NEBOSH General Certificate in

Occupational Safety and Health

Unit GC2
Element 5: Electrical Safety
 Learning Outcomes
• Outline the principles, hazards and risks
associated with the use of electricity in the
workplace.

• Outline the control measures that should be taken

when working with electrical systems or using
electrical equipment in all workplace conditions.
Principles, Hazards and Risks of
Electricity
 Principles of Electricity
An electrical circuit has three parameters:

Voltage (V) or potential

difference:
• Measured in volts.
Current (I) or rate of flow:
• Measured in amps.

Resistance (R) to the flow:

• Measured in ohms.

Linked together by Ohm’s Law:

V=I×R
 Voltage
• ‘Electrical pressure’.

• The driving force or pressure

which ‘pushes’ an electrical
current around a circuit.

• Voltage (V): unit = volts:

− UK mains voltage is 230V, 50Hz.

− US mains voltage is 120V, 60Hz.

 Current
• Current can be thought of as ‘flow’.

• Electrons flow through the materials making up a circuit.

• Current (A): unit = amps.

 Resistance
‘Resistance to flow’.

The resistance of a circuit to the passage of the electrons.

Resistance (R): unit = Ohm (Ω).

 Ohm’s Law

V=I×R

I = V/R

R = V/I

NB Current is given the symbol “I”

So, if you know the values for two of the elements, you can
calculate the third.
 Current Flow
Alternating Current (AC): Direct Current (DC):
• Mains supply is AC. • Battery supply is DC.
• Voltage alternates from • Current flows in one
+ve to -ve and back again. direction only.
• Therefore current flows
backwards and forwards.
• UK = 230 volts, 50Hz.
• USA = 120 volts, 60Hz.
 Hazards, Risks and Dangers of
Electricity
• Electric shock.
• Burns.
• Fire and explosion.
• Arcing.
• Secondary effects.
Electric Shock
 Severity of Shock Influenced by...

Voltage – higher the voltage, greater the current

Duration – exposure time

Current path – route through the body

Resistance – skin condition, clothing, etc.

Contact surface area – more skin contact, more severe injury

Environmental factors – metal surfaces, humidity, etc.

Frequency – AC more harmful than DC at same
shock current
 Electrical Burns

Direct electrical burns:

• Current flowing through the body.
• Entry and exit point.
• Internal tissue burns.

Indirect electrical burns:

• An electrical accident causing something to overheat or
explode, e.g. arc flash.
 Electrical Fires
Causes:
● Faulty electrical equipment overheating.
● Overloaded system.
● Equipment may be misused.
● Flammable atmosphere:
- With wrong type of equipment.
- Accidentally created.
● Electrical equipment producing heat or sparks in normal
use.
● Poor internal electrical connections.
 Static Electricity
• Build up of potential difference (volts) between surfaces.
• Caused by friction.
• Surfaces become ‘charged’.
• Static shock.
• Very short-duration static spark.
• Spark caused on contact with earth.
• Risk of igniting flammable liquids, etc.
 Arcing
Ability of electricity to ‘jump’ across an air gap:
• Usually involves high voltage, e.g. overhead power lines.

Main hazards:
• Electric shock.
• Direct burns from the arc.
• Indirect burns from the radiant heat.
• Damage to eyes from UV light.
 Secondary Effects
Physical injury caused by an electrical incident, e.g. falling off
a ladder causing:
• Cuts.
• Bruises.
• Broken bones.
 Portable Electrical Equipment
Conditions and practices likely to lead to accidents:

• Unsuitable equipment.
• Using equipment in damp conditions.
• Misuse.
• Physical abuse.
• Improper repairs, e.g. taped up joints.
• Use of faulty, defective equipment.
• Chemical/abrasion damage to the flex.
• Lack of inspection testing or maintenance.
 Dangerous Activities
• Use of poorly maintained electrical equipment.

• Use of electrical equipment in wet environments.

• Work near overhead power lines.

• Contact with underground power cables.

• Work on mains electricity supplies.

Control Measures
 Protection of Conductors
• Insulated to prevent contact with live conductor:
‐ Cable coverings unbroken.
‐ Equipment casing intact.
• Inspect to ensure protection is in place.
• Ensure electrical panels are locked.
 Strength and Capability of
Equipment
Electrical equipment must be carefully selected to
ensure that it is suitable for the:

• Electrical system that it will become a part of.

• Task that it will perform.
• Environment in which it will be used.

No electrical equipment should be put into use where its

electrical strength and capability may be exceeded.
 Strength and Capability of
Equipment
Consider:
• Weather.
• Natural hazards, e.g. gnawing by rats.
• Extremes of temperature, e.g. heat from motors.
• Dirty conditions.
• Corrosive conditions.
• Liquids and vapours, e.g. splashing.
• Flammable substances.
• Foreseeable mechanical damage.
 Protective Systems and Devices
• Fuses and miniature circuit breakers.

• Earthing.

• Isolation of supply.

• Double insulation.

• Residual Current Devices (RCDs).

• Reduced and low voltages.

• Competent persons.
 Group Exercise
Consider two appliances in your home with different
protection methods.
Explain how each works and the advantages and limitations,
e.g:
• An earthed washing machine.

• RCD and electric mower.

• Fuse on a small lamp.

• Double insulation on a laptop transformer.

• Circuit breaker on main electricity board.

 Fuses
• Prevents current overload:
- An overcurrent protection device.
• Weak link in a circuit.
• Overheats and melts if the current exceeds the fuse rating.
• Designed to protect equipment, not people.
• Advantages?
• Disadvantages?
 Miniature Circuit Breaker
• Similar to a fuse.
• Prevents current overload:
- An overcurrent protection device.
• Electromechanical device.
• Trips a switch.
• Can be re-set.
• Tamper-proof.
• Designed to protect equipment, not people.
• Advantages?
• Disadvantages?
 Earthing
• In event of a fault, provides a safe path to earth.
• Outer metal casing connected to earth by wire.
• Electric shock should be minor.
• Advantages?
• Disadvantages?
 Isolation of Supply
• Removal of electrical power from a circuit.
• Switch/isolator or removing the plug.
• Circuit ‘dead’ and safe to work on.
• Physically secured by lock (lock-out/tag-out).
• Should be clearly labelled.
• Circuit should be tested.
• Advantages?
• Disadvantages?
 Double Insulation

• Live parts or parts that might become live under fault

conditions cannot be easily touched.
• Often achieved by having two layers of insulation between
live conductors and any external metal surfaces or
external surfaces are non-conducting (plastic).
• Called Class II equipment.
• No need for earth protection.
• Advantages?
• Disadvantages?
 Residual Current Devices (RCD)
• Specifically designed to protect human life.
• Constantly compares current in live and neutral.
• Sensitive to small current imbalance, i.e. leak to earth:
‐ Very sensitive: 30mA.
‐ Very fast: 40ms.
• Can be used as:
‐ Part of a plug.
‐ Standalone device.
‐ Hard-wired into distribution system.
• Advantages?
• Disadvantages?
 Reduced and Low Voltage Systems
As voltage is reduced, so the shock current is reduced:
• UK voltage 230v stepped down to 110v for portable tools.

• 50 volts equipment (SELV).

 Group Exercise
What factors do you think should be considered
when selecting suitable electrical equipment for use
on a construction site?
 Control Measures:
Construction Sites
For portable equipment consider:
• Using battery-powered or low-voltage equipment.
• Use RCDs.
• Locate cables carefully.
• Use double-insulated equipment.
• Carry out pre-use checks.
• Train operators in correct use.
• Avoid using in wet conditions.
• Routine visual inspection and testing.
Competent Persons - Refresher!
What do we mean by the term ‘competence’?
 Competent Persons
• Knowledge of electricity.

• Experience of electrical work.

• Understanding of the system.

• Understanding of hazards and precautions.

• Ability to recognise whether safe to continue work.

 Safe Systems of Work
• Work ‘dead’ whenever possible.

• Work on or near live electrical equipment:

‐ Only under exceptional circumstances.
‐ And if controlled tightly.
 Working on a Live System
Regulation 14 - Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
• No live working unless no alternative.

If essential:
Safe system of work to include:
• Permit to work.
• Competent person.
• Insulating PPE.
• Boots, gauntlets.
• Insulated tools.
• Designated work areas.
 Working on a Live System

No live working unless no alternative.

If essential:
Safe system of work to include:
• Permit to work.
• Competent person.
• Insulating PPE.
• Boots, gauntlets.
• Insulated tools.
• Designated work areas.
 Isolation
Usually requires:
• The breaking of the circuit.
• Physical securing of the break in the circuit.
• Some form of label (or tag).
 Buried Cables
May be struck during excavations.

Can result in:

• Arcing, shock, burns, fire.

Precautions
• Check plans.
• Detection equipment (e.g. CAT scanner).
• Expose by hand digging.
• Identify and label.
 Work Near Overhead Power Lines
Usually uninsulated.
Control measures:
• Arrange isolation or cover
(sleeve).
• Safe systems of work and
permit to work.
• Barriers, signs, goal-posts.
• Banksman (signaller).
• Non-conducting equipment.
 Group Exercise
What action should be taken on finding a person
suspected to have suffered an electric shock?
 Emergency Action
• Don’t touch the casualty.
• Call for help.
• Isolate from the power supply.
• Call for ambulance.
• Check for breathing:
‐ Recovery position if breathing.
‐ Start CPR if not breathing.

• Treat burns.
• Treat for physiological shock.
• Ensure medical help is obtained.
 Inspection and Maintenance
Strategies
• Applies to:
‐ Fixed wiring systems.
‐ Portable appliance testing.
• User checks.
• Formal visual inspection.
• Combined inspection and testing.
 Group Exercise
Consider the use of portable electric tools at home or at
work, e.g. iron, sander, drill, etc.
Discuss:
• How the tools, leads and plugs become damaged.
• What you would look for if you were checking that they
are safe to use.
 User Checks
• Body of plug intact and secure.
• Outer flex sheath covers all inner wires.
• Plug and appliance cable clamp tight.
• Flex fully insulated - no splits or kinks.
• No damage to casing of equipment.
• No burns/scorch marks.
• Not soiled or wet.
 Formal Visual Inspection

User checks plus:

• Remove plug cover and check:
‐ Fuse.
‐ Connections are secure.
‐ Terminals are secure.
‐ No signs of internal damage.
• Competent person.
 Combined Inspection and Test

Visual inspection may fail to detect:

• Deterioration of insulation.
• Defective earth pathway.

Inspection and test:

• When suspect equipment is defective.
• After repair/modification.
• At appropriate intervals.
• Competent person.
Frequency of Inspection and Testing
Frequency is determined by:

• Legal standards and codes of practice.

• Type of equipment.
• Manufacturers’ recommendations.
• Initial integrity and soundness of the equipment.
• Age of the equipment.
• Working environment.
• Frequency and duration of use.
• Foreseeable abuse of the equipment.
• Effects of any modifications or repairs.
• Analysis of previous maintenance records.
 Group Exercise
What are the advantages and limitations of PAT?
 Advantages and Limitations of
Portable Appliance Testing
Advantages:

• Detects faults not visible to the eye.

• Early removal/repair of unsafe equipment.
• Demonstrates legal compliance.
• Identifies trends or patterns of faults.
Limitations:

• Provides proof of safety at one moment in time only.

• Does not ensure safe use or prevent misuse.
• Items may be missed and then remain untested.
• Can't be applied to all equipment (e.g. computers).
 Summary
• Outlined basic electrical principles such as voltage, current and
resistance and the relationship between the three:
Ohm’s law (V = I × R)
• Described the hazards of electricity as electric shock, burns (both
direct and indirect), fire and explosion, arcing, and secondary effects.
• Explained the range of effects of electric shock, from mild discomfort
and muscle tremor, through uncontrollable muscle contractions and
respiratory failure, to ventricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest and severe
burns, and how the severity of injury is influenced by several factors,
such as system voltage; duration of contact; pathway through the
body; body resistance; contact surface area; environmental factors
and frequency.
• Outlined the reasons why portable electrical equipment is often
involved in electrical accident, because it is often unsuitable for the
job being done, misused, and not inspected or maintained.
 Summary
• Described the various protective systems that can be used for
electrical equipment such as: fuses (a weak link in the circuit);
earthing (a low-resistance path to earth for fault current); isolation of
supply (cutting the power); double insulation (difficult to touch live
conductors); residual current devices (sensitive, fast-acting trips);
reduced and low voltage (reduces the shock current).
• Outlined the importance of restricting work on electrical systems to
competent persons only.
• Outlined the use of safe systems of work to control the high risks
associated with work on or near electrical systems.
• Described an emergency procedure to be put in place if a person is
injured in an electrical incident.
• Explained the importance of user checks, formal visual inspections and
combined inspection and testing that can be used to ensure the safety
of all electrical installations, equipment and appliances including
portable appliances.