Electrical Hazards

Electricity

• In some ways, less hazardous

than steam or other energy
sources.
• If properly used is our most
versatile form of energy
Three basic terms which
should be understood in
Electricity
Current = I
Voltage = E
Resistance = R
• They are defined using the analogy
that electricity flowing through a
circuit can be likened to the flow of
water through a pipe, and if this
analogy is kept in mind, these terms
are not troublesome
• Current – may be thought of as
the total volume of water
flowing past a certain point in a
given length of time; measured
in amperes
• Voltage – may be thought of as
the pressure in a pipe line; it is
measured in volts.
• Resistance – is any condition
which retards current flow, it is
measured in ohms.
Factors that causes
electrical injury
• The amount of current flow
through the victim
• The parts of the body involved
• The duration of current flow
through the victim
• The frequency (if alternating
currents)
Effects of Electric Current on Man

Current in Milliamperes
Direct Alternating
Effect
60 Hz 10,000
Hz
M F M F M F

Slight sensation 1 0.6 0.4 0.3 7 5

on hand
Perception 5.2 3.5 1.1 0.7 12 8
threshold
 Current in Milliamperes
Direct Alternating
Effect 60 Hz 10,000
Hz
M F M F M F

Shock – not 9 6 1.8 1.2 17 11

painful, muscular
control not lost
Shock – painful, 69 41 9 6 55 37
muscular control
not lost
Shock – painful, 76 51 16 10. 75 50
 Current in Milliamperes
Direct Alternating
Effect 60 Hz 10,000
Hz
M F M F M F

Shock – painful, 76 51 16 10.5 75 50

let-go threshold
Shock – painful 90 60 23 15 94 63
and severe,
muscular
contractions,
breathing
difficult
 Current in Milliamperes
Direct Alternating
Effect 60 Hz 10,000
Hz
M F M F M F

Shock – 500 500 100 100

possible
ventricular
fibrillation
effect from 3-
sec shock
Short shocks 165/ 165/
lasting t sec Vt Vt
High voltage 50 50 13.6 13.6
In general, from
experimental and field
data
• An alternating current of 100 ms
@ 60Hz may be fatal if it pass
through the vital organ
• A current of 16 ma+ is the
average current at which an
individual can still release
himself from an object held by
hand.
Human resistance to
electrical current
Body area Resistance (ohms)

Dry skin 100,000 to 600,000

Wet skin 1,000
Internal body – 400 to 600
hand to foot
Ear to ear (about) 100

Note: Data is based on limited experimental tests, and is

not intended to indicate absolute values
Note:
• Whatever protection is offered by skin
resistance, decreases rapidly with
increase in voltage
• A high voltage AC of 60Hz cause violent
muscular contraction, often severe that
the victim is thrown clear of the circuit.
• Although low voltage also results in
muscular contraction, the effect is not
so violent. The act, however, that low
voltage often prevents the victim from
freeing himself from the circuit makes
contact with it dangerous
Effects of current that may lead
to death or injury due to electric
shock
• Contraction of the chest muscles
which may interfere with breathing
to such an extent that will result
from asphyxiation when the contact
is prolonged
• Temporary paralysis of the nerve
center which may result in failure of
respiration, a condition which often
continues until long after the victim
is freed from the circuit.
• Interference with normal rhythm of
the heart causing ventricular
fibrillation.
• Suspension of heart action by
muscular contraction (on contact
with heavy current)
• Hemorrhages and destruction of
tissues, nerves, and muscles from
heat due to heavy current along the
part of the electric circuit through
the body
Effect of electricity

• Electrical shock
• Burns
• Falls
• Fire and/or explosion
Four broad categories of
the causes of electrical
fire
• Damaged electrical equipment
• Improper used of electrical
equipments
• Accidents
• Defective installation
Principal causes of
electrical fires

• Arcing

• Overheating
• Arcing – occurs when the electrical
current or energy tries to take on
unintended route over small breaks in a
conducting wire, at splices and
terminal that have become loose, or
between a live conductor to grounded
metal in very close proximity
• Overheating – is more subtle, harder to
detect, and slower to cause ignition,
but it is equally capable of causing a
fire; conductors and other electrical
equipments may generate a dangerous
level of heat when they carry a current
in excess of rated capacity
Electrical Equipment
1. Selection of
equipment
• is advisable to follow the
recommendation of the various
codes and standards which
have been establish
2. Installation of
equipment
• Installed so that the possibility of
accidental contact with energized
conductor is reduced to a
minimum
• Should be placed in the less
congested areas of the plant or
where practicable, in special room
which only authorized persons
have access.
• Enclosures should be built
around those parts of the
equipment having exposed
conductors and warning signs
should be posted.
• Wiring should be installed in
accordance with NEC unless
more destructive local
requirement apply.
• Frequent inspection of
equipments and competent
supervision of maintenance
crews are extremely
important
• Motors should be mounted so
that they do not interfere with
the normal movement of
personnel or materials
3. Switches

• All switches, regardless of

their function, must have
approved voltage and ampere
ratings compatible with their
intended use.
4. Protective Devices

• Overcurrent devices must be

installed in every circuits, and
they should be of a size and
type that will interrupt the
current flow when it exceeds
the capacity of the conducts
Types of fuses

• Link fuse – a strip of fusible metal

between two terminals of a fuse
block.
• Plug fuses – used on circuits which
do not exceed 30 amperes at not
more than 150 volts to ground.
• Cartridge fuse – widely used in
industrial installations, has a fusible
metal strip enclosed in a tube.
• Circuit breakers – long been used in
high-voltage circuits with large
current capacities
• Thermal-type circuit breaker – operates
only on the basis of temperature rise,
and frequent variations in the
temperature of the room in which the
circuit breaker is installed will affect the
point at which it interrupts the circuit.
• Magnetic-type circuit breaker – operates
only on the basis of the amount of
current passing through the circuit
5. Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupters
• Is a fast acting electric circuit
interrupting device that is
sensitive to very low levels of
current flow to ground
• Is designed to sense leakage
currents of a magnitude that
could cause serious injury
• The unit operates only on line-
to-ground fault currents, such
as insulation leakage currents
or currents likely to flow during
accidental contact with a “hot”
wire of a 120 volt circuit and
groun.
6. Control Equipment

• Switchboards should be placed

so that the operator will not be
endangered by live or moving
parts of machinery
• Space behind should be kept
clear of rubbish
• Door to enclosure should be
kept locked.
• Good elimination should be
provided for the front and rear
of switchboard and maintained
readily for use at all times. An
emergency source of
illumination should also be
illuminated
• Switchboard framework and
metal parts of guards should be
grounded in accordance with
code regulations
7. Motors

• For maximum safety, each

motor should be of the type and
size required for the load and
for the conditions under which
it must operate
Common motor
problems in industry:
• Dust
• Stray oil
• Moisture
• Misalignment
• Vibration
• Overload
• Friction
8. Grounding

• Is the bonding of all conductive

materials which enclose
electrical conductors
• The bonding prevents a
difference in voltage between
these materials and ground
• The electrical system itself is
grounded in order to prevent the
occurrence of excessive
voltage from such sources as
lightning, line surges, or
accidental contact with high
voltage lines.
9. Tests Equipments

The following types of equipments are

standard and should be considered
even by plant with limited budget:
• Specialized testing instrument
• Volt-ohm-milliammeter
• Oscilloscopes
• Cable tester
• Split-core ammeter
• Voltmeter
• Ammeter
• Megaohmmeter
• Ground fault indicator and
locator
• Wattmeter
• Industrial analyzer
• Recording instrument
Lockouts

• Lockout – is blocking the flow of

energy from the power source to the
equipment and keeping it blocked
out; it is usually
• A lockout device is usually a key or
combination lock arrangement that
secures a valve or lever in the “off”
position
Tagouts
• Tagout means placing a tag on the
power source to warn co-workers
and others not to turn the power on
and they’re not to be removed
without authorization
• Sometimes used alone when it’s not
possible to lock out the energy
source, or when it has been
demonstrated that a tag alone will
effectively prevent accidental start-
up
Lockout procedure
1. Alert the operator
2. Make sure that the engine or any
motor or other power transmission
equipment or power-driven machine
cannot be set in motion without
your permission
3. Place your own padlock on the
control switch, lever, or valve even
though someone has locked the
control before you
4. if no padlock is available, place an
AT WORK sign at the control and
block that mechanism in some
effective manner
5. Never permit someone else to
remove the padlock, or your sign
and blocking at the end of your
shift and make sure that you are
not exposing other person to
danger by removing your padlock or
sign.
6. Report the lost of the key to your
padlock immediately to your
supervisor and replace the padlock
Removing fuses

• When it is necessary to remove a

fuse, the operating switch should be
opened to remove the load and the
fuse should be extracted with an
insulated fuse puller
• If the fuse is not protected with a
switch, the supply end of the fuse
should be pulled out first
• When the fuse is replaced, the
supply end should be put in
first.
• Reminder:
• A fuse be replaced by one of the
same type and size and that a
copper wire or other conductor
never be substituted.
Wiring

• Electrical and installations should be

made in accordance with the NEC as
a minimum standard and each job
should be properly inspected
• The use of temporary wiring should
be discouraged even though it may
be reasonably safe when first put in.
(Because it is not protected from
mechanical injury)
Employee Training

• Thorough training should be given to

all employees who work with the
electrical installation of the plant or
operate electrical equipment
• Employees should also be trained in
first aid, the use of warning signs,
guards and other protective devices
and in safe operational devices
• The training program should be
based on the plant’s electrical
system and applied specifically to
plant operations
• Members of the organization’s safety
department must familiarize
themselves with the codes and
standards which apply to their
equipment and operation and
• a representative from the electrical
maintenance staff should be an
active member of the plant safety
committee.