Electrical Safety

for Construction
Electrical regulations
 Subpart K of 29 CFR 1926

1a
Electrical regulations
 Part I - Safety requirements for
installing/using equipment
• approval of electrical components
• examination, installation, use of
electrical equipment
• guarding of electrical equipment
• overcurrent protection
• grounding of equipment

1b
Electrical regulations
 Part II - Safety-related work
practices
• protection of employees
• passageways and open spaces
• lockout/tagging of circuits

1c
Electrical regulations
 Part III - Safety-related
maintenance and environmental
considerations
• protection of wiring components
• environmental deterioration of
equipment

1d
Electrical regulations
 Part IV - Safety requirements for
special equipment
• batteries and battery charging
• PPE
• emergency eyewash stations

1e
How electricity works
 Current flows from a generating
source through conductors, to a
load

 Complete
circuits are
needed

2a
How electricity works
 Normal route is through
conductors
 Shock occurs
when the body
becomes a
part of the
electrical
circuit
2b
Ohm’s Law

E
I R
I = Current (amperes)
E = Voltage (volts)
R = Resistance (ohms)
Human Resistance

Body Area OHMS

Dry Skin 600,000
Wet Skin 1,000
Internal Organs 400-600
Ear to Ear 100
Fatalities at 50 Volts

50 Volts
1,000 OHM = .05 amps (50 mA)

50 Volts
100 OHM = .5 amps (500 mA)
Electric shock
 Occurs when current enters the
body at one point and exits at
another

 Shock occurs when you touch:

• both wires of an electric circuit;
• one wire of an energized circuit and
ground; or
• a metallic part that is “hot”

3a
Electric shock
 Severity of shock depends on
the:
• amount of current
• path of the current
• amount of time
exposed

3b
Electric shock
 Effects range from a tingle, to
cardiac arrest, severe
burns, and probable
death

 Typical household
current of 15 amps
can cause death
3c
Electricity’s
Physiological Effect
 00.001 amps  Barely felt
 00.015 amps
 “let go” threshold
 Muscular paralysis
 00.020 amps  Ventricular
 00.100 fibrillation
 01.200  100 Watt light bulb
 15.000  Common household
fuse
 Effects of Current
1-8 mA = shock, not painful
8-15 mA = Pain
15-20 mA = Muscle contraction
20-100 mA = Severe pain & paralysis
of breathing muscles
100-1000 mA = Ventricular fibrillation
(Usually cause death)
> 1,000 mA = Heart stops
Grounding
 Protects you from electrical
shock

 Safeguards
against fire

 Protects electrical equipment

from damage

4a
Grounding
 Two types of grounding include:
• Service or system
ground
• Equipment ground

4b
Circuit protective
devices
 At construction sites, the most
common electrical hazard is the
ground fault electrical shock

 OSHA requires either:

• Ground fault circuit interrupters
(GFCIs); or
• Assured Grounding Conductor
Program

5a
Circuit protective
devices
 Circuit protective devices
include:
• fuses and circuit breakers -
protect conductors and equipment
• GFCIs - limit or shut off current
flow

5b
Ground fault circuit
interrupters
 A fast-acting circuit breaker
that senses small imbalances in
the circuit caused by current
leakage to ground

6a
 1 AMP
COIL

1 AMP

PLUG
1 AMP
HOT NEUTRAL

LOAD

1000 mA
COIL

995 mA

PLUG
5 mA
HOT NEUTRAL
GROUND LOAD
 1000 mA
COIL

995 mA
1000 mA

PLUG
5 mA
HOT NEUTRAL 1 AMP

GROUND LOAD
Polarity
Assured Equipment
Grounding Conductor
program
 If GFCIs are not used,
employers must have a
scheduled and recorded
Assured Equipment Grounding
Conductor program

7a
Assured Equipment
Grounding Conductor
program
 The AEGC program is an
inspection program covering:
• all cord sets
• receptacles that are not part of a
permanent wiring structure
• equipment connected by cord and
plug

7b
Assured Equipment
Grounding Conductor
program
 Equipment must be visually
inspected for damage/defects
before each day’s use

7c
Assured Equipment
Grounding Conductor
program
 Tests must be performed:
• before the first use of new
equipment
• after suspected damage to
equipment
• at three month intervals
– continuity test
– grounding conductor test

7d
Lockout/Tagout
 Electrical equipment deactivated
for repair must be locked out and
tagged at the point where it can be
energized

 Protects maintenance workers

 Warns others that work is being

performed
8a
Lockout/Tagout
 Only the person who
locked/tagged the equipment
can turn it back on

 Before equipment is energized,

a qualified person must conduct
tests and visual inspections

8b
Lockout/Tagout
 Each lock/tag must be removed
by the person who applied it

8c
Lockout/Tagout
 If the employee is absent, the
lock/tag can be removed by a
qualified person if:
• the employee who applied the lock
has left the premises
• it is visually determined that all
employees are clear of the
circuits/equipment

8d
Guarding requirements
 Any live parts of electrical
equipment operating at 50 volts
or more must be guarded to
avoid accidental contact

9a
Guarding requirements
 Entrances to areas with live
electrical parts must be marked
with warning signs
 Signs should
forbid entrance
except by
qualified persons

9b
Insulation
 Check equipment daily for
insulation breakdown

 Check for:
• exposed wires
• broken wires
• scuffed insulation on extension
cords

10a
Insulation
 Use non-conducting mats,
shields, or barriers when
necessary

 Use non-
conducting
coatings on
hand tools

10b
Personal protective
equipment
 Employers must provide
electrical protective equipment
to employees
who work near
electrical
hazards

11a
Personal protective
equipment
 Use appropriate equipment for
the hazards, including:
• helmets
• eye and face
protection
• gloves and
sleeves
• aprons
• protective footwear
11b