"Don't Get Amped Up! Electrical Safety to Keep Your Team Grounded!"

While this is a presentation on electrical safety in the workplace. All of the topics that are discussed are applicable in our homes also. Electrical fires, electrocutions, and electrical shocks and burns can happen anywhere and to anyone. It is important that electrical products that are used are listed by National Recognized Testing Laboratory or NRTL for short. Products that are listed will bear the UL, CSA ETL Sometimes you may pick up a real bargain at a thrift store such as an electric heater. The cold season is coming and electric heaters under the desk are common. But the electric heater have tip over switches on that will shut them off if they tip over. A thrift store heater may have the tip over switch taken out for various reasons and can cause a fire if tipped over. Products that are listed are listed to a standard. One standard UL 489 is a standard for molded case circuit breakers f

The N.E.C. Is updated every three years. Electrical inspectors use a document called the National Electrical Code © The N.E.C. Is updated every three years. It was published in 1897 by an insurance companies, architects and other interested parties. There was not any standard for electrical wiring so there were many fires. The National Fire Protection Agency was established which is the publisher of many NFPA Documents. The N.E.C. is volume N.F.P.A. 70 which is just one of many document published by N.F.P.A. The N.F.PA. is an organization dedicated to promote electrical and fire safety. N.F.P.A. 20, 99, 13, are just some of the documents you may be familiar with. The N.E.C. is where all the mandates for GFCIs, wire sizes, overcurrent protection and all of the requirements for residential, commercial and industrial wiring are contained. The states adopt the N.E.C. and then cities have an adoption process. The N.F.P.A has been involved with the N.E.C. since 1911.

Electric Space Heaters In The Workplace It is starting to get cold and people put electric space heaters under their desk. Do not use an extension cord. Most extension cords that people purchase are too small. As a result, the cords will heat up and can cause a fire. Do not a cord strip either. A 1500 watt heater will draw 12.5 amps at 120 volts. Voltage drop plays an important part also. If you can, plug it directly into a wall receptacle.

Here are some of the things that people say about electricity. 110 volts wont hurt you. Actually the voltage is 120. Most of the electrocution are 120 volts. If you grab one wire it will not hurt you. This is true if you are not grounded. Most people do not think take this into consideration. I do not need to turn it off, I can work it hot. I am not afraid of electricity. I will use my fingers to test for power, I do not need a tester. I will just temp it in and make permanent repairs later. We need to get this machine running. A lot of manufacturing plants generated their own electricity. They had 110 volts, 220 volts .

These 1000 dots are equal to 1 amp of current flow. Take one of these dots and that equals one milliamp of current flow or one, one thousands of an amp. Keep this in mind, one dot, one milliamp. A 100 watt light bulb current is equal to 830 of these dots or .83 amps. The next slide will make it clear what I am trying to explain.

Trips within 4 to 6 milliamps The device GFCI was introduced into the N.E.C. for personal protection 1971. They look for an imbalance in the electrical current. If it detects an imbalance of current of 4-6 milliamps it will shut off the power. They will not trip due to a motor starting as some electricians believe. There is always an argument concerning sump pumps on a GFCI. The leakage current of a sump pump is such that it will not trip a GFCI. The acceptable leakage current for appliances is, .50 milliamps for cord and plug connected equipment and .75 milliamps for hardwired equipment. Trips within 4 to 6 milliamps

GFCIs have save a lot of lives since they were introduced into the code.

such as gloves, eye protection and hearing protection. It is important that when we work on electrical circuits or equipment that we use the proper equipment. such as gloves, eye protection and hearing protection. Make sure that the test instruments that are used are suitable for the voltage. And if all possible, just turn the circuit off. I understand that checking for voltage or amperage that the circuit needs to be energized. Do not send someone to turn the circuits off. Go yourself and still check for power. Some switches do not always open. Contact blades may be welded shut or the mechanism may be broke. It is important to have good labeling on disconnects and circuit breakers to know where they go. I have a video that I may get to show that shows what can happen when a voltage tester was placed on a 2300 volt circuit that was only rated for 600 volts. As many years that I have been in the electrical industry, I do not try to impress anyone by working it hot or energized. It may seem silly but I have been in older buildings where a person could not tell the 2400 volts from the 240 volt circuits. They do not nuisance trip anymore.

I have a video that I may get to show that shows what can happen when a voltage tester was placed on a 2300 volt circuit that was only rated for 600 volts. As many years that I have been in the electrical industry, I do not try to impress anyone by working it hot or energized. It may seem silly but I have been in older buildings where a person could not tell the 2400 volts from the 240 volt circuits. They do not nuisance trip anymore.

I have a video that I may get to show that shows what can happen when a voltage tester was placed on a 2300 volt circuit that was only rated for 600 volts. As many years that I have been in the electrical industry, I do not try to impress anyone by working it hot or energized. It may seem silly but I have been in older buildings where a person could not tell the 2400 volts from the 240 volt circuits. They do not nuisance trip anymore.