Electrical Safety MonthElectrical Safety Awareness for Non-Electrical Workers

NOTES• This presentation is best used in the “slide show” format – this

will allow the user to consider questions before the answers appear on the slide

• When used in a group training setting, the facilitator should be familiar enough with the presentation to guide the conversation around the various key topics

Overview• Electrical Hazards in the workplace exist for everyone. Just

because you aren’t an electrician or electrical worker does not mean that you are exempt from electrical hazards

• Farm Workers, Tree Trimmers, Construction Workers, and others have all been killed from electricity

• Electrical Safety Month this year is designed to increase awareness among workers who are not considered electrical workers because the hazards are potentially higher for them

Occupational Groups Selected Occupations

Total

Construction Trades WorkersElectriciansConstruction LaborersRoofersPainters, construction and maintenanceCarpenters

300146 43 39 32

642

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair OccupationsElectrical Power-Line installers and repairersIndustrial Machinery Installation, Repair, and Maintenance WorkersHeating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and InstallersTelecommunications Line Installers and Repairers

132 71 55 24

366

Grounds Maintenance WorkersTree Trimmers and PrunersLandscaping and Groundskeeping Workers

79 29

113

Transportation and Material Moving OccupationsDrivers/Sales Workers and Truck DriversMaterial Moving Workers

5044

108

Other Management Occupations 76

Agricultural Workers 43

Subtotal

Percent of Electrical Workers

1044

44%

1348

34%

Fatalities, 2003- 2010, Selected Occupations

Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International

DOE Shocking Statistics

Causes of Shocks• Faulty Equipment• Attention to Task• Overhead power lines• Plugging and

unplugging equipment• Situational Awareness

• Inadequate procedures

• Lack of training/qualification for assigned task• Scope creep• Inadequate Planning• Inadequate /

untested PPE• Lack of preventive

maintenance

Occurrence Review #1• A Post-Doc scientist was moving a piece of equipment when

his left arm grazed against a clamp on a metal mounting rod and sustained a minor electrical shock. He then removed the sample from the holder that was clamped to the metal mounting rod and sustained a second minor shock to his right first and second fingers. He immediately notified his mentors and was taken to medical for treatment. Investigation revealed an intermittent resistive connection between the line voltage of a mixer (mounted to the bracket) and the mounting bracket. The equipment was not listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory and had not been approved under local requirements for use of unlisted equipment.

Questions• What should have happened?• The Equipment should have been evaluated before use, or a

listed piece of equipment should have been used• The worker should have stopped the operation after receiving

the first shock and reported the problem

• Why do we report shocks?• First, to ensure that proper medical attention is provided. Even

minor shocks can cause long term problems• Second, because under slightly different environment conditions,

a “minor” shock can become significant, we want to take faulty or questionable electrical equipment out of service

Occurrence Review #2• A mechanic’s metal retractable tape measure inadvertently touched

the crane electrical feed rail causing a 480-volt circuit breaker to trip. The mechanic was on the cell floor of a building and was in an open crane cab located 16 feet and 7 inches above the cell floor. The mechanic was taking a measurement over a cell bypass housing pipe galley to determine the clearance of a new lifting fixture over the pipe galley. After the mechanic extended the tape measure approximately 3 feet upward and took the measurement the tape bent. When the mechanic attempted to straighten the tape measure, it flipped into the feed rail, which was approximately 3 feet away. There was no injury or shock to the mechanic when the tape measure hit the feed rail, but a small portion of the tape measure was melted on each side where it made contact with feed rail housing. Power was restored to the crane and the crane was returned to its normal position so the mechanic could exit the crane by ladder.

Questions• What could have happened here?• The breaker could have failed to trip, welding the tape measure to the

exposed conductor, and potentially causing a severe shock to the worker. Without knowing the construction of the case for tape measure, if it was made out of metal, the worker could have been “locked” onto the circuit and rescuers would have been unaware of any problem.

• What went wrong?• The worker, a non-electrician, was unaware of the potentially exposed and

energized crane electrical feed rail. Most overhead cranes have them with varying degrees of exposure. In this case, the worker was completely unaware of the potential hazard.

• What should have been done?• This question is a little harder. In a perfect world, the worker would have

locked out the power to the crane, but then the activity could not have been performed in the location. Perhaps a man-lift or other device could have been used following lockout of the main power to reduce the potential danger.

• Bottom Line: Pay attention to your surroundings. Analyze all the potential hazards of a job, and get help if you aren’t certain

Incident Review #3

Work to install HVAC ductwork was being performed in an office trailer. The scope of work involved the removal of part of a wall constructed of studs and drywall board. A work order with a defined scope of work was approved for this activity. A small opening in the drywall was initially removed to enable a visual inspection for electrical utilities prior to cutting the needed larger opening. At approximately 1000 hours, in the process of making the last of four wall cuts with a battery-powered reciprocating saw, the blade contacted an energized metal-clad flexible cable. A circuit breaker tripped as designed, lighting was lost, and the work was immediately stopped. There was no personnel contact with electrical power or injuries as a result of this activity.

Questions• What went wrong?• The pre-job assessment did not determine that there was an energized lighting

conduit in the wall• What went right?• The system worked as designed, tripping the breaker. In many cases, especially in

battery powered tools, the case is non-conducting, further protecting the worker from injury. Many sites also require the use of some sort of protective equipment, especially when performing excavations or penetrations, that may mitigate or eliminate a shock hazard.

• What should have been done?• A more thorough assessment of the area to be removed should have been

performed. Skilled workers can generally tell when something other than the expected material is being cut into, and can stop before additional damage is done.

• There are many events that look very similar to this one that occur across the complex. The commonalities include lack of oversight, inadequate assessment of hazards, and poor job planning. The workers performing the work are generally subcontractors who are not well-versed in electrical hazards and potential outcomes. Brief all potential hazards during pre-job briefs, and make certain the folks performing work are doing it safely. Plan the work – don’t rely only on the skills of a worker to identify a hazard that should have been found out before the job started.

Some Lessons Learned• Look before you leap• Is the equipment listed by a Nationally Recognized

Testing Lab such as UL or CSA, or otherwise approved?

• Are there hidden hazards that your work may inadvertently access during your activity?

• Pay attention!• Routine activities – plugging and unplugging

equipment, picking up electrical devices, etc. are all very simple activities, but they require that you pay attention to what you are doing

• Just because it was ok the last time you picked up that power tool, doesn’t mean it’s ok this time.

More Lessons• Use a GFCI for additional protection, especially when

working outdoors or in damp/wet locations. • Many sites require a GFCI be used with portable power

tools.• The Consumer Product Safety Commission believes that

GFCI receptacles are responsible for saving thousands of lives since they became required in residential and commercial buildings.

• GFCI receptacles limit the potential current to a safe value – if you get shocked, you still need to report it, but you won’t be seriously injured.

• Garages are another place you should always use a GFCI. • GFCI not working? Get a licensed electrician to replace it.• TEST your GFCI’s monthly for operability. While many have

fail-safe circuits now, many GFCI receptacles have been in use for 15 or 20 years, and may not function as designed.

Summary• Remember – just because you aren’t an electrician or an electrical

worker, electricity can still find – and kill – you or a coworker.• Maintain a healthy respect for the electrical equipment you use• Pay attention to seemingly low-risk, routine activities. People are

shocked, sometimes severely, when plugging and unplugging equipment from wall outlets and power strips.

• Maintain your electrical equipment. Have the heating elements on your electric laundry dryer cleaned. Test your GFCI receptacles. Look at your power tool cords for signs of wear before each use.

• Think electrically safe!

• For more information, contact your site’s electrical safety representative, or view additional information at the EFCOG Electrical Safety Month Website.