Electrical Safety
Month
Electrical 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
Fatalities, 2003- 2010, Selected Occupations
Occupational Groups
Selected Occupations
Total
Construction Trades Workers

Electricians

Construction Laborers

Roofers

Painters, construction and maintenance

Carpenters





300
146
43
39
32
642
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

Electrical Power-Line installers and repairers

Industrial Machinery Installation, Repair, and Maintenance Workers

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers




132
71
55
24
Grounds Maintenance Workers

Tree Trimmers and Pruners

Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers


79
29
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Drivers/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers

Material Moving Workers


50
44
366
113
108
Other Management Occupations
76
Agricultural Workers
43
Subtotal
1044
1348
Percent of Electrical Workers
44%
34%
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.