Electricity is such a common form of energy that many people take it for granted and are not very concerned with the danger it presents.  Every home and business use electricity to illuminate buildings and streets, power equipment and laptops, and heat food and water.  It is produced by fossil fuels, solar panels, water turbines, and nuclear power plants.  It is distributed by a grid of power lines that can be very high voltage.  Transformers at our homes and business convert it to a usable voltage into our buildings.  It is all around us.

From the National Institute of Health:

”In the United States, there are approximately 1000 deaths per year, as a result of electrical injuries. Of these, approximately 400 are due to high-voltage electrical injuries, and lightning causes 50 to 300.

There are also at least 30,000 shock incidents per year that are non-fatal. Each year, approximately 5% of all burn unit admissions in the United States occur as a result of electrical injuries.

Approximately 20% of all electrical injuries occur in children. The incidence is highest in toddlers and adolescents.

In adults, these injuries occur mostly in occupational settings and are the fourth-leading cause of workplace-related traumatic death, whereas, in children, electrical injuries occur most often at home.”

There are some basic precautions to take when working with electricity.  Although some safety practices might be unique to your environment, these are some general safety best practices to be followed in addition to conducting electrical safety inspections and training:

• Use a license and qualified electrician for installation, inspections, and repair.
• Repair or replace damaged equipment, wiring or fixtures.
• Use approved and tested equipment labeled by organizations like UL.
• Follow the manufacturers safe practices.
• Implement a Lockout Tagout program.
• Provide proper grounding.
• Do not overload circuits.
• Keep water separated from electric wiring and products.
• Provide GFCIs in areas where water is normally present.
• Use proper insulated tools and equipment when working on or near electrically charged systems.
• Wear PPE such as electrical rated gloves when working with electric systems.
• Don’t go near downed power lines (call the utility company).

The Occupational Safety and Health Association provides some electrical safety training.  They state that current as low as 10 mA can cause muscle contractions and 10 Amps can cause severe burns and cardiac arrest.  As a reminder, most home outlets are rated for 15 or 20 Amps.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to electrical home and workplace safety.  They have programs for educating the public on the dangers associated with electrical use including fire and injury.  ESFI celebrates May as Electrical Safety Month.  Visit their site for more information.

Disclaimer

The information contained herein is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice and should not be relied upon in lieu of consultation with your own legal and/or other professional advisors. Some of the information, examples and suggestions presented in this material may be compiled by third-party sources we consider to be reliable; however, we do not guarantee and are not responsible for the accuracy of such information. We assume no duty in contract, tort, or otherwise in connection with this publication and expressly disclaim, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any liability in connection with this publication. Verita CSG, Inc. does not undertake to update the information included herein after the date of publication. Accordingly, readers should be aware that certain content may have changed since the date of this publication.