause wear and tear in the insulation of the electrical equipment. This equipment leads to short circuit and exposed wires. The absence of electrical protection systems such as grounding protection can cause serious consequences. Taking some basic safety precautions and adopting best practices can avoid any untoward incidents. It is recommended that ground-fault circuit breakers (GFCI) be used on all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-amp outlets that are not on the permanent wiring of the existing building or have
Assured Equipment Conductor Grounding Program (AEGCP). Some good practices for working safely with electrical equipment are given below:
Electricity is a hidden enemy that won’t let you escape easily if it holds you. Remember if your electrical equipment supply is not properly grounded, fault current can pass through your body, causing electrical burns or death. Always take the time to visually inspect your electrical equipment before each use. Never hesitate to immediately remove defective equipment from service. Concluding an argument, always:
Measure Electrical Safety Program Effectiveness
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Arc Flash & Electrical Safety
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so that we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Electrical hazards lurk in your home, whether you know it or not. From plug covers, no RCD protection and overheating gadgets, it’s important to spot these hazards before they spark and cause harm to you and your family.
Children are naturally curious about what adults are doing and it is important to teach them about the dangers of electricity from an early age.
If you are a parent who wants to provide some valuable safety information for your children, then this is a great resource to print and as a handy reminder for them to learn from.
By teaching children about electrical safety early, you can make sure they know exactly what to avoid doing, and also what to do to prevent others from doing, should the situation arise.
Electric Shock: Amping Awareness: Safeguarding Against Electric Shock
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In the past 20 years, technology has developed in leaps and bounds, and more and more young children are getting their hands on it from an early age. From mobile phones, electrical appliances and laptops, access to these luxury items is available at their fingertips, and so are the risks.
It is reported that 79% of children have taken risks with electricity and 1,000 people are injured by electrical accidents every day. These facts are just some of the reasons why it is more important than ever that your children know the importance of electrical safety.
The number of gadgets in a child’s or teenager’s room has grown to an average of ten electrical items – a 25% increase over what their parents would have had when they grew up. This sharp increase in electrical items in their rooms means they are exposed to more items that could potentially endanger their lives.
Achieving Electrical Safety Compliance Through Proper Ppe Selection
Over 53% of children admitted to having left their phone behind,
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