Electrical Safety

Introduction
 Electricity is essential to modern life
 Some employees work with electricity
directly
 Some indirectly
 Electricity is a serious workplace hazard
 Electricity can be productive and safe
Agenda
 Vocabulary
 Misconceptions and myths about
electricity
 Electrical shock and other injuries
 Electrical hazards
 Electrical safety for maintenance and
custodial employees
 Electrical safety for offices and classrooms
Vocabulary
 Voltage  Resistance
 Low voltage  Conductor
 High voltage  Insulator
 Current  Ohm’s law
Voltage
 Electromotive force
 Electrical potential energy
– “Pressure”
 Measured in volts (V)
Low Voltage
 Electrical installations and electrical
equipment operating or intended to operate
on systems of 600 volts, nominal,
or less.
 All work performed directly on or
in proximity to such electrical
installations, equipment, or systems.
High Voltage
 Electrical installations and electrical
equipment operating or intended to operate
on systems of more than 600 volts.
 All work performed directly on or
in proximity to such electrical
installations, equipment, or systems.
 Beyond the scope of this training.
Current
 The continuous movement of electrons
past a given point
 Measured in amperes (amps) (A)
– Sometimes the symbol “I” is used
Resistance
 Opposition to the movement of electrons
 Resistance is used for direct current
 Measured in ohms (Ω)
 “Impedance” is the proper term for
alternating current
– “Resistance” is commonly used
Conductor
 A person who collects tickets
on trains
 A person who leads a orchestra,
band, or choir
Conductor
 A substance or thing that allows
electricity (or heat) to flow by
passing energy from particle to particle
 Silver, copper, gold, aluminum
Insulator
 A barrier that wraps conductive materials
to protective against electric shock
 A material with little or no
conductive properties
– High resistance
 Glass, rubber, mica, and some plastics
Ohm’s Law
 R=V/A
 One volt will cause a current of one
ampere to flow through a conductor
having the resistance of one ohm
V=A*R
Ohm’s Law

V
(Volts)

A R
(Amps) (Ohms)
Electrical Misconceptions
 Electricity tends to go to ground
– After it reaches ground, it disappears
 Ground serves as just one of
the electrical loops that misdirected
current can use to get back to
the grounded power source
Misconception #2
 If an electrical appliance or tool
falls into a sink or tub of water,
the item will short and trip
the circuit breaker
 This may not happen because the
sink or tub may be non-conductive
and therefore not part of the
loop to ground
Misconception #3
 AC reverse polarity is not hazardous
 Many tools have switches in only
one of the two conductors serving
the item
 The switch is supposed to be
on the “hot” conductor supplying
he power
Myths About Electricity
 Electricity takes the path of
least resistance
 Current will take any conductive paths,
high or low resistance, in order to return
to the source that provides it power
 Small amounts of current will flow
through paths of high resistance
Myth #2
 Double insulated power tools are doubly
safe and will always provide safety
 Double insulated power tools can be
hazardous if dropped into water
 Electrical current can flow out of the
power tool into the water
Myth #3
 It takes high voltage to kill;
120 volts AC is not dangerous
 Current is the culprit that kills
 Voltage is a factor in determining
how much current will flow
Electrical Shock
 A sudden and accidental stimulation of the
body’s nervous system by an electrical
current
 Current will flow through the body
when it becomes part of an electrical
circuit
Electrical Shock Dynamics
Current Effect
3+ mA Shock
10+ mA Muscular contractions
30+ mA Respiratory paralysis
50+ mA Heart paralysis (can be fatal)
100+ mA Ventricular fibrillation (usually fatal)
200+ mA Heart clamps tight
1500+ mA Tissue and organs burn
Other Injuries
 Burns
 Falls
 Injuries when machinery starts suddenly
Electrical Burns
 Current passing through tissue generates
extreme heat
 Skin damage at entry and exit
 Internal tissue damage
 Result from arcs or flashes
 Thermal burns from overheated wires or
equipment or fires
Falls
 Initiated by a shock
 Muscles contract involuntarily
 Worker can lose balance and fall
Machinery Injuries
 Unexpected activation
 Shock
 Pinch
 Crush
 Shear
Electrical Hazards
 Bare conductors
 Insulation failure
 Equipment failure
 Static electricity
 Heating and overheating
 Electrical explosions
Bare Conductors
 Live overhead wires most common
 Working on rooftops
 Repair of electrical systems
 Capacitors
Insulation Failure
 Heat and elevated temperatures
 Moisture and humidity
 Mechanical damage
 Rodents, fungi
 Chemical
incompatibility
Equipment Failure
 Older portable tools
 Energized housing
 Broken connections
 Wrongly replaced internal wiring
 Lack of grounding plug
Static Electricity
 Occurs when two different materials
contact and then separate
 High voltage, low current
 Flammable liquids
 Lightning
Heating and Overheating
 Use of electricity results in heat
 Can cause accidental fires
 Burns out equipment
– Equipment failure and ignition
 Hot surfaces
Electrical Explosions
 Rapid overheating from overcurrents
 Caused by short circuits, power surges, or
lightning
 Heated contaminants in oil-filled
breakers or transformers
 Capacitors subject to wrong polarity
Safety for Maintenance and
Custodial Employees
 Qualified electrical workers
 Engineered protection
 Safety considerations
 Safe practices
 Lockout/tagout
 Personal protective
equipment (PPE)
Qualified Electrical Workers
 A person, designated by the district,
who by reason of experience or
instruction has demonstrated
familiarity with the operation
to be performed and the
hazards involved
Engineered Protection
 Insulation
 Grounding
 Circuit breakers
 Fuses
 Ground-fault circuit interrupters
Insulation
 Parts of electrical equipment coated with a
low-conductive material
 Rubber mats to stand on
 Rubber gloves
 Insulated shoes
Grounding
 Protects from shock
 Safeguards against fire
 Protects against damage to electrical
equipment
System Grounding
 One conductor of the circuit is
intentionally connected to earth
 Protects against high voltage contact
 Stabilizes voltage in a system
Equipment Grounding
 Equipment grounded by a permanent and
continuous connection or bond
 Provides a path for dangerous fault current
to return to system ground
 Enables protective devices to operate
Circuit Breakers
 Guard against overloads of current
 Ensure current flow does not produce
heat that causes temperature to rise
to dangerous levels
 Break the current path
 Thermal
 Magnetic
Fuses
 Guard against overloads of current
 Ensure current flow does not produce
heat that causes temperature to rise
to dangerous levels
 Break the current path
 Melt when current exceeds a designated
value
Ground-Fault Circuit
Interrupters
 Fast-acting electrical device sensitive to
very low levels of current imbalance
due to flow to ground
 Reduces duration of a shock
 Not an overcurrent device like a circuit
breaker or fuse
Types of GFCI
 Circuit-breaker type
 Receptacle type
 Permanently mounted type
 Portable type
 Cord connected type
Circuit-Breaker Type
 A direct replacement for a standard circuit
breaker
 Installed in a panelboard
 Includes the functions of a standard circuit
breaker
 Can protect an entire branch circuit with
multiple outlets
Receptacle Type
 A direct replacement for a standard
receptacle
 Protects one or more receptacle outlets
 Protects additional non-GFCI type
receptacles connected “down stream”
 Very popular because of low cost
Permanently Mounted Type
 Mounted in an enclosure
 Designed to be permanently wired to the
supply
 Frequently used around large commercial
swimming pools or similar wet areas
Portable Type
 Designed to plug into existing non-GFCI
protected outlets
 Contain one or more receptacle outlets
protected by the GFCI module
 Easily transported from one location to
another
 Approved for outdoor use
– Some are listed as rainproof
Cord Connected Type
 Consists of an attachment plug which
incorporates the GFCI module
 Protects the cord and any equipment
attached to the cord
 Plug has non-standard appearance and is
equipped with test and reset buttons
Safety Considerations
 Plan every job
 Consider what could go wrong
 Use proper tools
– Procedures, drawings and related documents
 Isolate equipment from energy sources
 Identify hazards that may be present
Safety Considerations
 Isolate hazards
 Test every circuit, every conductor, every
time before touching
 Use PPE, when necessary
 Do you have the skills, knowledge, tools,
and experience to perform this work
safely?
Safe Practices
 Qualified and authorized electrical
technician
 Voltages and frequency should be
identified so that proper precautions can
be implemented
 Ratings of overcurrent protection chould
be checked to determine adequate
protection
Safe Practices
 Work on de-energized systems
– Use buddy system for energized systems
 Never touch a bare conductor until a
system has been de-energized and verified
 Enclose and lock all exposed conductors
 All removed grounding cables should be
replaced as soon as possible
Safe Practices
 Cords should be inspected before using
 Repair or replace if defective
 All tools, equipment, and extension cords
should be grounded
 Use nonconductive tape measures near
energized equipment
Safe Practices
 Avoid working on electrical circuits or
equipment while clothing and/or shoes are
wet
 Wet floor areas should be covered by dry
wood or rubber matting
 Remove rings, watches, keys, and other
metal items before beginning work
Safe Practices
 Plug power equipment into wall
receptacles with power switches in the off
position
 Unplug equipment by grasping the plug
 Check receptacles for missing
or damaged parts
Personal Protective Equipment
 Insulating gloves
 Insulating blankets
 Insulating sleeves
 Floor covering
 Safety helmets
Safety in Offices and
Classrooms
 Outlets
 Cords
 Machinery
Outlets
 Do not overload outlets by using extension
devices to increase the number of outlets at
that socket
Cords
 Keep cables, cords, and plugs clean and in
good repair
 Protect cords that cross aisles and
walkways
 Extension cords are for temporary use only
 Extension cords must be 16 gauge
or larger
Extension Cords
 Extension cords should not:
– Be affixed to structures
– Extend through walls, ceilings, and/or floors
– Be placed under doors or floor coverings
– Be subjected to physical or environmental
damage
Multi-Outlet Strips
 Multi-outlet strips and surge protectors are
not considered extension cords
 One multi-outlet strip should not be
plugged into another
Machinery
 Report damaged or defective equipment
– Request repair or replacement
 Unplug defective equipment
 Carry equipment by the base
– Never by the cord
 Do not touch grounded metal parts
Summary
 Work environments depend on electricity
 Electrical hazards are in all environments
 Electrical safety requires effort