ELECTRICAL SAFETY

AWARENESS
OBJECTIVE:

To provide information for the control of electrical hazards

so as to reduce incidences of undesired accidents & unexpected
fires due to electrical causes.
 The OSHA has devoted an entire section (Rule 1210) which specify
standards on ELECTRICAL SAFETY.

 The employer must train employees in safe work practices in working

with electrical equipment.

 The training rules distinguish between workers who work on or near exposed
energized parts and those who do not.

 Even if you are not qualified to work on electrically energized equipment, you must
know the specific safety practices which apply to your job.
 Electricity is energy looking for some place to go. When it finds the
path of least resistance, whether it’s a light bulb, motor, or a human
being, it is going to take that path. Until a circuit is completed,
electricity is in the form of potential energy, an energy waiting to be
used.

 To understand the hazards of electricity, it is not necessary to know

precisely what it is, even though such knowledge might be helpful and
desirable. What is more important in handling electricity is to
understand the characteristics of electricity.
 To handle electricity safely, including working with electrical equipment, you
need to understand how electricity acts, how it can be
approached, the hazards it presents, and how those hazards
can be controlled.

 Basically, there are two (2) kinds of electricity:

 STATIC (stationary)

 DYNAMIC (moving)
 Three basic terms 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. These terms
are:

 CURRENT (I)
 VOLTAGE (V or E)
 RESISTANCE (R)
 CURRENT may be thought of as the total VOLUME of water
flowing past a certain point in a given length of time. Electric current is
measured in amperes, which is a very large quantity; therefore, in
relation to the effect of shock on the human body, the
measurement used is the MILLIAMPERE (0.001 ampere).

 VOLTAGE may be thought of as the PRESSURE in a pipeline: it is

measured in volts.

 RESISTANCE is any condition which RETARDS flow; it is measured

in ohms.
  LOW VOLTAGE is 24 to 600 volts, and “safety” low voltage
refers to voltages below 24 volts.

OHM’S LAW
V (voltage)
I (current) = -----------------------
R (resistance)
 SHOCK  EXPLOSIONS

 BURNS  FIRES

 ARC BLAST
 Exit Wound
Entrance Wound
 No sensation.

 A slight tingling sensation.

 Shock.

 Painful shock.
Loss of muscle control can cause victim to
lock on to the source.

 Severe injuries and possible death.

 The amount of CURRENT that flows through the body and the
path that the current takes from entry to exit the body.

 In general, the longer the current flows through the body, the
more serious may be the result. Considerable current is
likely to flow from high-voltage sources, and in general only
very short exposure can be tolerated if the victim
is to be revived.
 Most Metals 10 to 50 Ohms
 Dry Wood 100,000,000 Ohms
 Wet Wood 1,000 Ohms
 Rubber 100,000,000,000,000 Ohms
 Human Resistance
Human Body (dry skin ) 100,000 to 600,000 Ohms
Human Body (wet skin) 1,000 Ohms
Internal Body – hand to foot 400 to 600 Ohms
Internal Body – ear to ear (about) 100 Ohms
1)
5) Defective appliances,
Using unapproved equipment
electrical and tools
equipment appliances

2)
6) Defective wiring installation
Failure to ground equipment

3) Personal factor (“Do-it-yourself” conditions)

7) No proper rated protective device
4) Lack of maintenance of equipment
8) Overloading of circuits
 Conformance to requirements of NEC on:

 Grounding provisions
 Insulation requirements
 Enclosure requirements

 Electrical circuit protection (use of standard fuses or circuit breakers)

 Strict conformance to Lockout/Tag-out (LO/TO) System

 Implementation of Preventive Maintenance of Electrical Installations

Understand the basics:

 How current flows through a circuit (the

greater the current the greater the danger).

 Which materials are conductors and which are

insulators.
When working around electrical equipment:

 NEVER make repairs, unless the power is off and

unplugged from the circuit.

 NEVER use equipment or appliances with frayed

cords.

 NEVER operate, repair, submerge or work with

equipment in or around water.
 A material having many free electrons
that can move easily.

 Metals (especially copper) are good

conductors.

 A copper wire will allow billions of

electrons to flow in the same direction to
create a great source of electrical current.
 A material having few free electrons
that cannot move easily.

 Rubber, dry wood, porcelain, and clay are

good insulators.

 Insulators prevent electricity from flowing

where it should not flow and control the flow
of electricity in order to prevent accidents.
 Do not guess – every line
should be assumed
energized.
 Use right instruments to
test.
 Inspect regularly.
 Use appropriate PPE, fuse
tongs & insulated tools.
 Use Lockout/Tag-out (LO/TO)
System.
 Never work alone on
electrical lines.
 Make temporary wirings safe.
 Observe NEC during
installation.
 Only qualified electricians
should be allowed to work on
electrical jobs.
 Never use metallic ladders
when working on electricity.
 Never bridge a fuse with
wire.
 Always have a high respect
for electricity.
 Cut off electrical source immediately.

 Break connection between the victim and the power

source, or remove the victim from the current source
without endangering yourself.

 As soon as you can touch the victim safely, apply

artificial respiration (CPR) immediately.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
END OF SLIDE

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