This Slideshare presentation is a partial preview of the full business document. To view and download the full document, please go here: http://flevy.com/browse/business-document/portable-electrical-equipment-safety-talk-522 Portable electrical equipment is commonly used in industry. Poor maintenance and incorrect use of portable electrical equipment can easily lead to electric shock and fatality. Death or injury from electric shock can result from the following effects of electric current flow on the body: ? contraction of the chest muscles which interferes with breathing; ? temporary paralysis of the nervous system which results in breathing failure; ? interference with the normal rhythm of the heart causing the heart fibres to contract separately and at different times resulting in loss of blood circulation; and ? hemorrhaging and burning of body tissue, nerves and muscles because of heat from the current flow through the body. Injuries from electrical shock are less severe when the current does not pass through the body near nerve centres and vital organs. In most electrical accidents involving portable electrical equipment, the current flows from the hands to the feet past the heart and the lungs with serious and fatal results.

1. Portable Electrical Equipment
Page 1 of 10
© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST037
Revision 2013 1.0
Portable Electrical Equipment
SAFETY AWARENESS KEPT SIMPLE
SMARTsafe Safety Talks - ST037
This pack contains:
• 7 - Page Talk Text
• 7 - OHP Presentation Slide Pack
Using the talks (Extract “How to Present Safety Talks”):
Plan which topic you want to discuss with your team.
Read through the script before you hold the meeting to
familiarise yourself with the material.
Start the talk with a comment that makes the topic relevant to
the team. For example, if you have seen a number of people
using ladders incorrectly, use this as your opening comment.
Follow the script but don’t read straight from the page. The
script is only a prompt and it will sound better if you use your
own words.
Ask the questions as they appear in the script. It is important
you do this because they are a lead in to the next section of
your talk.
Give the team enough time to answer the questions. Safety
talks can be boring for the team if you are the only one talking.
Hand out the information sheets as they appear in the script.
Don’t hand out all the information sheets at the start of the talk
otherwise there is a temptation for the team to read ahead and
not listen to the points you are making.
Collect the information sheets at the end of the talk so they
can be used again.
Safety Talk Mini - Delivery Pack
To obtain your full Safety Talk Delivery Pack go to: www.smartsafe.com.au
The full Safety Talk pack contains MS Office
Editable documents :
• 7 - Page Talk Text
• 7 - OHP Presentation Slide Pack
• 14 - A5 talk Handout Sheets
• Assessment and Assessment Answers Sheet
• Employee Attendance Register
• A “How to Present Safety Talks Guide”

2. Portable Electrical Equipment
Page 4 of 10
© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST037
Revision 2013 1.0
ELECTRICITY
Before we discuss the safe use of portable electrical equipment it is important to understand how
electricity works. Electricity flowing through a circuit is like the flow of water through a pipe. Think of this
example as we look at three important terms used with electricity.
Hand out sheet 1 – Electricity
Current can be thought of as the total volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given length of
time.
Electric current is measured in Amperes but the measurement used in relation to electric shock is the
milliAmpere which is one thousandth of an Ampere.
Voltage is like the water pressure in a pipeline.
Electrical equipment which is powered by 440 Volts or less is considered to be “low voltage”. However,
this type of equipment still has the potential to kill since a lethal voltage can be as low as 50 Volts.
Most portable electrical equipment and appliances operate at 240 Volts.
Resistance is any condition which retards the flow of electricity. This is similar to how the internal pipe
wall creates resistance to water flow.
Resistance is measured in Ohms.
The rate of electrical current flowing through a circuit depends upon the voltage and resistance. The
higher the current flow the more likely electric shock or electrocution will occur.
ELECTRIC SHOCK
The severity of electrical shock is determined by:
the amount of current and direction, or path, it takes through the body; and
the length of time the body receives the current.
As the body is subjected to a higher current flow the more severe the injuries become.
A person’s main resistance to current flow is the skin’s surface. Dry skin has a fairly high resistance
ranging from 100,000 to 600,000 Ohms.
This resistance drops dramatically to about 1000 Ohms when the skin is moist, from perspiration or
contact with liquids.
Once the skin’s resistance is broken, electrical current flows easily through the blood and the body’s
tissue which has a resistance of only 400 to 600 Ohms.
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3. Portable Electrical Equipment
Page 7 of 10
© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST037
Revision 2013 1.0
If the portable electrical tool does not have a current inspection tag do not use it have it inspected,
tested and tagged by an electrician.
If you find a portable electrical tool with a defect you should not attempt to repair it yourself unless you
are a qualified and licensed electrician.
All defective portable electrical tools must be inspected by an electrician.
RESIDUAL CURRENT DEVICES
You should ensure that a portable electrical tool is always connected to Residual Current Device.
A Residual Current Device is often called an Earth Leakage Protection unit.
If a fault causes electricity to flow to earth, the Residual Current Device will disconnect the electricity
supply, avoiding the risk of a fatal shock.
Hand out sheet 6 – Residual current devices
They operate by continuously comparing the current flow in both the active (supply) and neutral (return)
conductors of an electrical circuit. If the current flow becomes unbalanced this means some of the
current is leaking to earth.
RCDs are designed to disconnect the electricity supply at a level of 30 milliAmps within 10 to 50
milliseconds.
The sensitivity and speed of disconnection means that any earth leakage will be detected and
automatically switched off before it can cause injury or damage.
Residual Current Devices are available in several types such as:
switchboard units installed on the main switchboard to provide complete installation protection;
power outlet units built in to a standard power outlet to provide single outlet or single circuit
protection; or
portable units suitable for use with extension cords and portable power tools.
If you are unsure if the power outlet you are going to use has built in earth leakage protection, use a
portable residual current device. This is connected between the portable electrical tool and the power
outlet.
Portable Residual Current Devices must be checked at least every three months by a licenced
electrician to ensure it disconnects the electricity at 30 milliAmps as per the AS 3760 In-Service Safety
Inspection & Testing of Electrical Equipment. Depending on the workplace, the frequency of testing may
need to be increased. (See Further References at the end of the talk).
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4. Portable Electrical Equipment
Page 10 of 10
© PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013 Document Number: ST037
Revision 2013 1.0
LICENCE AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Under copyright laws, the documentation may not be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or
reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part or sold or distributed
without the prior written consent of PA Services Group Pty Ltd. SMARTsafe is a registered trademark of
the PA Services Group.
Copyright 2013
PA Services Group Pty Ltd
GPO Box 924, Brisbane QLD 4001
www.smartsafe.com.au
Email: info@smartsafe.com.au
Under no circumstances shall PA Services Group Pty Ltd or associated Companies be liable for any
loss, damage or injury (including without limitation any loss of profit, indirect, consequential or
incremental loss, damage or injury) arising from the supply of this TALK or use of the MATERIAL and
any accompanying written materials or any failure by PA Services Group Pty Ltd or trademarks products
branded SMARTsafe perform any obligation or observe any terms of this agreement.
By using this material the Purchaser agrees to the above terms.
The laws of Australia govern this agreement.
The artwork “IMAGES” in the Safety Talks are incorporated for viewing purposes. Reproducing the
“IMAGES” in other documents or transferring them in electronic form is a breach of third party copyright.
The “IMAGES” used in this material are drawn from photo stock and other sources.
PA Services Group Pty Ltd has the right to make periodic changes, additions and deletions to the
material and products described within the publications without notice.
DISCLAIMER
The information presented in the Safety Talks has been compiled from sources believed reliable.
However it cannot be assumed that all acceptable measures are contained within the talk nor that other
additional measures may not be required under particular, specific or exceptional circumstances and that
your company, manufactures or statutory procedures and rules may apply and take precedence over this
material.
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5. Portable Electrical Equipment – ST037 © PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013
10 milliAmps - muscular contractions
making it difficult to release grip on
the electrical conductor.
20 milliAmps - severe muscular
contractions making it difficult to
breathe.
50 milliAmps - severe breathing
difficulties or breathing stopped.
70 to 200 milliAmps - erratic heart
motion resulting in loss of blood
circulation.
400 milliAmps - burns at the entry
and exit points of the electrical
current flow path.
Sheet 2 – Effects of Electrical Current Flow
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6. Portable Electrical Equipment – ST037 © PA Services Group - SMARTsafe 2013
SignaturePlant Number
Owner
Licence NumberEquipment type
Test Date
COMPLETE WHERE APPLICABLE
PLEASE INFORM YOUR ELECTRICAL SERVICES IF THIS APPLIANCE IS DEFECTIVE IN ANY WAY
January to March
April to June
July to September
October to December
Each portable electrical tool should be fitted with a current inspection tag.
(Relevant to your tagging standards)
RED:
GREEN:
BLUE:
YELLOW:
Sheet 5 – Electrical Inspection Tags
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