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Electrical Safety

 

Electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. In addition to posing a direct risk of fatality and serious injury, it can serve as trigger for a chain reaction of events leading to more injuries and deaths. Thus, everyone who works on and around electrical equipments must know what the dangers and what steps can be taken to make sure that all personnel are protected from these dangers.

 

Electrical Safety -   recognizing hazards associated with the use of electrical energy and taking precautions so that hazards do not cause injury or deaths. (NFPA 70E - 1995)

 

Electrical Hazards - a dangerous condition, such that inadvertent or unintentional contact, or equipment failure, can result in shock, arc flash burn, thermal burn or blast.

 

Injury that may result from while working on or electrical hazards:

 

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Electrical shock

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Burns from contact, arc or flashes

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Impact from blasts

 
 

Effects of Electrical Current on the Human Body:

 

Current

Effects

1 - 8 milliamps (ma) Sensation, tingling, no pain
8 - 15 ma Pain
15 - 20 ma Muscle control lost
20 - 50 ma Difficult breathing, can cause damage to brain tissue and blood vessels which may be fatal
50 - 200 ma Ventricular fibrillation, may be fatal
Greater that 200 ma Severe burns, may be fatal

 

Critical Path  of Current on Human Body

 

The critical path of electricity through the body is through the chest cavity. Current flowing from one hand to the other, from a hand to the opposite foot, or from the head to either foot will pass through the chest cavity paralyzing the respiratory or heart muscles, initiating ventricular fibrillation and/or burning vital organs.

 

Severity of Electrical Shock

 

The severity of electrical shock that a person will experience depends on the following factors:

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Source voltage.

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Body resistance

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Current capacity of the source

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The path that current takes through the body

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The duration of exposure

 

Electrical Safety Policies

 

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Safe Work Permit Program - an active safe work permit program ensures the all activities on or near electrical equipments are covered with a written permit to facilitate hazard identification. 

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Lockout/Tagout Program - electrical equipments should be de-energized and all power sources should be locked out prior to allowing personnel to work on the equipment. Work on energized equipment should be limited only to testing and should be treated as a critical activity that requires close supervision.

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Certification Program - only certified and qualified personnel will be allowed to perform electrical repairs and installations.

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Policy on tampering Protective Devices - Electrical protective devices such as circuit breaker, fuses and relays should not be overridden, tampered or made inoperable. Any alteration of the circuit that affects any electrical protective device should be approved by management and should be properly documented.

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Energizing and De-energizing of Equipments - switching off and powering up of any motor control centers, switchgears, transformers and other electrical equipment must be done only by authorized personnel.

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Electrical Cords - all electrical cords must made of double insulated royal cords and must be inspected regularly for defects. Electrical cords for use outdoors and in damp and wet areas must be fitted with weatherproof receptacles and must be plugged only to a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) protected outlet.

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Use of GFCI - use of GFCI must be mandatory for all outdoor activities, in damp and wet working areas and when using extension cords and electrical power tools.

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Grounding - if practicable, all previously energized equipment must be grounded while personnel are working on the equipment to drain residual electrical charges and protect personnel from induction and accidental energization.

 

Safe Work Practices

 

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Use lockout/tagout procedures before working on electrical circuits and equipment.

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Avoid working around electrical sources when you, your surroundings, tools, or clothing are wet.

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Stop outdoor electrical work when it begins to rain.

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Use waterproof cords and weather proof fixtures outdoors.

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Never use an extension cord with damaged insulation.

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Use GFCI when using power tools and extension cords, especially for outdoor and confined space jobs.

 

Using Power Tools

 

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Inspect tools for wear or defects before starting the job.

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Never modify tools or electrical equipments.

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Defective tools must be repaired by qualified personnel only.

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Inspect power cords for cuts, frayed insulation, exposed terminals and loose connections.

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Make sure extension cord is the right size or rating for the tool being used.

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Never remove the grounding post from a three-prong plug to make it fit into a two-pronged wall outlet.

 

Electrical Emergencies

 

Follow  these procedures in case of an electrical accident:

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Do not touch the victim unless you are sure that power is already switched off.

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Call for immediate, professional medical help.

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Turn off power if it can be done safely.

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Use a dry pole (or anything the does not conduct electricity) to push the victim away from the electrical source.

For electrical fires:

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Notify the local fire department immediately.

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Do not touch the burning object.

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Do not use water to extinguish the fire.

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Use class C fire extinguisher such as carbon dioxide or a multipurpose class ABC extinguisher to put out small fires.

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Stay clear of the area unless you are qualified to fight this kind of fire.

 
 

 

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