Electrical Safety

Posted

Accidents

Most electrical accidents occur because people are working on or near equipment that is:

    1. thought to be dead but which is live;
  • known to be live but those involved do not have adequate training or appropriate equipment to prevent injury, or they have not taken adequate precautions.

 

Examples of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that might be needed for protection against electric shock include but are not limited to:

  1. Nonconductive hard-hats, gloves, and foot protection or insulating mats
  2. Eye and face protection
  3. Insulated tools or handling equipment
  4. Protective shields and barriers to protect against electrical shock and burns

All electrical parts exceeding 50 volts will be de-energized before an employee works on or near equipment. It is very rare for there to be reasons where de-energizing is not the best option.

When any employee is exposed to direct or indirect contact with parts of fixed electrical equipment or circuits that have been de-energized, the electrical energy source will be locked out.

Smart Safety Rules

  • Never use water around electrical equipment
  • Keep access to electrical panels and controls clear
  • Turning off a switch does not always turn off all electricity
  • Never reach “blindly” into an energized work area
  • Assume all circuits are “hot” until you have locked, tagged and checked them with a volt-meter
  • Discharge all capacitors before starting work on equipment
  • When using a voltmeter, check it for damage, then check it against a known “live” source of the same voltage before you use it to check the work area de-energized
  • Use insulated tools

Don’t work on energized equipment: CCS does not do “hot work”.

Immediately report all electrical hazards to your supervisor Never use a power cord if the ground plug is broken. Electricity & water make a bad combination Never use electrical equipment if you suspect flammable or explosive vapors are in the area

Arc flash causes:

  • Inadvertently bridging electrical contacts with a conducting object
  • Dropping a tool or otherwise causing a spark
  • Coming near an extremely high-amp source with a conducting object, causing the electricity to arc
  • Breaks or gaps in insulation
  • The buildup of dust or corrosion
  • Equipment failure because of either normal wear and tear or improper upkeep

Protect against arc flash:

  • De-energize any equipment that needs to be worked on.
  • Never use convenience or time constraint as an excuse for not turning the power off.
  • Use lockout/tagout practices to prevent accidental startup while you are performing work.
  • Test voltage before starting work to ensure that equipment has been de-energized.
  • Use the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), such as voltage-regulated gloves, fire resistant clothing and a face shield.
  • Always use PPE in addition to other safety controls.

 

Non-authorized employees are NOT permitted to work on or repair electrical systems, cords or equipment. Immediately report any exposed wires, missing covers or broken plates.

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