OSH - Electrical Hazards

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Electrical Hazards

Electricity is not dangerous if

it is properly used and if
electrical equipment is
properly installed, maintained
and operated.

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Electrical Hazards
Electrical current could cause
direct injury to a person if it
passes through his body. If the
amount of exposure is sufficient
large, it could kill him. Electricity
could also be the cause of fires
and explosions.

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Electrical Hazards

Electrical shock is usually

caused by the passage of
current through a person’s
body

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Electrocution and electrical
shock

When any part of his body comes into contact

with a current carrying conductor, while
another part is touching a return path, earth
for example, an electrical current would flow
through him. This could happen if he touched
an energised conductor while standing on the
ground.

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Dangerous Current

The degree of injury suffered

depends very much on the amount
of exposure, i.e. the amperage of
the current and the duration of the
exposure.

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Dangerous Current

It is generally accepted that:

e) 0.1 amps or more passing through

the heart can be fatal. Lesser
current maintained over a longer
period could cause the same
effect;
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Dangerous Current

It is generally accepted that:

b) 0.01 to 0.05 amps cause muscular

spasm which includes the inability to
release the contact with the conductor.
This may lead to serious injuries
including death as the exposure time
would be increased.

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Dangerous Current

The amount of current passing through

the body depends very much on the
voltage applied and the resistance of the
body. Wetness or moistness of the skin
would significantly reduces the body
resistance, thereby increasing the
current flow into the body.

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Prevention of Electrocution
There are various ways to prevent
electrocution.

a) Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers

Workers using any electrical tool must
be protected by ELCB in the electrical
circuit. This ELCB must trip should
there be a leakage of 30mA or more;

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Prevention of Electrocution

b) Proper Earthing

All electrical equipment must be

properly earthed. Should any
leakage occur, it would be safely
conducted to earth thereby
minimising the possibility of injury
to its users;
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Prevention of Electrocution
c) Use of all-insulated and double
insulated appliances

These type of equipment insulates the

user from the live parts of the equipment
such that there is minimal possibility of
contact. Such equipment, because of its
design, could do away with earthing.

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Prevention of Electrocution
d) Use of low voltage supply

By using a low working voltage, it

reduces the current that would flow
through should a leak occur. This is
especially necessary where the
electrical equipment need to be used in
a damp or wet place, or to be used
outdoors and thereby exposed to the
weather.
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Prevention of Electrocution
e) Use of personal protective equipment

Workers should use gloves and boots

when using electrical appliance or
working on electrical circuits. These
PPEs increase his skin resistance and
should there be any leakage, it will
minimise the current that would flow
into him.

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Prevention of Electrocution

Install a PUB approved Earth Leakage

Circuit Breaker (ELCB) and test it
monthly;

Always engage a licensed electrical

contractor to do your wiring;

Do not overload a socket outlet by

connecting several appliances using multi-
way adaptors;
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Prevention of Electrocution

Send any damaged or defective

electrical equipment or appliance to the
authorised agent or competent repairer;

Do not use appliances or accessories in

electrical installation unless they have
been tested by PSB and approved by PUB
(in Singapore only);

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Prevention of Electrocution

Never remove the plug of an appliance

from the socket outlet by pulling at the
cable;

Regularly check and replace all plugs,

switches, socket outlets and adaptors
that are damaged, faulty or worn out;

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Prevention of Electrocution

Never insert bare conductors of

flexible cable directly into socket
outlet without using a plug

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Prevention of Electrocution

Avoid switching on/off or handling

electrical appliances or accessories when
your hands or feet are wet or the ground
on which you are standing is wet;

All exposed conductors should be

insulated or kept out of reach;

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Prevention of Electrocution

Worn and damaged flexible cables

must be replaced and avoid “knotting”
or “kinking” of flexible cables when
they are coiled;

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Prevention of Electrocution

Do not lay any cable near areas of hot

work, on the floor and in between door
hinges;

Periodic check on the resistance of the

earth circuit is recommended to be
carried out by licensed electrical
contractor;

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Prevention of Electrocution

Worn and damaged flexible cables must

be replaced and avoid “knotting” or
“kinking” of flexible cables when they are
coiled;

Always connect the wires for a three-pin

industrial plug according to the following
international colour code;

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Legal Requirements

All temporary electrical

installation in construction
worksite are required to
satisfy the legal requirements
stipulated under:

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Legal Requirements

Workplace Safety & Health Act;

SS CP on Code of Practice for

Temporary Electrical Installation in
Building of Construction Sites.

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Fatal Accident

Failure to ensure that all

electrical installations are in
good condition may result in
fatal accident.

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Fatal Case #1:
A strand of live copper wire had
electrically bridged the earth copper
wires, thus energizing the metal casing

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Fatal Accident #1

A worker was electrocuted

when he came into contact
with the “energized” metal
casing of a grouting machine.

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Fatal Accident #1

The 3-pin plug used for the

machine was damaged and a
strand of live copper wire had
electrically bridged the earth
conductor wires, thus
energizing the metal casing.
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Fatal Accident #1

At the time of accident, the

deceased was working on a
wet floor and not wearing any
footwear.

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Fatal Accident #2
A worker was electrocuted while
switching on an electric hand grinder.
The electric hand grinder was rated
for use at 230 volts but was supplied
with about 400 volts of electricity
from a diesel generator.

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Fatal Accident #2
The 400 volts supply had burnt the
motor of the hand grinder. This
caused the hand grinder’s metal casing
to become “live” and as a result, the
worker was electrocuted.

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Fire and Explosion
Electrical current generates heat
when it flows through a conductor.
Should the amount of heat generated
become excessive, the circuit could
burn, thereby starting a fire. This
would occur if the current flowing in
the circuit exceeded what the circuit
is capable of conducting.

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Fire and Explosion
Excess current would flow if the
circuit is connected to a heavy
load it is not designed to handle,
or where a short circuit has
occurred.

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Fire and Explosion
Generally speaking, a well maintained
electrical equipment and circuit would,
by itself, minimize the risk of fire and
explosion. Overloads and faults are
more likely to occur if the equipment
or the circuit is faulty.

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Fire and Explosion
In addition to having proper
maintenance, some of the ways to
prevent fire and explosion caused
by electricity is discussed below:

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Fire and Explosion
c) Fuses

Fuse is usually made of a thin wire

strip of special material. The wire
strip is designed to fuse or “burn” if
the current flowing through it
exceeded the rating for the wire
(for example, when the circuit is
overloaded).
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Fire and Explosion
c) Fuses

When the wire fused, it would cause

a break in the circuit and hence
prevent the circuit from being
subjected to a sustained flow of the
current.

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Fire and Explosion
b) Excess Current Operated Circuit
Breaker

This type of circuit breaker would

trip if the current flowing through
it exceeded the rated current.

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Fire and Explosion
c) Thermal Trip Device

This device could be fitted into

electrical appliances. It is designed
to cause a current trip if the
temperature of the appliance
exceeded the allowable
temperature.

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Fire and Explosion

d) Flameproof Electrical Equipment

This class of equipment is useful at

places where there is a high
possibility of fire and explosion,
such as in refineries and storage
areas for flammable substances.
This class of equipment is by design
flameproof, I.e. not capable of
starting a fire.
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