People should always feel safe - comfort might not always be possible, but safety is necessary. Safety at home comes from a person taking care of themselves. While at work, it is both the worker and the manager’s responsibility to ensure a safe work environment is possible for everyone.
Today we are going to talk about electrical safety in the workplace. Whether you work for a commercial company or have a home workshop, most of the rules and guidelines we suggest will be the same. Avoid injury or even worse by following our suggestions below.
Rule #1: Power Disconnect
Disconnect any power source when you work on it. Whether you plan on doing maintenance, repairing, or servicing an electrical unit in another way, make sure any power source has no connection.
Rule #2: Non-Conductive Handles
Make sure the equipment and tools you use have non-conductive handles. This rule becomes more important for working on electrical devices.
Rule #3: No Metal in your Utensils or Clothing
Metal seems to be everywhere. Make sure you remove metallic rulers, pencils, rings, watches, or anything else with conductive metal when working with electronics. Do a check before you start work each time.
Rule #4: Tight Clothing Only
Loose clothing can get caught in machinery. Make sure only to wear tight-fitting clothing around the equipment.
Rule #5: Dry, Non-Conductive Hands/Gloves
Sometimes it’s necessary to hold equipment that has power. Make sure your hands are dry. If possible, put on non-conductive gloves and wear insulated shoes.
Rule #6: Cold Room and Condensation Warning
Try not to use electrical equipment in cold rooms or rooms with condensation. If it is impossible to avoid such a setting, have your equipment wall-mounted.
Rule #7: Turn Off Power for Spills
Sometimes water or chemicals get spilled. If the spill occurs on the equipment, turn off the power (at the circuit breaker if possible), then unplug the equipment with the spill.
Rule #8: Listen for Electrical Tingling
If you hear an electrical tingle from your equipment, act quickly. Disconnect the equipment and have the machinery repaired before continued use.
Rule #9: Hands on Your Own
Keep your hands on your own equipment. Avoid touching another worker's equipment unless they permit you to do so. There may be a situation you are not aware of going on with their machinery.
Rule #10: Back of Your Hand Check
Use the back of your hand to check electrical equipment. For instance, you can use this technique to check if a motor has overheated.
Electrical Safety Starts with You - But Professionals Can Improve It
There you have it. Follow those guidelines to have better electrical safety in your workplace, whether you work for fun, for someone else, or for yourself. Electric Blue Inc can help you or your business set up electrical safety protocols in your workplace to provide better safety for all. We have experience providing electrical repairs, installations, and maintenance for homes as well as commercial and industrial buildings.