Electrical Safety in Your Industrial Facility

Electrocution is one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities in industrial settings — just behind falls and being struck by an object. Part of the reason is that when it comes to electricity, nothing is minor. You might walk away from a fall or even a burn, but electric shock will stop you in your tracks and almost always requires serious medical attention. And because workplaces are so accustomed to being surrounded by electrical equipment, workers tend to grow complacent and careless. Without regular training, they might not spot such obvious risks as kinked cords, exposed wires or overloaded electrical panels.

To keep your workers safe, you must understand the risks, know what to look for and, if all else fails, know how to respond to an emergency. Below are a few tips for keeping your industrial facility safe.

Know the Risks

While all electricity has its risks, they aren’t all the same. You and your team should understand the different types and levels of electrical currents. If you know the risks, you can respond accordingly in the event of an emergency.

- What kind of current are you working with? Know that alternating currents (AC) are generally seen as more dangerous than direct currents (DC), as the fluctuations can cause the victim’s heart to fibrillate. By comparison, DC is more likely to “freeze” the victim in place, but the victim is more likely to recover if treated with a defibrillating device right away. Regardless of the type of current, medical attention should be sought immediately.

- What is the level of voltage? The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that 50 volts — while considered low voltage — poses a significant risk for electrocution. OSHA requires that any workers that come in contact with voltage that high receive special safety training (note that electricians are required to receive the training regardless). High voltage is higher than 600 volts. Less than 50 volts is not considered critically dangerous and is not regulated under the same safety standards.

OSHA Handbooks & DVDs for OSHA Construction Regulations, OSHA Dictionary & General Industry Regulations (Bilingual). OSHA Compliance Kits, Books, CDs: OSHA 1910 General Industry & OSHA 1926 Construction Industry Including OSHA Log Books, Update Services & Regulations – Federal OSHA 29 / CFR Standards – Helping you protect workers and stay compliant with OSHA mandates. OSHA Compliance Kit OSHA 1910 General Industry OSHA 1926 Construction Industry OSHA llog books

Check Your Equipment and Supplies

OSHA provides thorough safety procedures related to preventing electrocution, including recommendations for checking your equipment before use. A few examples include the following:

- Inspect electrical equipment frequently. Inspections should be scheduled at regular intervals and should be thorough. Have your employees look at all equipment on a daily basis at the start and end of each work day.

- Inspect the cords of all portable equipment, as they can be exposed to more frequent strains than stationary equipment.

- Be sure all breakers and switches are marked so they can be shut down easily.

- Provide flame retardant clothing and electrical gloves for employees who regularly work in high-risk settings.

- Don’t take shortcuts. If one area in your facility does not have easy access to electrical outlets, have them installed instead of relying on extension cords.

- Be sure all electrical equipment in your facility is properly grounded using ground fault circuit interrupters.

Know Safety Procedures

Your workers should know what to look for, and they should be prepared to address any issues. Your job is to give them the resources and training they need.

- Make sure your employees are well educated about the risks. They should know how to spot potential safety hazards such as damaged cords or unsafe wire placement (areas of high traffic, for example). They should also know how to respond by reporting the hazard and moving people out of the vicinity.

- Have someone onsite who is trained in CPR and first aid.

- Post electrical safety guidelines throughout the facility.

- Identify high-risk areas and secure them so that only qualified personnel may access them.

- Properly label danger zones. Your workers should know where the high-voltage spots are, and they should be able to identify AC vs. DC currents at a quick glance.

- Know the symptoms of malfunctioning equipment. The problem can be electrical and might go unnoticed between inspections. If you recognize the sights, sounds and smells of bad electrical equipment, you can respond much more quickly and prevent workplace accidents.

Our training products on “Electrical Safety” remind employees about electrical hazards they may face in their jobs, and provides the information they need to work safely around electricity. This program will also assist in satisfying the OSHA training requirements under 29 CFR Part 1910.331 (Electrical Safety Standard) for “non-qualified” employees.

Extra Steps

It’s worth going beyond the routine to ensure a safe work environment. Here a few extra steps that can significantly reduce the risk of workplace injury.

- Use a “lockout/tagout” system on heavy machinery. This can prevent electrocution occurring while someone is performing machine maintenance. These systems physically prevent any electricity from flowing while the machine is being serviced.

- Use locked cabinets and enclosures to protect electrical wiring from tampering or accidental exposure.

- When power cords are needed, use ones that are flexible so that the risk of abrasion is reduced.

If you and your workers understand the risk of electrocution, your work place will be safer. Take the precautions listed above, and always remember just how serious electric shock can be.

Author Bio:

Article written by John J Pempek Inc. Chicago’s complete turnkey electrical contracting solution, offering commercial and industrial electrical contracting services since 1947

Electricity is all around us. It lights up our homes… powers much of the machinery and equipment that we use… and runs many of our tools. We are so used to it, most employees “take it for granted.” Yet electricity can also be dangerous. Employees need to know how electricity works, and what they should do to protect themselves from its hazards.