HOW TO REDUCE ELECTRICITY RELATED INJURIES AT WORK

To reduce your risk of electrical injury at work, it is important to understand the many electrical hazards that can exist in an office setting. We highlighted Some of these in our previous post.

We would highlight four main electricity-related injuries:

Electrocution

Shock

When you make contact with a live wire or equipment and you do not ground it, you allow the current to flow through the body;

Electrical burns

One of the most serious, painful and disfiguring of all burns. They typically occur on hands and feet where the current enters and exits the body; and

Secondary injuries

Which typically result from the effects of shock, such as being thrown to the ground or off of a ladder, causing indirect injuries.

To protect your workers, you should properly educate them and ensure that your office is safe and free of electrical hazards.

Here are some ideas:

Reduce the Voltage

Often portable equipment is available that is powered from a 110 volt supply through a simple transformer and these are often centre tapped to earth so that the maximum voltage between a live conductor and earth (the most common cause of electric shocks from equipment) is limited to 55V.

Correctly fit fuses

Basically, the fuse protects the device from overcurrent. They design it to ‘blow’ and cut off the electricity when the current exceeds its rated capacity. Similarly, it is important to ensure you use the correct fuse for the appliance.

Provide One or More Residual Current Device (RCD)

If you use an equipment operating at 230 volts or higher, an RCD (residual current device) can provide additional safety. RCD’s are therefore supplementary protection devices. However, they do not prevent an electrical shock but are able to limit the duration of some shocks by enabling the rapid disconnection of the electricity supply when an electrical shock takes place.  RCD’s are mandatory on all circuits supplying portable equipment. An RCD is a device which detects some, but not all, faults in the electrical system and rapidly switches off the supply. The best place for an RCD is to build it into the main switchboard or the socket-outlet.

Carry out preventative maintenance

You should maintain all electrical equipment and installations to prevent danger.

This should include an appropriate system of visual inspection and, where necessary, testing. We recommend that you inspect fixed installations. Also, a competent person should test them periodically. The frequency of inspections and any necessary testing will depend on the type of installation, how often it is used, and the environment in which it is used. In addition, users can help by reporting any damage or defects they find. Ensure that people who are working with electricity are competent to do the job. Even simple tasks such as wiring a plug can lead to danger – ensure that people know what they are doing before they start.

LuxxorPower helps to put safety systems in place to check electrical hazards.