Electrical Safety

What Are Electrical Risks? Electrical risks are risks of death, electric shock or other injuries caused directly or indirectly by electricity. The most common electrical risks and subsequent causes of injury are: Electric shock causing injury or death. The electric shock may be received by direct or indirect contact, tracking through or across a medium, or by arcing. For example, electric shock may result from indirect contact where a conductive part that should normally not be energised becomes energised due to a fault i.e., toaster, oven, fridge, workshop machine etc… Arcing, explosion or fire causing burns. These injuries are often suffered because arcing or explosion or both occur when high fault currents are present Toxic gases causing illness or death. Burning and arcing associated with electrical equipment may release various harmful gases and contaminants Fire resulting from an electrical fault. Even the briefest contact with electricity can have serious consequences to a person’s health and safety, in particular contact burns as well as long-term damage to internal organs. Electric shocks from faulty electrical equipment may also lead to related injuries, including falls from ladders, scaffolds or other elevated work platforms. Other injuries or illnesses may include muscle spasms, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, collapse and unconsciousness. Workers using electricity may not be the only ones at risk – faulty electrical equipment and poor electrical installations can lead to fires that may also cause death or injury to others.

Identifying Electrical Hazards Identifying hazards involves finding the tasks, situations and sequences of events that could potentially cause harm. Hazards arising from electrical equipment or installations may arise from: The design, construction, installation, maintenance and testing of electrical equipment or electrical installations Design change or modification Inadequate or inactive electrical protection Where and how electrical equipment is used. Electrical equipment may be subject to operating conditions that are likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span. For example, equipment may be at greater risk of damage if used outdoors or in a factory or workshop environment Electrical equipment being used in an area in which the atmosphere presents a risk to health and safety from fire or explosion, for example confined spaces or spaces where flammable gases/liquids are present. Type of electrical equipment. For example, ‘plug in’ electrical equipment that may be moved around from site to site, including extension leads are particularly liable to damage The age of electrical equipment and electrical installations, which is very common. Exposure to high electromagnetic fields may also present a potential hazard for workers with some medical conditions, for example pace makers.

Specific Electrical Hazards and Risk Control There are a number of specific things you should be aware of and do to manage the risks to health and safety associated with electrical risks at the workplace including: Any piece of equipment that causes an electrical noise or arc / spark during normal operation is dangerous and should not be used i.e., Switch (if a switch is yellowed or crooked, it is dangerous) Power point ( if a power point is yellowed and/or the switches crooked, it is dangerous) Light (a noisy light or fan is dangerous) Appliance (drill, grinder, kettle, toaster, oven, instant hot water heater etc..) Motor or pump starting/operating (Motors and pumps draw a lot of electricity and therefore can become extremely dangerous under fault conditions) Machine (machines use a lot of electricity and can also become extremely dangerous under fault conditions) A SPARK OR UNUSUAL ELECTRICAL NOISE / SMELL IS A WARNING OF A SERIOUS ELECTRICAL FAULT. ACTION REQUIRED? TURN IT OFF AND LEAVE IT OFF WHERE IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

Specific Electrical Hazards and Risk Control If a circuit breaker continues to trip, do not turn it back on until the reason for the fault has been determined by a competent and qualified person. Arrange electrical leads so they will not be damaged. So far as is reasonably practicable, avoid running leads across the floor or ground, through doorways and over sharp edges, and use lead stands or insulated cable hangers to keep leads off the ground. In many heavy industries, cable protection ramps are used to protect cables. Do not use leads and tools in damp or wet conditions unless they are specially designed for those conditions. When using electrical appliances and equipment, always be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary i.e., unusual noises, smells during normal operation, worn/frayed/discoloured leads, discolouring of plugs/outlets, hard to operate switches, out of date tags etc… Any piece of equipment with an out of date tag should be considered dangerous and not used under any circumstances. Unsafe electrical equipment should be labelled indicating it is unsafe and must not be used. This is to prevent inadvertent use before the electrical equipment can be tested, repaired or replaced.

Reporting Electrical Hazards All electrical hazards are urgent and cannot be ignored. If you see or hear anything you consider to be “not quite right” or “dangerous”, you must inform your supervisor/manager immediately. Where practical, isolate the hazard to ensure the safety of other staff members who may not be aware of the hazard.