ELECTRICAL HAZARDS

Threshold of the danger of electricity on the body

• 1 to 5 mA: Little electrical shock is

felt. Upsetting, but not painful.
• 6 to 30 mA: Painful shock, loss of
muscle control.
• 50 to 150 mA: Extreme pain,
possible severe muscle reactions,
possible respiratory arrest, and
even possible death.
• 1,000 mA to 4,300 mA: Heart
ceases pumping; nerve damage
and death likely.
• 10,000 mA (10 amps): Cardiac
arrest, severe burns, and death
 Causes of Electrical Hazards
• Leakage current to earth
• Sustained overloading of the
wiring or appliance
• Short circuit fault on the
installation
Other Causes
• Poor insulation mechanism
• Incorrect connection of the ELCB
• Watery or oily surrounding
• Non-labelling of exposed wiring
• Presence of exposed sockets
• Loose connections
• Use of poor/sub-standard
materials
Preventing electrical hazards
• Wiring should be checked by the
appropriate authority
• No low-quality cables and accessories
should be allowed
• Only permit carrying and licensed
engineers/ qualified personnel should
be allowed to carry out installation
works
• Means of earth connection should be
encouraged
• Rules and regulations governing
buildings should be maintained
• Loose connections should not be
allowed
 Earthing
• Defined as a connection to the
general mass of earth
• A conductor or any metal is
earthed when it is connected to
the general mass of the earth by
means of a rod or a system of
water pipes or other conducting
objects
• It is said to be solidly earthed when
it is earthed without the
intervention of fuse, CB, resistor or
reactor or solenoid
Earthing Method
• Underground supply cable
• Metal water supply pipes
• Continuous earth wire (Found in
rural areas-overhead wires
because the soil has high
resistivity)
• Connection to the local earth
electrode
• Automatic earth leakage
insulator
GI- Galvanized Iron: Because of its electrical characteristics and reasonably low price, galvanized iron also can be
considered as an alternative to copper as a grounding material .
Reasons for Earthing
• To protect the electrical system
• To allow current flow to the
earth in the event of a fault
condition
• To protect humans and animals
 IEE EARTHING REQUIREMENTS
• BY connection to an earth point
provided by the supply authority
• By connection to a suitable earth
electrode or electrodes
• Avoid water and gas pipes as
electrodes
 Earth Leakage Circuit breaker, ELCB
• When earthing conditions are
such that the requirements of
IEE wiring regulations for earth
leakage protection by means of
fuses, or CB cannot be satisfied,
i.e. if the loop impedance is too
high, an ELCB must be used
• There are 2 types of ELCB
• Voltage operated
• Current operated
 Miniature Circuit breaker, MCB
• This provides close excess
current protection and is now
used for protection in a 1-phase
220V circuit
• Can be operated by hand and
Automatically when overloaded
• For sustained overload protection,
tripping action is thermal
• Protection against short circuits is
by magnetic action
Main Switch and Fuses
• These 2 items are usually put in
one case or combined in one
unit for protection purpose
 Treatment of Electrical Shock
• Speed is essential in the treatment of electric shock
• Switch off the current before attempting to remove the casualty
• Remove any obstruction to breathing
• Commence artificial respiration
 Electrical Installation Tests
• The testing shall be carried out
for the completed installations in
the presence of and to the
satisfaction of the engineer-in-
charge, and the test results shall
be recorded
• Regular testing and inspection is
however required in other to
maintain the installation in
proper condition throughout its
life.
Electrical Installation Tests-Types
• Insulation resistance test
• Polarity test of the switch
• Earth continuity test
• Earth electrode resistance test
 Insulation Resistance Test

• by applying resistance between the earth

and the whole system of conductors, with
all fuses in place and all switches closed
• be tested between all the conductors
connected to one pole and all the
conductors connected to the neutral or
phase conductors of the supply with all
the lamps in position and switches in the
"off" position.
• Measured resistance in megaohms for the
conductors in the above step shall not be
less than 12.5 megaohms for the wiring
with PVC insulated cables, subject to a
minimum of 1 megaohm variation
Polarity Test of Switch

• A test shall be carried out in a two-wire installation to verify that all

the switches in the circuit are fitted in the same conductor
throughout the supply.