HSE Training Presented By:

QHSE Lead
Electrical Safety Azhar Saleem Mian
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Overview:
• Electricity & Electrical Hazards
• Shock
• Factors affecting Electrical Shock
• Electrical Shock Treatment
• Electrical Burns
• Electrical Fires
• Control Measures
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electricity and Electrical Hazards:

• Electricity
• Flow of Electrons through a Conductor

• I = V / R(mA)

• Electrical Hazards
• Electrical Shock
• Electrical Burns
• Electrical Fires
• Explosions
• Secondary Injuries
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Shock:
Current (mA) Duration Likely Effects
Threshold of Feeling, Undetected by Person
0-1 Not Critical
Threshold of Cramp, Independent loosening of the
1-15 Not Critical hand no longer possible
Cramp-like pulling together of the arm, breathing
15-30 Minutes difficulty. Limit of Tolerance
Seconds to Strong cramp like effects, Loss of Consciousness due
30-50 Minutes to restricted breathing. Longer time lead to fibrillation
< 1 Heart Period No fibrillation. Strong Shock effect
50-500 > 1 Heart Period Fibrillation, Loss of Consciousness, Burn Marks

> 500 < 1 Heart Period Fibrillation, Loss of Consciousness, Burn Marks
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Factors affecting Electrical Shock:

• Factors Effecting Electrical Shock

• Voltage
• High voltage means more effects

• Frequency
• 50 Hz frequency is dangerous as it is close to
heart beat

• Duration
• More time in contact with current means more
impact it have on the human body
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Factors affecting Electrical Shock:

• Factors Effecting Electrical Shock

• Resistance
• High Resistance surfaces allow very
• little current to flow through body

• Current Path
• Point in the body form where the current is flowing
i.e. Finger, Chest, Waist etc
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Shock Treatment:

• What to Do?
• Switch off or remove Plug
• Ensure system is discharged and dead
• Assess the situation and any remaining danger to
yourself and causality
• Call for Emergency Services
• Check Causality for ABC
• Airway
• Breathing
• Circulation
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Burns:
• Direct Burns
• Outer skin burns due to heating effect having burn
• Damage to Internal Organs and Bone marrow

• In-Direct Burns
• Injury by molten metal pieces
• Injection of metal parts in body
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Fires:
• Common Causes
• Wiring with defects such as insulation failure due to
age or poor maintenance
• Poor Connections due to lack of maintenance or
unskilled personnel
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Fires:
• Common Causes
• Overheating of cables or other electrical equipment
through overloading with current above design
capacity
• Incorrect Fuse rating
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Fires:
• Portable Electrical Equipment
• Unsuitable Equipment
• Unsuitable Equipment
• Misuse
• Failure to follow operating instructions
• Wrong connection of system
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Fires:
• Portable Electrical Equipment
• Inadequate Maintenance
• Inadequate Maintenance
• Wrong or broken connection
• Inadequate Earthing
• Poor Maintenance and Testing
• No Defect Reporting System
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Electrical Fires:
• Portable Electrical Equipment
• Use of Defective Apparatus
• Faulty Cables, notably extension leads
• Damaged Plugs and Sockets / Bad Connections
• Protection Devices having incorrect rating i.e. Fuses
• Overloading / Short Circuiting leading to damage or
over-heating
• Isolation Procedures or SSW wrong
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Control Measures:
• Fuse
• Automatically cut off power in a given time when
current flowing in that circuit exceed its given limit
• Weak link in circuit that melts away when heat is
created by a fault condition
• Easy to replace with wrong rating but will require Tools
to replace
• Easy to override with a fuse of higher rating or putting
in an compromised
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Control Measures:
• Earthing
• Earth wire fitted with Electrical System with one end
buried in the ground
• So, if system becomes live, current will flow to the
lowest potential (Earth) to prevent Electrical Shock
• The path is made easier as Earth wire have very little
resistance
• No advantage in Double Insulated equipment
• Better use with RCD
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Control Measures:
• Isolation
• Lock Out Tag Out
• Permit to Work System

• Reduced Low Voltage Systems

• Reduced voltage reduces the risk of Electricity from
240 V to 110 V
• Use of Battery operated Equipment (12 V - 24 V)
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Control Measures:
• Residual Current Device (RCD)
• Electro-mechanical switching device is used to
automatically isolate the supply when there is
difference between the current flowing IN and OUT
• Reduces risk of current leakage with possible fire risks
or the risk of shock current
• Can be used at low currents and fast response time
(usually 30 mA at 30 seconds to reduce Electric Shock)
HSE Training : Electrical Safety

Control Measures:
• Double Insulation
• One insulation around live parts and second insulation
around it
• Earth wire is not required after Double Insulation
• Equipment having double insulation has a symbol
• No Electric Shock occurs
HSE Training : Electrical Safety