Electrical safety

RSS

Simply put, “lockout/tagout is a safety procedure used to make sure equipment and machines are properly shut off and not able to start during maintenance or repair work,” the Texas Department of Insurance says. “This is known as controlling hazardous energy.”

Electrical incidents happen daily, putting lives and operational continuity at risk. However, there are ways companies can reduce the occurrence of these incidents and protect everyone concerned from the physical, financial, and statutory consequences.

From 1992 to 2005, at least 154 workers were killed after a metal ladder they were using came in contact with an overhead power line, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data cited in a recent NIOSH review.

Contact with electricity is one of the leading causes of fatalities in construction, according to OSHA.

Struggling to figure out how to remove or minimize human error in the workplace? The simple answer is to adopt a three-step technological approach of “monitor, inspect and manage” to create an ecosystem of safety-focused operations that remove the human element’s risk.

Although ever-present and used on a daily basis, electrical equipment requires constant awareness of its associated hazards, as well as training on appropriate use, storage and maintenance, the Indiana Department of Labor reminds employers and workers.

Portable generators can be found in many workplaces. Among the risks users face, according to OSHA, are shocks and electrocution from improper use of power or unintentionally energizing other electrical systems, and fires from improperly refueling the generator or not storing fuel correctly.

A 16-year-old worker died after his ladder came in contact with a power line.

On-the-job electrical hazards are more common than people may realize.

Heads up, workers: Power lines can be serious and potentially fatal hazards when proper safety precautions are not followed.