(Source: TOI)

All accidents are preventable.

Electrical accidents are one of the major causes of fatalities in India. Electricity,
one on hand is a extremely useful and ubiquitous utility. On the other hand, it is a
life taker when not given due respect.
Common electrical hazards include electric shock (the most common hazard), arc
flashes, falls, and thermal burns. How often we ignore a mild sensation running
through the body when we touch an electrical equipment, or we ignore the slight
blackening of the cable where it is attached to a terminal. All equipment gives out
these subtle signs -their way of screaming out “Hey Help Me”.

We ignore the symptoms till it becomes a headline “Fire in the building …caused
by possible short circuit.”

What can we do to prevent these headlines? A lot it seems.

Possible questions to ask?

Has anyone reported that they feel a slight tingling feeling when they touch any
equipment? It is possible that the insulation of the internal wiring has worn down
or may be the earth is not connected or disconnected?

Or it can be that MCB is tripping too often or a fuse is getting blown out too
often? You would have come across smart (or over smart) electrician- “I have
changed the fuse and replaced with a higher rating”!! “Really? Was that smart?”
May be not- a possible root cause would be overloading of an electrical outlet or
an insulation breakdown? Or is it a dead lizard inside the UPS?
Or did someone complain of a burning smell inside the office? Was it a heart burn
or a smoldering cable? Or did anyone do a quick fix sometime joining two wires
with a cello tape on it?

One of the most effective way to prevent an electrical shock is the use of residual
current device or residual current circuit breaker. These are designed to trip if
there is a leakage and protect people from getting an electrical shock. On a short
term they protect people.

Ask employees to report any abnormal smell, discoloration, tingling feeling etc.
These are primary indicators. However, not all problems are so explicit. How
severely the body is affected by electric shock depends on a. The rate of flow of
the current through your body b. The length of time the current flows through
your body c. The path the current takes through your body.

“No, being thick-skinned does not protect from an electrical shock.”

A more effective method to protect people and equipment is to have a system of

regular checking. Use a checklist to identify all electrical equipment. The checklist
must have checkpoints for visual indicators as well measurements. Any
discrepancy? Stop-Check-Rectify-Record -Resume.

Common unsafe conditions in the equipment include: -

a. Frayed wires and cable
b. Loose joints of wires
c. Overloading of the equipment
d. Bypassed safety devices
e. Over-rated fuses
f. Motors that have got jammed
g. Water inside the equipment
 h. Exposed live parts
i. Dead animals inside

If sufficient and adequate attention is given to an equipment, it is possible to

work safely without getting a fatal electrical shock.
All accidents can be prevented.