Safety tips when working with electricity

What is meant by “Electrical Safety”?

Electrical safety refers to the practise of handling & maintaining devices that are powered by electricity in a way that will avoid accidents from occurring. It is necessary to have enough training in order to correctly detect and prevent hazards in order to maintain a safe environment for people who are nearby.

When working with electricity, it is very necessary to use extreme care and adopt all necessary safety measures.The importance of safety cannot be overstated, and prior to that, some guidelines must be adhered properly.

While working with electricity, it is important to maintain attention to the fundamental standards surrounding electrical safety that are listed here.

What are the 12 electrical safety rules?

1. Prevent electrical components from making contact with wet locations
2. Ensure to disconnect plugging (unplug) safely
3. Install tidy, properly folded and thoroughly cleaned electrical cables
4. Get familiarised with switchboard
5. Be careful of electrical lines
6. Protect the connection outlets from children
7. Investigate Flickering Lights
8. Install warning signs & display cautionary notices
9. Don’t DIY ( do-it-yourself)
10. Call for help
11. Allow enough room for air circulation around equipment to minimise overheating
12. Check that all of fixtures and appliances are utilising the right wattage

Safety rule – 1 – Prevent electrical components from making contact with wet locations

At a distance of 5 feet minimum, liquids should be kept from all electrical components and power sources. Electrical accidents including

• Electrical shock,
• Ground-fault,
• Fires,
• Overheating, and
• Degradation of wire insulation

may be avoided by installing Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs).

Safety rule – 2 – Ensure to disconnect plugging (unplug) safely

When need to disconnect electrical equipment, pull gently by the plug rather than jerking forcefully on the electrical cable. Pulling on the chord may cause the electrical cable to get damaged, which in turn can result in an electric shock.

Safety rule – 3 – Install tidy, properly folded and thoroughly cleaned electrical cables

A good electrical installation comprises of electrical equipment that is permanently installed and electrical cables that are hidden from view and out of reach of animals that could bite on them.

Safety rule – 4- Get familiarised with switchboard

A switchboard is a safety appliance that protects and separates the operator from the electrical current.

This protection and isolation is provided by the switchboard. It does this by

• Splitting,
• Distributing, and
• Metered the flow of electrical power to the various components and devices.

This allows it to manage the flow of energy.

The quantity of electrical power that goes into the switchboard should be comparable to the amount of power that it distributes. This provides optimal performance and safety.

In addition, it has the potential to create overheating, which might then result in a fire.

Safety rule – 5- Be careful of electrical lines

Before climbing a tree (or) a ladder, as well as each time working at a height, make sure and aware of any adjoining electricity lines.

Safety rule – 6 – Protect the connection outlets from children

When there are young children in the area, it is important to protect them from being electrocuted by using outlet covers.

Safety rule – 7 – Investigate Flickering Lights

Have the flickering lights checked out and corrected, as this might be caused by weak connections elsewhere (or) the bulb component needing to be secured or changed. This should be done as quickly as feasible.

Safety rule – 8 – Install warning signs & display cautionary notices

When there is high voltage in the area and people need to be alerted about it, use signage that are clear and visible to the public.

Safety rule – 9 – Don’t DIY ( do-it-yourself)

The majority of do-it-yourself projects actually make problems worse rather than solving them. If there are ever any problems with the electricity in the house, it is better to have a professional for fixing issues.

Safety rule – 10 – Call for help

In the case of an emergencies, do not be uncertain to phone the emergency services; they will be there to guide through the procedures  need to do in order to assist the situation in a safe manner until assistance comes.

Safety rule – 11 – Allow enough room for air circulation around equipment to minimise overheating

Without enough air circulation, electrical equipment runs the risk of overheating and shorting out, which increases the risk of an electrical fire. Make sure that there is enough air circulation in the appliances, and try to avoid utilising any electrical equipment in closed cabinets. To maintain the highest level of electrical safety, keep flammable items at least three feet away from all of the appliances and electronic devices. Take close attention to the gas (or electric) dryer, which is required to be kept at a distance of at least one foot from the wall in order to operate safely.

Safety rule – 12 – Check that all of fixtures and appliances are utilising the right wattage

Using the appropriate bulbs will help to avoid electrical difficulties, so make sure using correct wattage in all of the lights, fixtures, and appliances. If the wattage of a light fixture is not specified, use 60-watt bulbs (or) less. Choose 25-watt bulbs for unmarked ceiling fittings.

Safety precautions while operating electrical equipment

It is always adequate to manage all possible electrical hazards by having a safe working environment. One have to be very careful and maintain a safe working environment. Safety standards allow to limit the danger of injury (or) death caused by risks in work, both for oneself and for others.

When working on electrical circuits (or) with electrical tools & equipment, it are required to observe the safety precaution guidelines outlined in the following:

1. Avoid getting into touch with any energised circuits.
2. Always proceed assuming that the equipment are working with is either active or energised.
3. Before maintaining or repairing electrical equipment, be sure that the power supply is disconnected.
4. When working on electrical devices, be sure that only to use tools and equipment with handles that do not conduct electricity.
5. When working with electrical equipment, should never use metallic pencils (or) rulers, wear rings or metal watchbands, or use metallic watchbands. It is quite simple to ignore this guideline, which is particularly true when  pointing out some electrical component with a metallic pencil.
6. When it is required to handle electrically charged equipment, make sure that hands are dry and, where it is practicable to do so, use gloves that do not conduct electricity, protective clothing, & shoes with insulated bottoms.
7. Work with just one hand when it is safe to do so, keeping the other hand at the side or in the pocket, away from any conductive substance that may be working with. Because to this safety measure, there will be a far lower chance of an accident involving electricity flowing through the chest cavity.
8. Reduce as much as possible the amount of times that electrical equipment is used in or any other situations where is probable. If one are required to utilise equipment in such situations, then should mount the equipment on a wall (or) a vertical panel.
9. In the event that water (or) a chemical is spilled onto equipment, the power should be turned off at the main switch (or) the equipment should be unplugged.
10. Under NO circumstances should attempt to remove water or anything similar from equipment while it is energised.
11. Do not touch the individual, the equipment, or the cable if it seems that they have come into contact with a live electrical conductor. To turn off the electricity, either pull the plug out using a leather belt or disconnect the power supply from the circuit breaker.
12. Any piece of machinery that produces a “tingle” should be turned off immediately and reported to the manufacturer so that repairs may be made.
13. Do not try to remedy a mistake by inserting another fuse (or) breaker, especially one with a higher capacity. Also, do not depend on grounding to hide a flawed circuit.
14. Before working near the people, and be sure to preserve the short circuit on the terminals while doing the task to avoid electrical shock.
15. Place electrical connections and conductors inside of enclosures to prevent anybody from coming into unintended touch with them.
16. Never touch electrical equipment if the hands, feet, or body are wet or if one is sweating, and never handle electrical devices while standing on a damp floor.
17. Do not store and retain near electrical devices.
18. Be aware that the interlocks on the equipment will turn off the high voltage source once the cabinet door is opened, but the power may still be on for the control circuits.
19. De-energization of open experimental circuits & equipment to be left unattended.
20. Periodically electrical maintenance to be carried out.