Why Worry About Electricity?

Deaths. Electrocutions rank FOURTH (9%) in causes of industrial

FATALITIES (behind traffic, violence and construction). The
National Safety council estimates 600 people die every year of
electrical causes. Most of these accidents involve low voltage
(600 volts or less).
Roughly 3,600 disabling electrical contact injuries occur every
year in the United States, along with another 4,000 non-disabling
injuries.
Effects on your body:
A small night-light with a 6-watt bulb draws .05 ampere, and even that small
amount of current can be fatal. Here are some effects of current (in milli amps)
passing through a 150 pound body (note that perception is only .5 to 1.5 milli
amps):
Electricity is an integral part of today's modern world, and sometimes it is easy to
forget just how dangerous it can be. Given the correct circumstances, it can kill.
But it can also shock you painfully, damage sensitive equipment, and ignite
combustible materials.
This training module will cover some basic safety rules you should follow in
regards to electrical safety.

This training is basically for those who are unqualified to be electricians, but
whose work may be performed close to electrical systems.
What Are The Leading Causes of Electrical Accidents?

There are 2 reasons for unsafe acts:

We know better but intentionally do
something unsafe.
We don't know better.

Avoid the following unsafe acts:

Failure to de-energize, lockout & tagout
hazards
during maintenance, repair or inspections.
Use of defective and unsafe tools.
Use of tools or equipment too close to energized parts.
Not draining off stored energy in capacitors.
Using 3-wire cord with a 2-wire plug.
Removing the third prong (ground pin) to make a 3-prong plug fit a 2-prong outlet.
Overloading outlets with too many appliances.
Using the attached electrical cord to raise or lower equipment.
Not verifying power is off when making repair (drilling into a 110 Volt a.c. line can
kill).
Working in an elevated position near overhead lines.
Unsafe Equipment

Some common causes of unsafe equipment:

Loose connections
Faulty insulation
Improper grounding (removal of 3rd prong)
Use of "homemade" extension cords
Defective parts
Unguarded live parts--for example:
Bare conductors or exposed terminals
Metal parts of equipment may become energeized when connected by
cord or plug. Capacitance may cause up to 55% of line voltage to be
stored on the casing of metal tools.
 Hazardous Environments

Use special precautions when

working in potentially hazardous
environments and situations.
Even an accidental static discharge
can cause a fire or explosion in areas
where the following are present:
Flammable vapors, liquids and gasses
Combustible dusts
Corrosive atmospheres
Explosive environments
Poor housekeeping: blocked
electrical boxes, flammable materials
stored in equipment rooms, lack of proper hazard signs, excess clutter.
Special care is also need in wet or damp locations - water and
electricity are a bad combination. If the wire is frayed or damaged, a
fatal electrical shock can result.

This example of an outlet in a puddle with its cord in a traffic area is an example of
a potentially dangerous situation.
What Can You Do To Help Protect Yourself?

Know about electricity and how it can harm

you and your colleagues.
Basics of Electricity:
Electrical current will not flow unless it has a
complete path (circuit) that returns to its source
(battery, transformer).
Current flows through you and other conductors,
such as metals, earth and concrete.
Current can harm you when it flows through
your body (electric shock).
Insulators resist the flow of electricity. Insulating materials are used to coat
copper conducting wires and are used to make electrical work gloves.
Insulators help to protect humans from coming into contact with electricity
flowing through conductors.
Just as there is pressure in a water pipe, even with no water flowing, there is
voltage at a receptacle, even if current is not flowing. Another word for voltage
is "Potential."
 How Electricity Can Harm You
Current passing through your body can cause electric shock, resulting
in 3 types of potential injuries:
Burns (arcs burn with heat & radiation)
Physical injuries (broken bones, falls, & muscle damage)
At 10 mA, the muscles clamp on to whatever the person is holding.
Nervous system effects (stop breathing at 30 to 75 mA alternating
current at 60Hz, fibrillation at 75 to 100 mA at 60Hz)
Fibrillation = heart is "twitching" and there is no blood flow to the body.

The heart can be damaged because it is in the path of the most

common routes electricity will take through the body:
Hand-to-hand
Hand-to-foot
 Know about static electricity and how it can do harm.

Minimize your exposure to static shocks.

Never clean the glass face of your computer
monitor while the computer is on.

During normal operation, the glass surface of a monitor's CRT

accumulates an electrostatic charge. When you touch the screen with a
finger, the charge is from the portion of the screen you touched and it
discharges through your finger with a tiny spark. Electric current does
not normally flow through glass, so only the part of the screen that your
finger touches is discharged.
However, when you clean a monitor the entire glass is wet and the charge
on the entire screen will discharge to your finger or hand, causing a much
more painful shock.
You can be injured by the reaction to the shock even though such shocks
in themselves are not hazardous
 Use OSHA Safe Work practices.
Use OSHA Safe Work practices. gControl hazards though safe work practices:
Plan your work and plan for safety Avoid wet working conditions and other dangers
Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. GFCI's are electrical devices that are designed
to detect ground faults (when current is "leaking" somewhere outside its intended
pathway). If your body provides the path to ground for the leaking current, you could
receive a shock or be electrocuted. GFCI's should be used in all wet locations and on
outside outlets.
Avoid overhead power lines: Position yourself so that the longest conductive object
you are using (saws, poles, tools, brooms, etc.) cannot come closer than at least 10
feet to any unguarded, energized overhead line. Use proper wiring and connectors
Use extension cords properly and temporarily: Cords must be UL listed and have 3
prongs Power bars must have a fuse or breaker Do not use 2-prong, ungrounded
cords in a lab Do not run cords through walls, doors, under rugs, or across aisles Do
not repair cords--buy new ones Make sure the total number of watts connected to the
cord does not exceed the rating of the cord. Use and maintain tools properly Avoid
wearing items such as jewelry, watch bands, bracelets, rings, key chains, necklaces,
etc. that might come into contact with exposed, energized parts. Wear correct PPE:
Hard hats rated "Class E" ANSI-approved footwear coded "EH"  
Follow the Administrative Controls

Safe work procedures

Lockout and Tagout
Proscribed work practices
Signs warning of electrical hazards
 Use safe equipment

Do not use equipment that has been damaged or improperly modified.

Always use equipment according to the manufacturer's specifications.
"Live" parts (greater than 50 volts) must be guarded by one or more of the
following:
An enclosure that requires a tool for access.
A locked enclosure.
An interlocked access door.
A substantial insulating guard to prevent contact.
Check cords--they should:
Be completely free of damage and deterioration.
Should always have an appropriate strain relief device where they enter
the enclosure.
Electrical Emergencies:
How to Respond
Electrical Shock
A small night-light with a 6-watt bulb draws .05 ampere, and even that small amount of
current can be fatal. Here are some effects of current (in milli amps) passing through a
150 pound body (note that perception is only .5 to 1.5 milli amps):

Protect yourself
Don't touch the person. That person might be energized, so
take time to protect yourself.
Don't try to use a conductive tool to free the person.
Don't touch anyone who has become grounded.

Call 911 for help, IF the person:

is obviously injured (loss of consciousness, significant
trauma, etc.) has an altered mental status (confusion, slow/slurred speech,
etc.)
has other obvious injury (laceration, burn, etc.)
or:
at your discretion or that of the shock victim or supervisor
Keep others from being harmed Shut off the power (fuse or circuit-breaker or
pull the plug; this might
be difficult because there might be secondary sources; if you are
not sure, get help)

Move the victim to safety only when power is OFF and no neck or
spine injuries are possible

Give necessary first aid (keep CPR training up-to-date).

Report accident to supervisor (even minor shocks and close calls

must be reported)

Secure area

Collect data for an investigation and to prevent reoccurrence.

What To Do Until Aid Arrives:
Check for:

Pulse If person's heart has stopped, start CPR, if you are trained. Breathing If
person isn't breathing, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,
if you are trained.

Treat for shock

Keep person lying down.
If unconscious, put them on their side to let fluids drain.
Don't move the person if neck or spine injuries are possible.
Cover the person to maintain body heat

Stay with patient until help arrives

Inform medical personnel about patient conditions
If not emergency

Often symptoms are delayed and the person might need medical
attention.

All persons, who have received shocks but do not fall into the
categories above, must be taken to the University Health Center

All persons, who have received shocks but do not fall into the
categories above, must be taken to the University Health Center
by a co-worker or supervisor. Medical EVALUATION is a must.