Accommodation & Hospitality Services STAFF BRIEFING – No 16 Electrical Safety

Accommodation & Hospitality Services What is electricity?: The basics. A source of Energy essential to modern life It is extremely Dangerous because it cannot be seen or smelt There are about 10–12 Fatalities at Work per Year The flow of electricity must have a complete path. Electricity flows through Conductors – water, metals, the human body Insulators are non-conductors Summary Movement of electrons Best in soft metals Measured in Amperes or Amps Symbolised by ‘A’, i.e. a 13A fuse

Accommodation & Hospitality Services Conductors and Insulators Conductors conduct electricity Insulators don’t Metals conduct Wood, plastic, air, oil and rigid glass do not conduct electricity as well (but they still can!!!)

Accommodation & Hospitality Services ELECTRIC SHOCKS More than 3 mA = More than 10 mA = More than 30 mA = More than 50 mA = 100 mA to 4 amps = Over 4 amps = Painful shock Muscle contraction/spasm Temp lung paralysis Poss. Heart dysfunction (can be fatal) Certain heart dysfunction (fatal) Heart paralysis, server burns (fatal)

Accommodation & Hospitality Services Electricity kills and injures people. Around 1,000 electrical accidents at work are reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) each year and about 25 people die of their injuries. SHOCK. Electric shock occurs when the human body becomes part of the path through which current flows. The direct result can be electrocution. The indirect result can be injury resulting from a fall or movement into machinery because of a shock BURNS. Burns can result when a person touches electrical wiring or equipment that is energized. ARC-BLAST. Arc-blasts occur from high- amperage currents arcing through the air. This can be caused by accidental contact with energized components or equipment failure. DANGER – HIGH VOLTAGE

Accommodation & Hospitality Services EXPLOSIONS. Explosions occur when electricity provides a source of ignition for an explosive mixture in the atmosphere. FIRES. Electricity is one of the most common causes of fires both in the home and in the workplace. Defective or misused electrical equipment is a major cause.

Accommodation & Hospitality Services Disconnect power source…. Switch off when: Descaling kettles Cleaning microwaves Defrosting a freezer Changing a lamp (light bulb) Cleaning extract fans Cleaning out a toaster

Accommodation & Hospitality Services DO Do – plug in equipment with the power switch to OFF Do - remove the plug with the power switch to OFF Do – remove the plug from the socket by the plug and NEVER by pulling the wire Do – Check for frayed, cracked or exposed wiring on the equipment cords and… Do – Report any you find

Accommodation & Hospitality Services DO NOT Do not – drape power cords over radiators, hot pipes or sharp objects Do not – attempt any works for which you are not qualified or have not been trained Do not – access any areas for which you are not authorised Do not – plug into defective/damaged sockets Do not – attempt to carry out any works on or near electrical items where there is water

Accommodation & Hospitality Services Only qualified persons may perform testing work on electric circuits or equipment

Accommodation & Hospitality Services Employees working in areas where there are potential electrical hazards shall be provided with, and shall use, PPE that is appropriate for the specific parts of the body to be protected and for the work to be performed PPE shall be maintained in a safe, reliable condition and shall be periodically inspected or tested When working near exposed energized conductors or circuit parts, each employee shall use insulated tools or handling equipment if the tools or handling equipment might make contact with such conductors or parts The following alerting techniques shall be used to warn and protect employees from hazards which could cause injury due to electric shock, burns, or failure of electric equipment parts: –Safety signs and tags –Barricades –Attendants

Accommodation & Hospitality Services 1)Safety signs, safety symbols, or accident prevention tags shall be used where necessary to warn employees about electrical hazards which may endanger them 2)Barricades shall be used in conjunction with safety signs where it is necessary to prevent or limit employee access to work areas exposing employees to uninsulated energized conductors or circuit parts 3) If signs and barricades do not provide sufficient warning and protection from electrical hazards, an attendant shall be stationed to warn and protect employees

Accommodation & Hospitality Services NOTES/QUESTIONS

Accommodation & Hospitality Services NAMEDATESIGNATURE Attendee List