Electrical hazards cause over 300 deaths and 4,000 injuries in the workplace each year in the United States, ranking sixth among causes of work-related deaths. A worker is injured severely enough to require time off every 30 minutes due to electrical injuries. The document provides tips from OSHA and Electrical Safety Foundation International for preventing electrical accidents at work, such as identifying all energy sources, testing before touching equipment, using protective equipment, and staying at least 10 feet from overhead wires.

1. SAFETY TIP:
Working with Electricity
Electrical hazards cause more than 300 deaths and 4,000
injuries in the workplace each year, ranking sixth among all
causes of work-related deaths in the United States. By some
estimates, a worker is injured severely enough to require
time off work every 30 minutes, due to electrical injuries.
Here are some tips from OSHA and Electrical Safety Foundation
International to help prevent electrical accidents in your workplace.
 Identify all possible energy sources that could pose on-the-job hazards.
 Never assume equipment or systems are de-energized. Always test before
you touch. And remember, in some cases turning power off may cause other
hazards.
 Understand the construction and operation of electrical equipment and the
hazards involved.
 Select appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) before starting
work. Remember, PPE must be worn until the electrical system is in a safe
condition.
 If working in damp locations, inspect electric cords and equipment to ensure
they are in good condition and free of defects, and use a ground-fault circuit
interrupter (GFCI).
 Assume that all overhead wires are energized at lethal voltages. Never
assume that a wire is safe to touch even if it is down or appears to be insulated.
 If working at heights or handling long objects, survey the area for the
presence of overhead wires before starting work.
 Stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from overhead wires during cleanup
and other activities.
 Use lock-out/tag-out procedures.
 Make sure your test equipment is working properly both before and after
you use it.
 If at any time the job becomes more hazardous than you had anticipated, stop
and revise the plans.
Learn more about safely working with electricity with these links:
 OSHA Electrical Safety Standards page.
 Controlling Electrical Hazards brochure (pdf).
 What Does Electrical Safety Mean To You? video from ESFi.
 45-minute electrical safety self-assessment from ESFi.
 Browse Electrical Safety signs at ComplianceSigns.com.
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