Electrical

Safety
Basic
Basic Electrical
Electrical Safety
Safety

Basic Electrical Safety

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Safety
Basic
Basic Electrical
Electrical Safety
Safety

√ Course not designed to teach you

to work on electrical equipment.

√ You will not be qualified to work on

electrical equipment.

√ If you spot problems with electrical

equipment you should report it to
your supervisor.

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Objectives
Objectives

•Electrical Accidents-Statistics
•Be familiar with the fundamental
concepts of electricity.
•Be familiar with the effects of electricity
on the human body.
•Do’s and Don’t
•Be familiar with electrical protective
devices
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Electrical
Electrical Accidents-Statistics
Accidents-Statistics
•

•India
•Almost 12 people die due to electrocution
every day (Source -OISD)
• 42 % of total fires occur due to electrical
sources (Source -OISD)
• 8% deaths that occur in factories are due to
electricity
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Electrical
Electrical Accidents-Statistics
Accidents-Statistics
• United States
• 25% of all fires occur due to electricity
• 411 deaths from job related electrical accidents
per year
• Electrocution - the fifth leading cause of death

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Fundamentals of Electrical

• To flow electricity must have a

complete path.
• Electricity flows through conductors
– water, metal, the human body
• Insulators are non-conductors
• The human body is a conductor.
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Fundamentals of Electrical
Hazards

Have You Ever Been Shocked?

THE BASICS
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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 by >600 volts)
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Fundamentals of Electrical Hazards
• Hazards of Electricity
– Electrocution/Shock/Burns/Death
• Min. Distance From Overhead Lines is 10 ft.

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

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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.

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Resistance

Resistance to the flow of electricity is

measured in ohms and varies widely. It
is determined by three factors:
• The nature of the substance itself
• The length and cross-sectional area
(size) of the substance
• The temperature of the substance.

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Insulators / Conductors
• Some substances, such as metals, offer very little
resistance to the flow of electric current and are
called conductors.
• Other substances, such as bakelite, porcelain,
pottery, and dry wood, offer such a high resistance
that they can be used to prevent the flow of electric
current and are called insulators.
• Dry wood has a high resistance, but when saturated
with water its resistance drops to the point where it
will readily conduct electricity. The same thing is true
of human skin.

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Insulators / Conductors
• When it is dry, skin has a fairly high
resistance to electric current; but when it is
moist, there is a radical drop in resistance.
• Pure water is a poor conductor, but small
amounts of impurities, such as salt and acid
(both of which are contained in perspiration),
make it a ready conductor.
• When water is present either in the
environment or on the skin, anyone working
with electricity should exercise even more
caution than they normally would.
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How Shock Occurs
The severity of the shock received when a
person becomes a part of an electric circuit is
affected by four primary factors:
• The amount of current flowing through the
body (measured in amperes)
• The path of the current through the body
• The length of time the body is in the circuit.
• General health of the person.

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Shock & the Human Body

• The effects of electric shock depend upon the

type of circuit, its voltage, resistance, current,
pathway through the body, and duration of
the contact.
• Effects can range from a barely perceptible
tingle to immediate cardiac arrest.
• There are no absolute limits or even known
values that show the exact injury from any
given current.

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Shock & the Human Body
• Muscular contraction caused by stimulation may not
allow the victim to free himself or herself from the
circuit, and the increased duration of exposure
increases the dangers to the shock victim.
• For example, a current of 100 mA for 3 seconds is
equivalent to a current of 900 mA applied for .03
seconds in causing ventricular fibrillation.

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Shock & the Human Body
• A severe shock can cause considerably more
damage to the body than is visible.
• For example, a person may suffer internal
destruction of tissues, nerves, and muscles.
• In addition, shock is often only the beginning
in a chain of events.
• The final injury may well be from a fall, cuts,
burns, or broken bones.

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Burns & Other Injuries

The most common shock-related injury is

a burn. Burns suffered in electrical
accidents may be of three types:
• Electrical
• Arc
• Thermal contact

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Burns & Other Injuries

• Electrical burns are the result of the electric

current flowing through tissues or bone.
• Tissue damage is caused by the heat
generated by the current flow through the
body.
• Electrical burns are one of the most serious
injuries you can receive and should be given
immediate attention.

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Burns & Other Injuries

• Arc or flash burns, on the other hand,

are the result of high temperatures near
the body and are produced by an
electric arc or explosion.
• They should also be attended to
promptly.

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Burns & Other Injuries

• Finally, thermal contact burns are those

normally experienced when the skin comes in
contact with hot surfaces of overheated
electric conductors, conduits, or other
energized equipment.
• Additionally, clothing may be ignited in an
electrical accident and a thermal burn will
result.
• All three types of burns may be produced
simultaneously.
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Burns & Other Injuries

• Electric shock can also cause injuries of an

indirect or secondary nature in which
involuntary muscle reaction from the electric
shock can cause bruises, bone fractures, and
even death resulting from collisions or falls.
• In some cases, injuries caused by electric
shock can be a contributory cause of delayed
fatalities.

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Burns & Other Injuries

• In addition to shock and burn hazards, electricity poses

other dangers.
• For example, when a short circuit occurs, hazards are
created from the resulting arcs.
• If high current is involved, these arcs can cause injury or
start a fire.
• Extremely high-energy arcs can damage equipment,
causing fragmented metal to fly in all directions.
• Even low-energy arcs can cause violent explosions in
atmospheres that contain flammable gases, vapors, or
combustible dusts.
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Preventing Electrical Hazards

• Electrical accidents appear to be caused by a

combination of three possible factors: unsafe
equipment and/or installation; workplaces made
unsafe by the environment; and unsafe work
practices.
• There are various ways of protecting people from the
hazards caused by electricity.
• These include: insulation; grounding; electrical
protective devices; and safe work
practices.

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Insulation

• One way to safeguard individuals from

electrically energized wires and parts is
through insulation.
• An insulator is any material with high
resistance to electric current.

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Insulation

• Insulators such as glass, mica, rubber, and plastic,

are put on conductors to prevent shock, fires, and
short circuits.
• Before you prepare to work with electric equipment, it
is urgent to check the insulation before making a
connection to a power source to be sure there are no
exposed wires.
• There are more chances of insulation damage in
flexible cords, such as extension cords.

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Care of Cords & Equipment

• Power tools and extension cords must be inspected

each time they are used.
• They must be taken out of service immediately upon
discovery of worn or broken insulation.
• Electrical panel boxes must be secured and problems
reported immediately.
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Grounding

• Grounding is a method of protecting you from electric

shock.
• The "ground" refers to a conductive body, usually the
earth, and means a conductive connection, whether
intentional or accidental, by which an electric circuit or
equipment is connected to earth or the ground plane.
• By "grounding" a tool or electrical system, a low-
resistance path to the earth is intentionally created.

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Grounding
• When properly done, this path offers sufficiently
low resistance and has sufficient current carrying
capacity to prevent the buildup of voltages that may
result in a personnel hazard.
• This does not guarantee that no one will receive a
shock, be injured, or be killed.
• It will, however, substantially reduce the possibility of
such accidents, especially when used in combination
with other safety measures discussed in this
presentation.

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Circuit Protection Devices

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
• Never remove a grounding device from any
electrical source, tool, or equipment.
• Never remove the ground prong from an
electrical cord or device of any kind.
• Never by-pass grounding or circuit breaker
protection as any time.
• If you find any of the above have occurred,
repair and / or report immediately.
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Circuit Protection Devices

• Circuit protection devices are designed to

automatically limit or shut off the flow of
electricity in the event of a ground-fault,
overload, or short circuit in the wiring system.
• Fuses, circuit breakers, and ground-fault
circuit interrupters are three well-known
examples of such devices

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Circuit Protection Devices
• Fuses and circuit-breakers are over-current devices
that are placed in circuits to monitor the amount of
current that the circuit will carry.
• They automatically open or break the circuit when the
amount of current flow becomes excessive and
therefore unsafe.
• Fuses are designed to melt when too much current
flows through them.
• Circuit breakers, on the other hand, are designed to
trip and open the circuit by electro-mechanical
means.

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Circuit Protection Devices

• Fuses and circuit breakers are intended

primarily for the protection of conductors
and equipment.
• They prevent over-heating of wires and
components that might otherwise create
hazards for operators.
• They also open the circuit under certain
hazardous ground-fault conditions.
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Safe Work Practices

Employees and others working with electric

equipment need to use safe work practices.
These include:
• De-energizing electric equipment before
inspecting or making repairs
• Using electric tools that are in good repair;
using good judgment when working
near energized lines
• Using appropriate protective equipment
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Tool Inspections

• To maximize own safety, an employee should always

use tools that work properly.
• Tools must be inspected before use and, those found
questionable, removed from service and properly
tagged.
• Tools and other equipment should be regularly
maintained.
• Inadequate maintenance can cause equipment to
deteriorate, resulting in an unsafe condition.

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Do’s
Do’s and
and Don'ts
Don'ts
• Do plug power equipment into wall with
power switches in the Off position.
• Do unplug electrical equipment by
grasping the plug and pulling. Do not
pull or jerk the cord to unplug the
equipment.
• Do not drape power cords over hot
pipes, radiators or sharp objects.
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Do’s
Do’s and
and Don'ts
Don'ts

• Do check the receptacle for missing or

damaged parts.
• Do not plug equipment into defective
receptacles.
• Do check for frayed, cracked, or
exposed wiring on equipment cords.

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Do’s
Do’s and
and Don'ts
Don'ts
• Do check for defective cord clamps at
locations where the power cord enters
the equipment or the attachment plug.

• Extension cords should not be used in

office areas. Generally, extension cords
should be limited to use by maintenance
personnel
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Do’s
Do’s and
and Don'ts
Don'ts

• Consumer electrical equipment or

appliances should not be used if not
properly grounded. (Look for the UL
Label)

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Do’s
Do’s and
and Don'ts
Don'ts

• User should know the location of

electrical circuit breaker panels/ Switch
that control equipment and lighting in
their respective areas. Circuits and
equipment disconnects must be
identified.

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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.
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Myths
Myths and
and Misconceptions
Misconceptions

• Electricity takes the path of least

resistance.

• Electricity wants to go to ground.

• If an electric tool falls into a sink or tub

of water, the item will short out.
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Myths
Myths and
and Misconceptions
Misconceptions

• AC reverse polarity is not hazardous.

• It takes high voltage to kill; less than
240 volts is not dangerous.
• Double insulated power tools are doubly
safe and can be used in wet and damp
locations.

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Summary

• Electricity can be helpful and also

dangerous, if not respected.
• Safety procedures must be followed in
order to protect everyone when dealing
with electricity.
• If found anything unsafe then immediately
inform to electrical department.

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Basic Electrical Safety