Professional Documents
Culture Documents
NEBOSH
WEEK 2 – ELEMENT 4
Electrical Hazards
and Control
© TWI Gulf WLL 2008
NEBOSH
Electricity: Introduction
Each year in the UK there are:
30 workplace deaths
30 domestic deaths
• Electric shock
• Electric burns
• Electrical arcing
• Fires
• Explosions
Ampere (Current):
The unit of measurement of electric current flow
Ohm (Resistance):
The unit of measurement of electrical resistance
Frequency:
Measured in cycles per second is expressed in Hertz
in UK 50 cycles per second
© TWI Gulf WLL 2008
Page: 100
NEBOSH
Conductors:
A material that allows electricity to flow easily :- e.g.
copper, steel, water
Insulators:
Materials that have a high resistance to electrical
current:- e.g. plastic, rubber, wood
Nature of Electricity
Ohms Law
The higher the electrical pressure (V) or the lower the
circuit resistance (R), the higher is the current that flows
in an electrical circuit:
I = V/R
I is measured in amps (A), which is the electron
flow or current
V is measured in volts (V), potential difference or
pressure
R the resistance is measured in ohms (Ω),
© TWI Gulf WLL 2008
Page: 100
NEBOSH
Electrical Power
Another useful expression enables the electrical power
(P), represented by the flow of electrical current in a
circuit, to be determined.
Power(P) = Voltage (V) x Current (I)
When:
V is measured in volts (V) W
I is measured in amperes (A)
2) Arcing
3) Fire & Explosion
4) Burns
© TWI Gulf WLL 2008
Page: 101
NEBOSH
Fuse
A specially designed weak link which is designed to
melt at a predetermined value of current
Advantages Disadvantages
• cheap and readily • will not protect
available individuals
• protects equipment • slow to operate
• inaccurate
• unsuitable or wrong fuse
may be used
• easy to override
• needs tool to replace
© TWI Gulf WLL 2008
Page: 103
NEBOSH
Circuit Breakers
Electromagnetic devices which perform the
same function as fuses but operate faster
Advantages Disadvantages
• automatically trip under • may be mistaken for an
fault conditions RCD
• no tools required to reset • do not protect the
• not easy to defeat individual
• Protects equipment from
overload
Advantages Disadvantages
• Prevent indirect electric • specialist testing and
shock maintenance, professional
installation
• Readily identified • No protection if removed
Isolation
Shutting off the electricity supply to an item of
equipment and preventing the system from being
mistakenly reconnected
Advantages Disadvantages
• safest option as it • may isolate other
eliminates electricity equipment
• may be physically locked • may be reconnected
off without lock off
• prevents live fault finding
Advantages Disadvantages
• at 55V - injury is highly • specialist equipment e.g.
unlikely Transformer required
• colour coded cabling • lead from supply to
system for easy transformer at higher
recognition voltages, needing
protection with RCD
Double Insulation
Two separate layers of insulation are provided which
allows for fault detection where one layer has failed
the other still provides protection
Advantages Disadvantages
• two layers of insulation • physical damage may
prevent user contact with defeat double insulation
any live parts • No earth therefore no
• no earth required protection if used with
equipment that requires
earth
Types of Inspection
1) User checks
2) Formal visual inspection
3) Combined inspection and
test (PAT testing)