Top electrical safety mistakes contractors make

Safety risks are often overlooked when contractors work in autopilot mode. In some cases, the consequences of a small mistake are dire. This article discusses the top electrical safety mistakes contractors make and how to avoid them.

1. Thinking that ‘it’s only 120 volts’

The only difference between low and high voltage is how fast it can kill you. High voltage kills instantly; low voltage may take a little longer.

Dr AG Soto, consulting physician to Ontario Power Generation, presented a paper at the 2007 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop discussing low-voltage shock exposures. In the paper, Dr Soto explained that a 120-volt shock can kill up to 48 hours later. He also stated that many emergency room doctors are unfamiliar with electric shock and that an EKG may not show a problem. The injury to the heart muscle tends to spread over time and cannot always be identified using EKGs.

2. Working on energised systems or equipment when it can be de-energised

A few decades ago, it was common practice in power plants not to de-energise anything, whether it could be or not.

De-energising is the only way to eliminate hazards. Arc flash personal protective equipment just increases your chances of survival - it doesn’t guarantee it. Be aware that until equipment and systems are placed in an electrically safe work condition, proper PPE and procedures must be used to protect the worker.

3. Going to sleep during safety training

Training sessions need to be focused, concise and interesting, otherwise everyone tunes out. They should be insightful and specific without becoming boring or repetitive. 

4. Not wearing PPE

Electricians generally don’t like wearing rubber insulating gloves or arc flash PPE and equipment. It’s hot, uncomfortable, restricts movement and slows the entire work process down - not only by wearing it, but by selecting the correct PPE and putting it on and taking it off. However, PPE saves lives.

One of the most common times that people neglect to wear PPE is during troubleshooting. Yet, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) studies have found that 24% of electrical accidents are caused by troubleshooting, voltage testing and similar activities. We have a tendency to ignore hazards associated with tasks we consider ‘safe’.

5. Not wearing the right PPE

Some people think that wearing anything by way of PPE should be enough. While it is true that the injuries that you sustain probably won’t be quite as severe as if you didn’t wear any PPE, there’s a high probability that if the right PPE was worn, no injury would occur.

This point could probably go under point 3, because if you aren’t paying attention during safety training, you probably can’t choose the right PPE either.

Do you know how to interpret arc flash labels? Do you know what to do if there’s no arc flash label on electrical power equipment? Do you refer to the notes when you use the tables?

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, you aren’t choosing the right PPE. You’re the one who will be injured; you need to do the homework to protect yourself.

6. Using outdated or defective test equipment to troubleshoot

When the leads are frayed or the meter is dodgy, it’s time to replace it. Damaged or outdated testing equipment pose a serious health and safety risk. Testing equipment should be inspected regularly to identify damage.

7. Trusting someone else for your safety

An OSHA compliance officer I know investigated an arc flash incident involving two electricians who had been working together for many years. The worker who was injured asked his colleague if the circuit had been checked, to which his colleague replied, “Yes”. Not wanting to offend his partner, the electrician didn’t pursue the matter further. When he started working on it, the circuit blew up, causing severe arc flash burns. Sometimes relationships cause us to not follow through when we should. Either we don’t want to offend someone, like the above example, or we don’t want to look less than manly in front of our co-workers.

8. Not performing required maintenance of power system equipment

Too often companies look at maintenance costs as an overhead expense. Nothing could be further from the truth. The problem is that it’s difficult to put a price on things like unscheduled outages, loss of production, buying equipment at premium pricing and overtime. Unless you have experienced firsthand the costs associated with neglect, it can be difficult to appreciate the importance of maintenance.

Liken it to automobile maintenance. If you buy a brand new car but do no maintenance for 100,000 km, what condition do you think it will be in?

9. Not carrying your gloves with you

During my safety training classes, I usually ask how many people actually carry their rubber insulating gloves with them. Maybe one or two will raise their hands. The problem is that if you don’t carry them, you don’t use them. Carry your gloves and use your gloves - always.

For information on the Australian Electrical Safety Standards, visit www.standards.org.au.

*Jim White is the Training Director for Shermco Industries in Irving, Texas, and a level IV NETA technician. Jim represents NETA on NFPA 70E and B committees, as well as the Arc Flash Hazard Work Group, and chaired the 2008 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop.