Electrical safety is an important issue, as the document outlines. Each year there are thousands of electrical injuries among workers, with one worker being electrocuted each day. The basics of electricity, electrical hazards, and safety protocols to prevent injuries are discussed. Proper protection, training, and adherence to electrical safety programs and procedures by both employers and workers are key to preventing accidents and injuries from electrical sources.

1. Electrical Safety

2.  From Bureau of Labor /NIOSH
 8,000 electrical contact injuries per year.
 One person is electrocuted each working day.
 2,000 workers are sent to burn centers each year with greater than
2nd degree burns that are electrically related.
 Survey of 1200 electricians.
 97% had experienced a shock
 27% had witnessed an electrical injury.
 Electrocution remains the fourth (4th) highest cause of industrial
fatalities.
 Approximately 3,000 arc flash burn incidents reported annually
along with 250 deaths.

3.  Basic Electricity
 Terms such as volt and amp
 Basic ElectricalTheory (How does it work?)
 Hazards associated with Electricity
 Electrical Shock
 Burns
 Etc.

4.  Protection against Electricity
 Overcurrent/Undercurrent Protection
 Administrative Controls such as Lock-out/Tag-out
(LOTO)
 Training
 Personal Protective Equipment
 Etc.

5.  Introduction to
Electrical Safety
 Hazards Associated
with Electricity
 Arc Flash/Arc Blast
 Electrical Safety
Program
 Who is Responsible for
Safety?
 Employer/Worker
Rights and
Responsibilities

6. What is electricity and how does it work?

7.  Electricity is the flow of
energy from one place to
another
 Requires a source of
power: usually a
generating station
 A flow of electrons
(current) travels through
a conductor
 Travels in a closed circuit

8.  Operating an electric switch is like turning on a
water faucet.
 Behind the faucet (or switch) there is a source
of water (or electricity) with a way to transport
it, and pressure to make it flow. The faucet’s
water source is a reservoir or pumping station.
A pump provides enough pressure for the
water to travel through the pipes. For
electricity the source is the power generating
station. A generator provides the pressure
(voltage) for the electrical current to travel
through electric conductors (wires).
 Volts – the electrical pressure (measure of
electrical force)
 Amps – the volume or intensity of the electrical
flow
 Watts – the power consumed
 Resistance – the restriction to electrical flow

9.  Now that we have a basic understanding of
how electricity moves, we must look at the
dangers we face when working near it.
 In the next few slides, we will talk about the
different terms associated with electricity
and what they mean to us.

10.  Conductors
 Insulators
 Grounding
 a conductive connection to the
earth which acts as a protective
measure
 substances with high resistance
to electricity like glass,
porcelain, plastic, and dry wood
that prevent electricity from
getting to unwanted areas
 substances, like metals, with
little resistance to electricity that
allow electricity to flow

11.  Conductors
 Insulators
 Grounding
 a conductive connection to the
earth which acts as a protective
measure
 substances with high resistance
to electricity like glass,
porcelain, plastic, and dry wood
that prevent electricity from
getting to unwanted areas
 substances, like metals, with
little resistance to electricity that
allow electricity to flow

12.  Conductors
 Insulators
 Grounding
 a conductive connection to the
earth which acts as a protective
measure
 substances with high resistance
to electricity like glass,
porcelain, plastic, and dry wood
that prevent electricity from
getting to unwanted areas
 substances, like metals, with
little resistance to electricity that
allow electricity to flow

13.  Conductors
 Insulators
 Grounding
 a conductive connection to the
earth which acts as a protective
measure
 substances with high resistance
to electricity like glass,
porcelain, plastic, and dry wood
that prevent electricity from
getting to unwanted areas
 substances, like metals, with
little resistance to electricity that
allow electricity to flow

14.  Current
 Circuit
 Resistance
 complete path of the current.
Includes electricity source, a
conductor, and the output
device or load (such as a lamp,
tool, or heater)
 restriction to electrical flow
 electrical movement (measured
in amps)

15.  Current
 Circuit
 Resistance
 complete path of the current.
Includes electricity source, a
conductor, and the output
device or load (such as a lamp,
tool, or heater)
 restriction to electrical flow
 electrical movement (measured
in amps)

16.  Current
 Circuit
 Resistance
 complete path of the current.
Includes electricity source, a
conductor, and the output
device or load (such as a lamp,
tool, or heater)
 restriction to electrical flow
 electrical movement (measured
in amps)

17.  Current
 Circuit
 Resistance
 complete path of the current.
Includes electricity source, a
conductor, and the output
device or load (such as a lamp,
tool, or heater)
 restriction to electrical flow
 electrical movement (measured
in amps)

18. Warning some slides contain pictures which are graphic.
Viewer discretion is advised.

19.  There are 4 potential dangers involved with
contacting electricity:
 Direct
 Shocks
 Burns
 Electrocutions
 Indirect
 Falls

20.  Severity of the shock
depends on:
 Path of current through
the body
 Amount of current flowing
through the body (amps)
 Duration of the shocking
current through the body,
 LOWVOLTAGE DOES
NOT MEAN LOW
HAZARD

21.  Another danger associated with electricity is
electrical burns.
 Severity of the electrical burns depends on:
 Duration the body is exposed to the current,
 Amount of current and
 Path to ground

22.  Where did the
electricity enter the
victims body?
 Where did the
electricity exit the
victims body?

23.  When the electrical shock has taken the life of
the victim, electrocution is the result.
 Electrocution is death due to electrical shock.
▪ 76 workers were killed while at work in 2010.

24.  The number one cause of injuries and
fatalities in the construction industry is falls.
 Most injuries and fatalities involved with
electricity are falls directly related to working
from a ladder or at a height.
 If you were working with electricity while on a
ladder and you get shocked, what would your
reaction be?

25.  An arc flash is an electrical breakdown of the
resistance of air resulting in an electric arc
which can occur where there is sufficient
voltage in an electrical system and a path to
ground or lower voltage.An arc flash with
1000 amperes or more can cause substantial
damage, fire or injury.Temperatures can
reach or exceed 35,000 degrees (Fahrenheit)
at the arc terminals.

26.  What causes Arc Flash?
 Dust and impurities
 Corrosion
 Condensation
 Spark discharge
 Overvoltage across
narrow gaps
 Failure of insulating
materials
 Improper work
procedures

28.  Update training
 Policies generated by
the management
structure.
 Current procedures
that guide workers
actions.
 Review process.
 PPE necessary to
protect workers.
 Auditing process to
monitor developing
knowledge.
 Controls that establish
expectations for
workers.
 Processes that define
and execute
enforcement of the
program.

29.  Before workers are exposed to electrical
hazards, the following must be done prior to
exposure:
 Live parts must be de-energized
 Circuits must be de-energized
 Controls must be tagged
 Equipment and/or circuits must be rendered
inoperative and tagged

31.  Following OSHA requirements
 The Electrical Safety Program
 Safety Policies and Procedures
 SafetyTraining and Re-Training

32.  Implementing Procedures
 Following the employers safety policies and
procedures

33.  Stop
 Think
 Options
 Protection

34.  Employers:
 If workers will be expected to maintain or install
electrical equipment, additional training must be
done prior to exposure.
 Workers:
 If your work changes or you are asked to do
additional work involving electricity, additional
training must be completed prior to exposure.

35.  The basics of
electricity
 Hazards associated
with electricity
 The Electrical Safety
Program
 Employer/worker
rights responsibilities
with electrical safety

36.  You have the right to:
 A safe and healthful workplace
 Know about hazardous chemicals
 Information about injuries and illnesses in your workplace
 Complain or request hazard correction from employer

37.  You have the right to:
 Training
 Hazard exposure and medical records
 File a complaint with OSHA
 Participate in an OSHA inspection
 Be free from retaliation for exercising safety and health rights

38.  OSHA website: http://www.osha.gov and
OSHA offices: Call orWrite (800-321-OSHA)
 ComplianceAssistance Specialists in the area
offices
 National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) – OSHA’s sister agency
 OSHATraining Institute Education Centers
 Doctors, nurses, other health care providers
 Public libraries
 Other local, community-based resources

39. …and stay safe!