Electrical Safety

Subpart K

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 Disclaimer
The information presented in this presentation has been compiled from
sources believed to be reliable and is intended to be a tool to assist and
guide you in building your own presentation. This program may not
address all the hazardous conditions or unsafe acts that may exist. For
that reason, SPIN cautions users to confirm accuracy and compliance
with the latest standards and best practices. Local, State/Provincial
and Federal regulations take precedence over this material.
Implementation of any practices suggested by this program is at your
sole discretion, and SPIN will have no liability to any party for any
damages including, but not limited to, direct, indirect, special or
consequential damages, arising out of or in connection with the
information provided or its use.
Purpose of Training
 To increase employee awareness of
electrical hazards on the jobsite
 To control or eliminate employee
exposure to electrical hazards
 To ensure that everyone understands
the AEGCP and the use of GFCI’s
 To help meet OSHA compliance
Hazards of Electricity
 Shock
 Fibrillation
– 50-100mA of current to cause fibrillation
 Damage to tissue
– external burns & internal tissue & organ damage
– entry & exit wounds
 Muscle Contractions
– unable to release
– causes longer period of contact
Electrocution
 Current and Voltage
 Path
 Time
Electrocution?
 Body temperature rises to 138° F
 Tissues are baked like well done beef
 Physical reactions include:
– heaving chest
– foaming mouth
– bloody sweat
– burning hair & skin
– release of feces
– eyeballs pop out
Fatal Assumptions:
 120Volts can’t hurt me
 DC can’t hurt me
 Overhead power lines are insulated
 I can’t get hurt if I don’t touch the wire
 The more I get shocked the more immune I
become
 Circuit breakers are designed for personnel safety
 Joe Bob knows I’m working on this so I’m O.K.
Fatalities:
 Failure to lockout piece of equipment
 Power tools shorting out
 contacted overhead power lines
Three Levels of Protection:
 Engineering danger out of the
job
 Safe work practices
 Personal protective
equipment (PPE)
Typical Construction Hazards
 Overhead lines
 Buried lines
 Sharp edges on metal material (studs)
 Cords that are damaged in anyway
 Safe clearances around electrical
equipment
 Damaged tools or receptacles
 Wet weather conditions
Typical Construction Hazards
 Temporary wiring
 High voltage lines
– crane operations
– metal ladders
– tight workspace
 Improper or nonexistent grounding
 Non-existent or non-functional GFCI’s
 Improper or non-existent security
Common Citations
 No GCFI or AEGCP
 Tools have no ground
 Lack of training when near power lines
 Equipment not approved for classified
locations
 Guarding of live parts
 Flexible cord strain relief
OSHA Gives Two Options:
 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
– GFCI
 Assured Equipment Grounding
Conductor Program
– AEGCP
 Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupters
 Intended to quickly interrupt the circuit in the event of a
ground fault, to prevent electrocution.
 GFCI will break the circuit when a leakage of 5mA or more is
occurring
– usually within 1/40 of a second
 GFCI requirements pertain only to temporary wiring on
construction sites
– exception: kitchens & other wet area’s
 Must provide approved GFCI’s on all 120v, single phase, 15 &
20A receptacle outlets
Note: GFCI does not prevent shock!
 How the GFCI protects people

(By opening the circuit when current flows through a ground-fault path)
Assured Electrical Grounding
Conductor Program
 All cord sets & receptacles which are not
part of the permanent wiring of the building
or structure shall be tested and marked.
Jan.-Mar. White
April-June
Green
July-Sept. Red
Oct.-Dec. Orange
Repair Brown
 When to test?
 Before first use
 After any repairs
– Before equipment is returned to service
 Before equipment is used after any
incident, where damage may be
suspected.
 Every quarter
How to test?
Plugs in to show if terminals
are correctly connected to
ground, and if wire is
continuous (without breaks)

Checks if ground is continuous

from metal frame (a) through
cord to 3rd prong (b).
Also touch tester contact to (c)
then (d) prongs to detect
possible ground fault
Recording Test Results:
 The test preformed shall be recorded to
identify each receptacle, cord set and
plug-connected equipment that passed.
 This record shall be kept by:
– logs
– color coding
– other effective means
Temporary Power Hook-Up
 All temporary outlets rated at 120 volt, single
phase, 15 & 20 amps must have GFCI’s and
established AEGCP.
 All extension cords will be of the three
conductor wire type
 All temporary lights must be guarded to protect
against accidental contact or breakage
 All temporary lights must be on separate
circuits from tool circuits
 Hand and Power Tools
 Inspect tools for wear or defects
 Never modify tools
 Inspect for frayed insulation or loose connection
 Make sure tools are clean and dry
 Do not carry, store or hang up by power cord
 Never remove grounding post
 Do not overload wall plugs or extension cords
 Stop using tools immediately if they begin to smoke,
spark or shock
 Accident Review:
 The drill was not double
insulated and the ground
prong was missing
 Three citations issued:
– GFCI’s or AEGCP
– Inspect electrical tools
– use equipment that
provides a permanent and
continuous path from
circuits or equipment to
ground
 Portable Extension Cords
 Inspect portable extension cords daily:
– Is the tool rated for the job your doing
– Are the cord’s plug & receptacle designed to be used
together
– Does the cord have loose parts, deformed & missing pins
or damage to outer insulation?
– Does the cord have a working GFCI?
– Ensure that cords are protected from pinch points & sharp
edges
Note: Never staple a cord, or raise and lower
equipment with the cord.
Overload
 Beware of overload
 More than two plugs per double outlet is
overloaded
 Never overload any outlet for any
reason
Housekeeping
 Keep cords out of walkways and
roadways
– If not possible, cords must be protected
from vehicle traffic
 Keep cords clean & dry
 Make sure hands are dry before
unplugging cords and equipment
Flammable Dust and Vapors
 Combustible dust, flammable fumes or
excess oxygen can be ignited by a spark
 Use ventilation to lower the concentration
of atmospheric hazards in your work area.
Note: 60% of all industrial fires are caused
by poor connections and faulty outlets.
For Electrical Fires
 911
 Do not touch burning object
 Do not use water
– use CO or ABC extinguisher
 Unplug or turn off the current if it can be done safely
 Stay clear of the area and wait for the professionals
 Bonding

There is no
voltage between
two conductive
objects that are
bonded together
 Approach distances for
Qualified employees:
 Qualified person: specifically trained in the hazards
of working on energized parts and equipment.

300V & less…………………………..….Avoid contact

Over 300V, not over 750V………………1 ft. 0 in.
Over 750V, not over 2kV………………..1 ft. 6 in.
Over 2kV, not over 15kV………………..2 ft. 0 in.
Over 15kV, not over 37kV………………3 ft. 0 in.
Over 37kV, not over 87.5kV…………….3 ft. 6 in.
Over 87.5, not over 121kV………………4 ft. 0 in.
Over 121kV, not over 140kV……………4 ft. 6 in.
 Approach distances for
unqualified employees:
 Neither you nor anything you touch can
get within 10 feet of an over head line
carrying up to 50kV.
 Add 4 inches of clearance for every
10kV over 50kV.
 Electrical Arc:
 Temperature can reach 35,000º F
– 4 times hotter than the sun
– similar to nuclear weapons
 You can be killed at up to 20 feet from a high
energy arc
– and receive severe burns as far as 40 feet away
 Over half of all electrical injuries involve burns
from arcs
Be Alert - Don’t Get Hurt
 High Voltage Lines
 1 out of 3 injuries cause by high voltage lines results
in death!
 Reminders for operators:
– Make sure that no part of your equipment can come
within 10 feet of high voltage lines.
– Never attempt to raise or move high voltage lines
– If equipment touches a high voltage line back away or
lower boom to break contact
– Generally safe to stay in the cab
– Dismount by jumping clear, and shuffling
Note: Never touch any part of the equipment and ground
at the same time
Accident Review:
 Employee received no
training on the hazard
nor any specific
instruction
 Two serious citations
were issued:
– Lack of training
– Not permit employees to
work near any electrical
power circuit without de-
energizing
 Accident Review
 Unloading a 40 foot
telephone pole from pipe
rack
 Four serious citations
issued
– Training on the hazards
– Do not operate equipment
within approach distances
– Did not maintain proper
clearances
– Determine existing
conditions
 First Aid
 Do not touch the victim
 911
 Turn off power
 Use non-conductive object to push person away from
the electrical source
 Administer rescue breathing, if breathing has stopped
 Administer CPR if heart has stopped
 Cover electrical burns
 Reassure & calm victim until help arrives
Report All Near Misses
 Often symptoms are delayed and the
person may need medical attention.
 The Safety Department must be notified
any time an employee has an accident
involving an electrical shock.
Note: the purpose of the investigation, is
to prevent the reoccurrence
 Lock Out-Tag-out

The
Control of
Hazardous
Energy
 Authorized & Affected:
Authorized: employees will
actually be performing the
lock-out tag-out procedures,
and must be trained to
understand the program
Affected: employees working
in the area, must
understand what lock-out
tag-out is and how it effects
them.
When Should You Lock-Out
 Clearing blocked or jammed
mechanisms
 Maintenance or repair work on
equipment with moving parts
 Certain confined space entries
 Repairs or installation on electrical
circuits
Sequence of Lock-out or Tag-out
Procedure
 Notify all affected employees
 Shut down machine or equipment
 Isolate energy source
springs air/ gas radioactive
hydraulic water pressure electrical
steam chemical mechanical
centrifugal
 Lock-out & tag-out energy isolating device
 After ensuring that no one is exposed, check to be sure

energy source is disconnected

Caution: Return operating controls back to neutral or off position
 Accident Review
 Employee was attempting
to correct an electrical
problem with two non-
operational lights
 Two citations issued:
– No Lock-out / Tag-out
program
– Circuit not de-energized or
locked / tagged -out
Procedure Involving More Than
One Person
 Each person shall have his own
lock
 Each lock shall be secured, so
that all locks must be removed
before equipment can be re-
energized
 The lock may only be removed
by the person who placed it
there
 Maintenance and Repair of
Equipment in the Field
 Any vehicle determined to be unsafe shall be tagged out
of service and may not be operated
 Mechanic will notify supervisor & the operator and obtain
approval to service equipment
 If equipment is in operation perform normal shut down
procedures
 Person performing work will then place lock-out or tag-out
device in position
 Key shall be removed from equipment & placed in pocket
of person performing work
Removal of the Tags and Locks:
 Under normal conditions each person will remove
their own tags & locks
 If the signer of the tag is not available or has left the
site, a supervisor meeting the following may remove
the tag or lock:
– Supervisor from same dept.
– Supervisor must talk to signer on condition of equipment
– Supervisor must have sufficient knowledge of work being
performed
– Supervisor must be able to exercise proper judgement
Re-energizing Electrical Systems
 Inspect the entire work area
– tools have been removed
– guards are in place
 Insure equipment is safe to operate
 Warn co-workers
– no one is exposed
– Notify everyone affected
 Remove locks & re-energize
Remember:
 Notify all affected employees
 Shut down machine or equipment
 Isolate energy source
 Lock out & tag-out energy isolating device
 Check to be sure that energy source is
disconnected
 Return operating controls back to neutral or
off position
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