ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Batangas State University

Balayan Campus
November 7, 2017
 Objectives
• After completing this unit, you will:
– Be familiar with the basic concepts of electricity.
– Understand the potential effects of electricity on the
human body.
– Be able to recognize common electrical hazards
associated with masonry work.
– Be familiar with electrical protective devices.
– Be knowledgeable of safe work practices.
References
• 29 CFR 1926.400; Subpart K
• National Electric Code (NEC)
 Take Electricity Seriously
• Electricity is the second leading cause of death in
construction.
• Electrocutions make up 12% of construction fatalities
annually.
• Over 30,000 non-fatal shocks occur each year.

• Over 600 deaths occur annually due to electrocution.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

 Electrical Accidents
• Leading Causes of Electrical Accidents:
– Drilling and cutting through cables
– Using defective tools, cables and equipment
– Failure to maintain clearance distance of 10 feet
– Failure to de-energize circuits and follow Lockout/Tagout
procedures
– Failure to guard live parts from accidental worker contact
– Unqualified employees working with electricity
– Improper installation/use of temporary electrical systems and
equipment
– By-passing electrical protective devices
– Not using GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupters) devices
– Missing ground prongs on extension cords
 Hazards of Electricity
• Shock – Most common and can cause electrocution or muscle
contraction leading to secondary injury which includes falls
• Fires – Enough heat or sparks can ignite combustible materials
• Explosions – Electrical spark can ignite vapors in the air
• Arc Flash - can cause burns ranging from 14,000 degrees f. to 35,000
degrees f
• Arc Blast – In a short circuit event copper can expand 67,000 times. The
expansion causes a pressure wave. Air also expands adding to the
pressure wave
 Fundamentals of Electricity
Like Water In A Garden Hose

Resistance = Diameter of Hose

Example – Larger hose (less resistance),
more water flows

Current = Flow Rate

Voltage = Water Pressure Example – 15 gallons per minute
Example – 45 PSI
 Fundamentals of Electricity
• Electrical current is the flow of electrons through a
conductor.
• A conductor is a material that allows electrons to flow
through it.
• An insulator resists the flow of electrons.
• Resistance opposes electron flow.
 Current Flows in a
Loop or Circuit
• Circuits are AC (alternating
current) or DC (direct current).
• Current is usually AC.

• AC current has five parts:

(1) Electrical source

(2) HOT wire to the tool.
(3) The tool itself
(4) NEUTRAL wire returns
electricity from the tool
(5) GROUND
 How Shocks Occur
• Current travels in closed circuits through conductors
(water, metal, the human body).
• Shock occurs when the body becomes a part of the
circuit.
• Current enters at one point & leaves at another.
Shocks Occur in
Three Ways
• Contact with both
conductors
• Contact with one
conductor and ground
• With a tool: contact with
“hot” metal part and
ground (1), (2) & (3)
 Severity of the Shock
• Severity of the Shock depends on:

– Amount of current
• Determined by voltage and resistance to flow
– Path through the body
– Duration of flow through the body
– Other factors such as general health and individual
differences.
 He sweats - and he dies...
Luling, La. - A man was electrocuted when his
sweat dripped into the electric drill he was using
to build a swing set in his backyard, the coroner
said.
Richard Miller was pronounced dead Sunday
at St. Charles Hospital, said David Vial, St. Charles
Parish coroner. Miller, 54, had been using an
electric drill in 90 degree heat, Vial said Monday.
“Apparently the man was sweating profusely,”
Vial said. “He probably was pushing against the
drill with his chest and his perspiration went into
the drill itself and made a contact.”
The Associated Press
 Effects of Current Flow
• More than 3 milliamps (ma): painful shock
• More than 10 ma: muscle contraction
• More than 20 ma: considered severe shock
• More than 30 ma: lung paralysis - usually temporary
• More than 50 ma: possible ventricular fibrillation (usually fatal)
• 100 ma to 4 amps: certain ventricular fibrillation (fatal)
• Over 4 amps: heart paralysis; severe burns
 Using a 120 volt circuit and resistance
for wet & dry skin:
E=IR: Voltage=Current x Resistance
(Volts) (Amps) (Ohms)
So: I=E/R

Dry Skin =120/100,000=.0012 amps

=1.2ma flowing through
body to ground

Wet skin =120/1000=.120 amps

=120ma flowing through
body to ground

Remember: 1 Amp = 1000 milliamps

Effects of Current Flow
Controlling Electrical Hazards
• Employers must follow the OSHA Electrical Standards
(Subpart K)
• Electrical installation
• Subpart K includes four proactive methods:
– Electrical Isolation
– Equipment Grounding
– Circuit Interruption
– Safe Work Practices
Electrical Isolation
• We can be safe by keeping electricity away from us. We can:

– Insulate the conductors.

• Example: The insulation on extension cords.
– Elevate the conductors.
• Example: Overhead powerlines.
– Guard the conductors by enclosing them.
• Example: Receptacle covers, boxes, & conduit.
 Insulating the Conductors
• The first way to safeguard workers from
electrically energized wires is through insulation.
• Rubber and plastic is put on wires to prevent
shock, fires, short circuits and for strain relief.
• It is always necessary to check the insulation on
equipment and cords before plugging them in.
• Remember, even the smallest defect will allow
leakage!
Defective Extension Cords

Photos depict hazardous condition

Defective Cord Incident
• Worker attempted to climb
scaffold with electric drill.
• Drill’s cord was damaged with
bare wires showing.
• The bare wire contacted the
scaffolding.
• The worker died!

Depicts hazardous condition

 Elevating the Conductors
• The second way to safeguard workers from electrically
energized wires is by elevating them.
• Wires are often elevated by the power company.
• It is always necessary to check the location of overhead
lines before you begin work each day.
• Remember, never allow yourself, your tools, or the
materials you are working with to be within 10 feet of
energized lines!

Photo depicts hazardous condition

Working Near Overhead Lines
• Clearance of worker and any equipment,
tools, materials, or scaffold near
uninsulated lines is 10 feet!

Photo depicts hazardous condition

Overhead Line Incident
• A worker was attempting to
move mobile scaffold.
• Scaffold made contact with
7200 volt line.
• The worker died.

Photo depicts hazardous condition

 Guarding the Conductors
• The third way to safeguard workers from electrically
energized wires is by guarding them.
• Covers, boxes, and enclosures are often put around
conductors to prevent worker contact.
• It is always necessary to check that electrical boxes
and panels are covered and free from missing “knock-
outs”.
• Remember, electric equipment operating at 50 volts
or more must be guarded!

Photo depicts hazardous condition

Guarding the Conductors

Photos depict hazardous condition

Guarding the Conductors

Photos depict hazardous condition

 Equipment Grounding
• We can be safe by providing a separate, low
resistance pathway for electricity when it does not
follow normal flow (ground prong).

• Grounding gives the stray current somewhere to go

and keeps you from becoming part of the circuit.
 Can You Rely on Grounding?
• Grounding will not work if the electricity can flow through you
more easily than the ground. This can happen when:
– Your tool doesn’t have a ground pin.
– You’re working in wet locations.
– You’re touching a metal object.
 What Must be Grounded?
• All circuits and extension cords.
• All noncurrent carrying metal parts.
• Portable & semi-portable tools and
equipment unless double insulated.
 Do Not Eliminate the Ground!

You become the next-best path for current!

Photos depict hazardous condition
Do Not Reverse Polarity
The prongs are different
sized so you can’t turn
the plug around. If you
do, the electrical fields
within the motor are always
energized. If there is
moisture present, the case
is likely to be “hot”. Even
with double-insulated tools,
you still could get a shock.

Photo depicts hazardous condition

 Circuit Interruption
• We can be safer by automatically shutting off the flow
of electricity in the event of leakage, overload, or short
circuit.
• Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) are circuit
protection (or “overcurrent”) devices that protect you,
the worker.
• Circuit breakers & fuses protect equipment, not you,
because they take too much current & too much time
to trip.
 Circuit Protective Devices
• Circuit Breakers and Fuses
– Only protect the building, equipment, and tools from
heat build-up!
– Never depend on circuit breakers or fuses to prevent
shocks!
• Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI)
– Is the only device which will protect the worker from
shock and electrocution!
 GFCI Protection
• All temporary circuits are required to have GFCI protection or:
– Equipment & cords must be included in an
Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor
Program
• An extension cord is a temporary circuit.
• Types of GFCIs: receptacle, circuit breaker and portable
• Must be wired correctly and tested.
 How a GFCI Works
The GFCI detects
‘leakage’ of 4-6
milliamps & opens
the circuit in 1/40th
of a second.

It will work without

the ground plug
but not fast
enough if you are
the ground .
 Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor
Program
Requires the following:

-Written program and specific procedures

-Program implemented by a Competent Person (one who is
capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards
in the surroundings or working conditions which are
unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and
who has authorization to take prompt corrective
measures to eliminate them.
-Equipment grounding conductors must be tested (tools,
extension cords, and circuits):
At least every three months for cords & tools
At least every six months for receptacles
Results recorded - equipment coded (colored tape)
Temporary Wiring
• There must be separate circuits for electric tools and
lighting, each labeled as such.
• Light circuits do not require a GFCI.
– Unless used in a wet location.
• Test branch circuits before use.
• Maintain vertical clearances.
• Insulate wires from their supports.
Permanent Equipment in Temporary Use

What is wrong with using this as a ‘splitter’?

Photo depicts hazardous condition
 Extension Cords and Cables
• Must be in good shape without splices.
• Cannot be secured with staples, nails or bare wire.
• Must be protected from damage.
• Must have a ground pin.
• Should be inspected regularly and pulled from service if
defective.
• Cannot be repaired with electrical or duct tape. Must
repair with heat-shrink sleeve or bonding/vulcanizing tape
to retain original insulation properties.

Photos depict hazardous condition

 Acceptable Cord Types
• All cords must meet the National Electric Code’s (NEC)
requirement for Hard/Extra Hard type.
• Look for markings stamped on cords.
• Acceptable Cord Types

– Extra Hard Use Markings: S, ST, SO, STO

– Hard Usage Markings: SJ, SJO, SJT, SJTO

Photo depicts hazardous condition
Extension Cords-What’s the Difference?

No flat cords allowed on construction sites!

Clever Or Foolish?

Photos depict hazardous condition

 Safe Work Practices
• Before work begins, the employer must determine
where exposed and concealed electrical circuits
are located.
• Once found, warning signs/labels must be posted.
• Workers need to know the location, hazards, and
protective measures.
 Safe Work Practices
• Competent Person determines if performance of
work could bring contact with energy.
– Distance of the worker to the energy source
should be considered first.
– Tools, materials, and processes should also be
considered to see if they could potentially
shorten the safe separation distance.
• Examples: Metal Ladders, Re-bar, Forklift, Scaffold
Frames, etc.
 Safe Work Practices
• Must not permit work near electric circuits unless
the worker is protected by:
– De-energizing the circuit and grounding it.
– Guarding it effectively by insulation.
– Other means (maintaining safe separation)
• De-energized circuits and equipment must be
locked/tagged out.
 Safe Work Practices
• No metal ladders for or near electrical work.
• No wet hands when plugging or unplugging
cords/equipment.
• No raising or lowering tools by the cord.
• Unless equipment is designed for it, cannot be used
in damp and wet locations.

Photo depicts hazardous condition

Electrical Safety
Common OSHA Citations:
– .404(b)(1)(i): Branch circuits: GFCI protection/Assured
Equipment Grounding Conductor Program
– .404(f)(6): Grounding path
– .403(b)(2): Equipment installation and use
– .404(b)(1)(ii): GFCI
– .403(i)(2)(i): Guarding live parts

How can the hazards addressed by these

Standards best be corrected, controlled,
or eliminated?
 Summary – Hazards & Protections
Hazards
Protective Measures
• Inadequate wiring
 Proper grounding
• Exposed electrical parts
 Use GFCI’s
• Wires with bad insulation
 Use fuses and circuit breakers
• Ungrounded electrical systems and
tools  Guard live parts
• Overloaded circuits  Lockout/Tagout
• Damaged power tools and equipment  Proper use of flexible cords
• Using the wrong PPE and tools  Close electrical panels by
• Overhead power lines Competent Person
• All hazards are made worse in wet  Employee training
conditions  Ensure Competent Person on site
• Damaged extension cords  Use proper approved electrical
• Unqualified workers doing electrical equipment
work  Qualified person install electrical
devices
 REVIEW QUESTIONS
• True or False?
1. Shocks and Electrocutions are the most common type of
electrical accident and are the fourth leading cause of
worker deaths.
2. The human body will not conduct electricity.
3. It takes at least 1 amp going through a worker to kill
them.
4. Insulation on extension cords & elevating power lines
are examples of protection through isolation.
 REVIEW QUESTIONS
• True or False?
5. All portable and semi-portable tools and equipment
must be grounded unless double insulated.
6. You, your tools, and the materials you are working with,
must never be closer than 3 feet of energized power lines!
7. Electric equipment operating at 50 volts or more must be
guarded!
8. All circuits and extension cords must be grounded.
 REVIEW QUESTIONS
• True or False?
9. Circuit breakers and fuses are designed to protect the
worker from electrocution.
10. GFCI protection or Assured Ground Continuity is
required on all temporary circuits.
11. Extension cords are not required to have a ground
prong when they are GFCI-protected.
12. It is OK to work on a circuit which has not been de-
energized.