Basic

Basic Electrical
Electrical Safety
Safety
 Why Electrical
Basic ElectricalSafety
Safety?
 According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), over 2,200
people died due to accidental fires that were caused by short circuits
in 2015.
If these numbers shock you, note that the following year saw over
 11,000 electrical accidents in the country. Nearly 4,800 of these
accidents were fatal.
You can never be too safe when it comes to electricity and safe
wiring.
Accidents can happen all the time, due to various reasons—leaking
 water, unprofessional wiring, careless plugging of appliances or even
the handy chord extensions.
 Electrical Safety

Objectives
Objectives
• Be familiar with the fundamental
concepts of electricity.

• Be familiar with the effects of electricity

on the human body.
• Be able to recognize common electrical
hazards.
• Be familiar with electrical protective
devices.
 Fundamentals of Electrical
Hazards
• Voltage
– electrical pressure (water pressure)
• Amperage
– electrical flow rate (gallons/min)
• Impedance
– restriction to electrical flow (pipe friction)
 Electrical Injuries
There are four main types of electrical injuries:
• Direct:
Electrocution or death due to electrical shock
Electrical shock
Burns
• Indirect - Falls
Burns
Typically occurs on hands
 Shock Severity
• 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,
• LOW VOLTAGE DOES NOT
MEAN LOW HAZARD
 Dangers of Electrical Shock
• Currents above 10 mA* can
paralyze or “freeze” muscles.
• Currents more than 75 mA can
cause a rapid, ineffective
heartbeat -- death will occur in a
few minutes unless a defibrillator
is used
• 75 mA is not much current – a
small power drill uses 30 times as Defibrillator in use
much

* mA = milliampere = 1/1,000 of an ampere

 Electrical Safety
Fundamentals of Electrical Hazards
 More than 3 ma
painful shock
 More than 10 ma
muscle contraction “no-let-go” danger
 More than 30 ma
lung paralysis- usually temporary
 More than 50 ma
possible ventricular fib. (heart dysfunction, usually fatal)
 100 ma to 4 amps
certain ventricular fibrillation, fatal
 Over 4 amps
heart paralysis; severe burns. Usually caused by >600 volts
 Fundamentals of Electrical
Hazards
• What is Grounding?
– Protection from electric shock
• normally a secondary protection measure
• A ground is a conductive connection
– between electrical circuit or equipment and
earth or ground plane
– creates a low resistance to the earth.
 Electrical Safety

Fundamentals of Electrical Hazards

Fundamentals of Electrical

• To flow electricity must have a

complete path.
• Electricity flows through conductors
– water, metal, the human body
• Insulators are non-Conductors
Glass, porcelain, plastic, dry wood and
rubber that prevent flow of electricity

• The human body is a conductor.

 Electrical Safety
Fundamentals of Electrical
Hazards

Have You Ever Been Shocked?

THE BASICS
 The Leading Causes of Electrical Accidents?

Unsafe Acts

There are 2 reasons for unsafe acts:

1. We know better but intentionally do something unsafe.

2. We don't know better.

 Falls
• Electric shock can also
cause indirect injuries
• Workers in elevated
locations who experience
a shock may fall,
resulting in serious injury
or death
 Electrical Safety

Fundamentals of Electrical Hazards

• Hazards of Electricity
– Electrocution/Shock/Burns/Death
• Minimum distance from overhead lines 10
ft.
• Inspect all electrical tools and equipment

Frayed, cut, broken wires

grounding prong missing
Improper use of cube taps
improperly applied or missing strain relief
 Basic
Basic Rules
Rules of
of Electrical
Electrical Action
Action

• Electricity isn’t live until current flows

• Electrical current won’t flow until there is

a complete loop, out from and back to
the power source.
 Do’s
Do’s and
and Don'ts
Don'ts

• Employees should know the location of

electrical circuit breaker panels that
control equipment and lighting in their
respective areas. Circuits and
equipment disconnects must be
identified
 Avoid the following Unsafe Acts

• Failure to de-energize, lockout & tag out hazards during

maintenance, repair or inspections.

• Use of defective and unsafe tools.

• Not draining off stored energy in capacitors.

• Using 3-wire cord with a 2-wire plug.

• Overloading outlets with too many appliances.

• Not verifying power is off when making repair ( 110 Volt a.c. line
can kill).

• Working in an elevated position near overhead lines.

 Unsafe Equipment

Some common causes of unsafe equipment:

• Faulty insulation

• Improper grounding (removal of 3rd prong)

• Loose connections

• Use of "homemade" extension cords

•Unguarded live parts--for example:

• Bare Conductors or exposed terminals

• Metal parts may get energized when connected to a plug or

Cord .
• Capacitor may cause up to 55 % of energy to be stored on
casing of metal Tools .
Preventing
Preventing Accidental
Accidental Electrical
Electrical Contact
Contact

Electrocution Prevention
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 Electrical Safety
Electrical
Electrical Protection
Protection
• Circuit Breakers
– Provided to protect EQUIPMENT not people
– Do not reset breakers with a line voltage higher than 120V
and only reset if you know why it tripped

• GFCI’s
- Provided to protect people
- Trip range 4-6ma
- Monthly test
 Electrical Safety

Electrical
Electrical Protection
Protection

• Distance
– If you sense the presence of an
electrical hazard or exposed conductors
that may be energized, keep your
distance and STAY AWAY
 Safety Related Work Practices

Unqualified Person - a person working

in close proximity to exposed
energized conductors
Qualified Person - a person familiar with
the circuit, able to use testing
instruments and recognize conductors
and insulators, and knows the safe
work distances
 Authorization

Unqualified
must stay away from exposed
conductors, be able recognize
exposed conductors
Qualified
Level I are supervisors - reset
electrical components up to 600 volts
Level II are electricians and electrical
supervisors - work on equipment
up to 10,000 volts
Personal Protection,Table 2, available

head protection - Class B

eye and face

body protection
hand and arm protection
foot and leg protection
Table 5 - PPE available
 Do’s
Do’s and
and Don'ts
Don'ts

• Temporary or permanent storage of any

materials must not be allowed within 3
feet of any electrical panel or electrical
equipment.
• Any electrical equipment causing
shocks or with high leakage potential
must be tagged with a Danger tag or
equivalent.
Clues that Electrical Hazards Exist
• Tripped circuit breakers or
blown fuses
• Warm tools, wires, cords,
connections, or junction
boxes
• GFCI that shuts off a circuit
• Worn or frayed insulation
around wire or connection
 Electrical Hazards and How to
Control Them
Unsafe equipment
and/or installation,
Workplaces made
unsafe by the
environment, and
Unsafe work practices.
Control – Isolate Electrical Parts -
Cabinets, Boxes & Fittings

Conductors going into them must be protected,

and unused openings must be closed
 Control – Close Openings
• Junction boxes, pull
boxes and fittings must
have approved covers
• Unused openings in
cabinets, boxes and
fittings must be closed
(no missing knockouts)

Photo shows violations

of these two requirements
 Control - Overhead Power
Lines
• Stay at least 10 feet away
• Post warning signs
• Assume that lines are
energized
• Use wood or fiberglass
ladders, not metal
• Power line workers need
special training & PPE
 Hazard – Overloaded Circuits
Hazards may result from:
• Too many devices plugged
into a circuit, causing heated
wires and possibly a fire
• Damaged tools overheating
• Lack of overcurrent
protection
• Wire insulation melting, which
may cause arcing and a fire in
the area where the overload
exists, even inside a wall
Hazard – Exposed Electrical Parts

Cover removed from wiring or breaker box