Top 10 Tips For Electric Safety at Work

Would you believe that the Safety and Health Executive, the federal government body accountable for ensuring that health and safety laws are adhered to at work, gets reports of around 1,000 electric accidents at work every single year. Of this 1000, around 25 people die of accidents that they receive in mentioned electrical accidents. The significance of electrical safety can’t be overstated.The subsequent top ten recommendations for electrical safety at work will help you, your peers and your workers to keep free from injury while they start their everyday duties.

Tip 1 – only use portable equipment close to a plugIn the occasion of an emergency, using a part of portable equipment close to a supplies you with the ability to rapidly and easily remove power from the device.

Tip 2 – location clearly recognized power switches close to fixed machineryThe final thing that you want to have to do within an emergency circumstance is fish around the back of a fixed product for the power switch. Ensure that power switches are clearly recognized and accessible so that they can be easily made off.

Tip 3 – area ‘DON’T USE’ labels on potentially faulty itemsEven if you’re not entirely sure that an electric merchandise is faulty to the point of being dangerous, it must certanly be marked clearly with a label that says DON’T USE, and removed from its working site (if possible) until a tuned expert can arrive at evaluate the situation.

Tip 4 – never pull a cable to release a from the wallIt might take longer to cross the area, but ensure that you hold the plug as you pull it out of the wall and not just the cable. When possible it’s also wise to change the outlet down at the wall before unplugging the device.

Tip 5 – often disconnect electric items before cleaningAccidents are too quickly caused through good intentions. Ensure it’s turned off and unplugged at the wall before starting.

Tip 6 – substitute any worn or frayed cablesYou might think that the wire has more living in it, but why take the opportunity, If you want to completely clean an electrical appliance? If the cable looks used, or is frayed everywhere, substitute it.

Tip 7 – offer enough electric socketsThere is the computer, the monitor, the printer, the speakers, the table light… the record goes on and on, and the temptation might be to connect every product into one expansion wire, using multiple adapters to supply enough sockets for the many devices. Overloading electrical sockets must be prevented at all costs, as it could raise the risk of fire.

Tip 8 – work with the lowest voltage possibleThe reduce the voltage, the less likely significant incidents are to occur. It might not necessarily be possible to prevent using high-voltage machinery, but if, for instance, a battery-powered system might do the work just as efficiently as a mains driven equivalent, select the battery operated safer option.

Tip 9 – assure electrical installations are performed by an experienced electricianMany accidents caused by electrical appliances could be avoided if the devices was properly installed in the first place. Employ a qualified electrician if you are not confident in your own abilities, and ensure that all legal requirements related to electrical safety are stuck to.

Tip 10 – keep your electrical appliances maintainedTo ensure the regular safety of you and your workers and colleagues, you should ensure that all appliances are tested frequently. A local PAT testing organization may work with you to help you to be confident that each piece of electrical equipment within your office is safe for many to utilize.

AC and DC Shock Comparison

What are the physical differences between shocks by AC and DC current? It is commonly taught that AC current fibrillates the heart, but DC current causes deep tissue burns as it causes continuous muscle contraction and not letting go.

Difference between AC and DC Current

AC current is alternating in nature and follows a sine curve. It is continuously changing direction and passing through zero to a maximum positive value and then to a maximum negative value. The voltage AC current is a RMS or root mean square value, and the peak or maximum value is 1.4 times the RMS value. It means that a 220 V AC supply is going to 308 Volts before coming down to zero and changing direction. This characteristic of the AC current must be considered before making a comparative study of the AC and DC shock. This same principle also stands for the AC current also.

DC current is direct current and does not change in magnitude, though it can be negative or positive depending on the direction of the circuit. DC current is ideal for electronic circuits whereas AC is ideal for electrical installation and motors, etc.

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? What is Electromagnetic Radiation

Radiant Energy

Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is energy in waves (like visible light), emitted from a source. It travels at the speed of light

This energy is both electrical and magnetic. The waves alternate rapidly, from positive to negative in electrical terms, and from North to South pole in magnetic terms.

Electricity and magnetism are very closely related in nature. For example, when an alternating magnetic wave penetrates a body (including yours!) an alternating electric current will flow inside that body.

Electromagnetic radiation from a source penetrates the surrounding area, creating an electromagnetic field (EMF). This EMF is strongest at the source, and weakens with increasing distance until it becomes too small to measure.

The powerful effect of distance

A strong EMF can be due to a powerful source of radiation far away, or a weak radiation source very close by.

That is why the EMF your body experiences from your cellphone (when you make a call) is much stronger than the EMF you experience from the cell phone tower.

(Although the cell phone is a weak radiation source, it is located very close to your person, whereas the much more powerful cell tower is located thousands of times further away).

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Awareness of electrical safety is need of the hour

MADURAI, May 27, 2012

S. Appavoo, Chief Electrical Inspector of Tamilnadu, addressing on " Electrical Safety-Safety Electrical Installation" in Madurai on Saturday. Photo: S. James

Technicians must be trained to know nuances of safety: official

Safe electrical installation techniques are essential for an accident free environment within our living areas and other spaces and the awareness about electrical safety is the need of the hour said, S. Appavoo, Chief Electrical Inspector, Chennai.

Delivering the inaugural address at the ‘Technical Seminar on Electrical Safety and Safe Electrical Installation' organised by Tamil Nadu Electrical Installation Engineers Association ‘A' Grade here on Saturday, Mr. Appavoo said that non-standard devices, poor maintenance and human errors have resulted in 3,500 fatal accidents in a decade (2000-10) in Tamil Nadu.

He further said that the technicians involved in electrical installation should be well trained to know the technical nuances of electrical safety.

He also said that earthing is very important.

S. Mahadevan, consultant, said that the objective of the seminar is to create awareness and it is the duty of the electrical inspectors to enforce safety measures among the general public.

Even people who are aware of the safety measures are also not concerned much about it.

He too opined that earthing in all cases ensures safety. In the case of non-earthing, damp situations become more dangerous, he added.

T.M.Bhikaji, secretary, TNEIEA, said that since many accidents happened where innocents become victims, this seminar was being organised to educate the common man asking him to go for standard ISI mark electrical accessories and how to handle situations during emergency.

Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker is an essential component which should be used in electrical installations to prevent shock.

Fatal accidents

Speaking earlier, S. Sundararaman, Chief Engineer Distribution, TANGEDCO, said that because of non standard and unsafe installation of electrical devices, in Madurai region during 2006-07, 48 fatal accidents were reported, however during 2011-12 it has doubled to 81. This shows that there is lack of awareness among public on the need for electrical safety.

Thirteen things you need to know about the 2013 edition of NFPA13

NFPA Journal®, May/June 2012

By Matt Klaus

In June, a new edition of NFPA 13, Installation of Sprinkler Systems, will be presented at the Association Technical Meeting at NFPA’s Annual Conference & Expo in Las Vegas. The NFPA 13 technical committees have spent many hours reviewing hundreds of concepts and discussing their merits for inclusion, or elimination, from the next edition of the standard. The 2013 edition of NFPA 13, along with NFPA 13R, Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Residential Occupancies Up To and Including Four Stories in Height, and NFPA 13D, Installation of Sprinkler Systems in One- and Two-Family Dwellings and Manufactured Homes, contain a number of changes, some of which will be met with certified amending motions (CAMs) at the technical meeting. The following topics highlight just some of the issues in store for the new edition.

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Downed Power Lines – Hurricane Hazards

Beware of Downed Power Lines

Hurricanes and other natural disasters often pack severe storms with high winds. These winds, combined with flooding rains, can reap havoc on power lines and its distribution throughout the effected area. Power lines that provide safe and efficient electrical power to your home everyday can now become a silent killer. Whether the power to your house is on and functioning either during or after the hurricane passes, beware of the power lines if you venture out.

Dangers All Around

In many cities, power poles are shared by utility, cable, and telephone companies. Be aware that downed electrical lines can energize these other lines as well. In fact, when everything around the effected downed lines are wet from the storm, even non-conductive materials such as pieces of wood can become a path for electricity. Metal security fences suddenly can be electrified fences and pose a death trap if you come in contact with them. Don’t forget about metal building, fences, poles, mail boxes, and standing water. These too could be an electrical hazard waiting to happen. Downed and sagging power lines offer dangers from nearby trees and branches. Wet trees can become the path to ground through you for electrical current. If you see downed power lines stay away! Don’t try to move them out of your way. Leave that to the professionals. Don’t become a statistic!

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Six Ways of Preventing Electrical Shock

By Timothy Thiele

This is a sensible look at preventing electrical shock. These tips will help keep you safe.

1. Be Safety Conscious

Working with electrical circuits can be dangerous if you don’t take certain safety precautions. Electrical shock can not only injure you but also kill you. Practice safety when working on any circuit and slow down! When you hurry through a project, there is a greater chance for an accident to occur.

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? What psychological effect does an electric shock

Most of us have experienced some form of electric ”shock”, where electricity causes our body to experience pain or trauma. If we are fortunate, the extent of that experience is limited to tingles or jolts of pain from static electricity buildup discharging through our bodies. When we are working around electric circuits capable of delivering high power to loads, electric shock becomes a much more serious issue, and pain is the least significant result of shock.

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Electrical Safety Month: business continuity and family preparedness

NFPA TODAY :

As we go into the month of May, NFPA is recognizing May as Electrical Safety Month. It’s not only important to be safe around electricity but it is also important that you review your organization continuity plan for backup power. The ability to operate and perform key functions is vital to your organization’s success.  How long can your organization be without power before it begins to adversely affect your data information recovery? 

In less than a month we will be entering hurricane season which can produce major damage to electrical power lines and this concern is not only for communities along the coast. As storms make landfall they can produce severe storms including tornados.  You should also review your Family’s Preparedness Plan in case your community loses power.  If your plan includes the use of a Portable Generator here are a few basic safety tips:

• Read all manufacture safety and user manuals
• Have a licensed electrician inspect and recommend necessary requirements prior to connecting your portable generator into your household wiring
  • Connecting your generator into your household wiring can cause a back feed onto the power lines.  The back feed can be increased by the transformer which can produce enough voltage to injure or kill a utility linesman making repairs on the line. 
• Never use a generator inside your home or in an attached garage.
• Never re-fuel generators while they are operating

! Concrete-Encased Electrodes – Let’s Go Vertical

The year was 2005. It was a typical spring afternoon in this typical Midwest town of Anywhere, USA. The skies were a cloudy gun-barrel gray as the light rain fell and the thunder rolled in the distant background. Suddenly, without warning, the rain intensifies and the skies turn darker and darker. That distant thunder is suddenly not so distant and is now all around with almost deafening crackling from the skies to the ground (or is it ground to sky?)

The lights inside this comfort-giving dwelling unit start to flicker. Will they stay on or go out? On again, off again. Now the lights are out, along with the rest of the electricity that we too often take for granted until times like this. BANG!               

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Concrete-encased Electrodes and the Grounding Electrode System

                                   

Photo 1. Concrete-encased rebar

Most buildings or structures employ a structural design that includes a concrete footing or foundation, which connects the structure to the earth. For the building to be structurally sound and stable, a substantial foundation must be established to bring the structure out of the ground. Footings and foundations are typically constructed using concrete and reinforcing rods or bars for structural strength. The larger the building, the larger the footings or foundation will need to be to carry the structural load of the building. Concrete footings and foundations can vary from the elementary in design to the very complex. An example would be comparing a simple monolithic slab on grade for a single-family dwelling to a complex concrete and steel foundation for a multi-story high-rise structure. These structures have some commonalities; both include concrete and reinforcing bars, which establish a good structural connection to the earth and are permanent elements required for the construction of either building. The word “permanent” is a substantial word related to something established to be in place for a long period of time. This is a characteristic of the building footings and foundation that are expected to be in place and continue to exist as long as the building is required to remain standing.

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Safety when working on electrical installations

One grip may be your last!

Electricity does not make a difference between ignorance or just lack of concentration. Electricity is just there being helpful and dangerous at the same time.
Statistics show that 50% of all accidents happening to specialists are due to the non-observance of basic safety rules.

Reliable, well-tested safety equipment ensure protection during working while observing the 5 basic safety rules as well as during live working.

Just take the voltage detector. Due to silicon elastomer coating of voltage detectors, a preparatory treatment when working in rain is no longer necessary.
Cable entries and node units of earthing and short-circuiting devices have a waterproof plastic coating.
Superiority by quality. No compromises when talking about protection of persons!

Before starting your work:

1. De-energize!
2. Protect against accidental reconnection!
3. Verify safe isolation from supply!
4. Correct earthing and short-circuiting!
5. Cover or guard adjacent live parts!

Ten-Four Glove Dust & Rub-Out Hand Cleaner

Ten-Four Glove Dust - Cooling, soothing and frictionless, “Ten-Four” Glove Dust is specifically produced for lineman’s comfort while wearing rubber insulating gloves and sleeves. Glove Dust absorbs moisture and perspiration but does not harm the skin or reduce the dielectric values of personal protection equipment. It also acts as a lubricant and helps prevent sticky gloves. The 6 oz. squeeze bottle easily fits in a pocket or glove bag.

Rub-Out Hand Cleaner is a non-petroleum base hand cleaner developed for utility linemen and electrical workers who wear rubber insulating gloves and sleeves. Thoroughly tested and found to be NON-HARMFUL to rubber compounds. Dissolves and removes grease, oil, ink, tar, pipe dope, creosote, paint, and more without harming rubber or SALCOR. Cleans without water. Contains natural skin conditioners and leaves a fresh citrus scent.

Live Line Fall Protection Range

DBI-SALA introduces their new live line fall protection range. The range offers complete fall protection and resistance to electrical conductivity for high and low voltage live line work!

DBI-SALA, the world’s leading manufacturer solely dedicated to the fall protection market, has announced the launch of their NEW Live Line fall protection range.

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? How does an employer establish a due diligence program

The conditions for establishing due diligence include several criteria:

• The employer must have in place written OH&S policies, practices, and procedures. These policies, etc. would demonstrate and document that the employer carried out workplace safety audits, identified hazardous practices and hazardous conditions and made necessary changes to correct these conditions, and provided employees with information to enable them to work safely.

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Top 10 Tips for Electrical safety tester at Work

April 5th, 2012

Would you believe that the Health and Safety Executive, the government body responsible for ensuring that health and safety regulations are adhered to at work, receives reports of around 1000 electrical accidents at work every single year. Of this 1000, around 25 people die of injuries that they receive in said electrical accidents. The importance of electrical safety cannot be overstated.

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Schools Pierson Students Get A Lesson In Electricity Safety

"It's always better to be safe and not sorry!"

When it comes to safety around electricity, there can be no second guesses or second chances, says retired Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) employee Tony Spinelli.

Spinelli arrived at the Abraham Pierson School recently to give a talk and demonstration on electrical safety to fourth and fifth graders.

"You are never too young to learn to respect electricity," said Spinelli. "It's always better to be safe and not sorry around electricity."

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Electric Shock

Electric Shock Overview

An electric shock occurs when a person comes into contact with an electrical energy source. Electrical energy flows through a portion of the body causing a shock. Exposure to electrical energy may result in no injury at all or may result in devastating damage or death.

Burns are the most common injury from electric shock.

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Fatality - Working near overhead powerlines

10 May 2011

A fatality occurred on Thursday 28 April 2011 when a painter came within the exclusion zone of an energised high voltage power line. The worker was painting a sign with a conductive painter's pole from a scissor lift at the time of the incident.

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NO Energized Electrical Permit

Required in NFPA 70E for Common Safety Tasks

May 31, 2010

Hugh Hoagland & Bill Shinn

A 2009 change to NFPA 70E

NFPA 70E has long waived the necessity of an energized work permit for such tasks as testing (voltage, current, phasing, infrared and system tuning), circuit identification, and troubleshooting. In 2009, a fourth exemption was added allowing persons to cross the Limited Approach Boundary for visual inspection (130.1(B)(3)).

This newly added exemption allows a qualified person to approach energized equipment for the singular purpose of visually inspecting equipment condition as long as that person does not cross the Restricted Approach Boundary or perform any task. He or she must also wear the appropriate arc flash PPE and follow all required safe work practices.

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2nd person required as safety man

There are some OSHA requirements for a 2nd person but only for certian jobs >600V.

However, there is a requirement that applies here for the CPR qualified person. Some larger industrial facilities will have a 1st response team that is supposed to be able to get anywhere in the plant in 4 minutes but with roof top substations sometimes that is not possible.

1910.269 (b)(1)"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid training." When employees areperforming work on or associated with exposed lines or equipment energized at 50volts or more, persons trained in first aid including cardiopulmonary resuscitation(CPR) shall be available as follows:

(b)(1)(i) For field work involving two or more employees at a work location, at least twotrained persons shall be available. However, only one trained person need beavailable if all new employees are trained in first aid, including CPR, within 3months of their hiring dates.

(b)(1)(ii) For fixed work locations such as generating stations, the number of trained persons available shall be sufficient to ensure that each employee exposed toelectric shock can be reached within 4 minutes by a trained person. However, where the existing number of employees is insufficient to meet this requirement(at a remote substation, for example), all employees at the work location shall betrained.

Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters

It is not often that a new safety device is introduced to protect individuals from the dangers that may be present in residential occupancies. Smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and ground-fault circuit interrupters are recognized as essential life saving devices. In 2002, the National Electrical Code (NEC) will require a new electrical safety device, the arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI), for added protection in certain dwelling unit branch circuits. Currently being incorporated into both residential circuit breakers and outlet receptacles, AFCIs incorporate very sophisticated electronics to recognize characteristics unique to arcing, and function to de-energize the circuit when a potentially damaging arc fault is detected.

When devices intended to provide for safety are first introduced, it is not unusual to find that there are differing viewpoints as to the added benefits these safety devices may or may not provide. These differences in viewpoints often carry over into the development of proposals for revision of codes and standards. Proposals to adopt required use of the new AFCIs have raised such differences in viewpoints. Various concerns have been expressed which if left unanswered, could give a false impression about the ability of AFCIs to properly perform their intended function and provide the added safety benefit for which they were designed. The following are responses to specific concerns to help clarify the record.

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? Wi-Fi making kids, teachers sick

By Kristy Kirkup ,Parliamentary Bureau

A growing number of Canadian students and teachers are convinced wireless Internet at school is making them sick and they're wondering why Health Canada has remained silent about the potential risks linked to Wi-Fi.

Canada's health agency issued new advice on mobile phones Tuesday, advising parents to encourage kids under 18 to cap their cellphone use.

But Health Canada has not issued information about the possible risks associated with other wireless devices, including wireless Internet. It maintains Wi-Fi is "safe."

In May, the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer arm classified all radiation emitted by wireless devices as possibly carcinogenic.

The main basis for the WHO classification was epidemiological studies on heavy cellphone users, but the group extended its evaluation to cover radiation from all devices - including baby monitors and Wi-Fi.

Scientists say radiation emitted by cellphones is substantially higher, however, and more focused on the brain.

Tara Strickland, a kindergarten teacher in St. Catharine's, Ont., is waiting for Health Canada to speak up on the potential risks of wireless Internet.

"I just think Canada is making a huge mistake by not making people aware of it," she said. "There hasn't been proof that it is safe."

Strickland said she has experienced leg weakness and intense headaches since Wi-Fi was installed at her school a year ago.

She's now working reduced hours and doesn't understand why the wireless can't just be turned off when her school is using other methods to connect to the web.

"We're still using the computer labs - the wired computer labs," Stickland said. "We have this wireless system and it's not being used and yet it is pulsing microwave radiation all day long."

A private school in Collingwood, Ont., located north of Toronto, decided it wasn't going to wait for a formal warning on Wi-Fi from the Canadian government.

School officials at Pretty River Academy took a "precautionary approach" and now plug in all computers to access the Internet.

The Council of Europe said children in schools and classrooms should be given access to wired Internet connections, and countries like France have banned Wi-Fi in settings like libraries.

Man dies in Ortonville electrocution

February 29, 2012 - Ortonville- A 50-year-old Clio man was killed in the village Thursday when a ladder he was attempting to move fell on a power line, electrocuting him.

George Short was pronounced deceased March 1 at Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc. His co-worker, Richard Ridley, 48, who was helping move the 24-foot aluminum extension ladder, suffered minor injuries and was listed in stable condition.

According to police reports, Short and Ridley, employed by Professional Roofing Services of Flushing, were working on the Brandon Underwriters building, 422 Mill St. The men were on the east side of the building, which faces Pond St., and were trying to move the ladder, said a witness. The ladder fell back and hit power lines that run north and south and are about 10 feet away from the two-story building, causing a loud popping noise. The men fell to the ground.

Brandon firefighters and police responded, initiated CPR, and ambulances transported the men to the hospital. Short was pronounced deceased a short time later.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is conducting an investigation.

Understanding the Differences Between Bonding, Grounding, and Earthing

Jan 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Larry Ray and S. Frank Waterer, Square D Engineering Services/Schneider Electric

Avoiding confusion can help customers maximize process uptime, safety, and profits

The importance of bonding and grounding in commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings cannot be overstated. The grounded circuits of machines need to have an effective return path from the machines to the power source in order to function properly. In addition, non-current-carrying metallic components in a facility, such as equipment cabinets, enclosures, and structural steel, need to be electrically interconnected so voltage potential cannot exist between them. The benefits for the building owner are many — maximized equipment protection, elimination of shock hazard potential, increased process uptime, and reduced costs through avoiding expensive machine servicing. However, troubles can arise when terms like “bonding,” “grounding,” and “earthing” are interchanged or confused in certain situations.

Earthing is the attachment of a bonded metallic system to earth, typically through ground rods or other suitable grounding electrodes. The NEC prohibits earthing via isolated ground rods as the only means of equipment grounding. Nevertheless, some manufacturers of sensitive machinery actually encourage this practice in their installation manuals, in order to reduce “no problem found” service calls associated with machine errors and rebooting.

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Classes of fire

Extinguisher label will indicate classes of fire