Chapter Seven - Electrical Safety
and Lock-out/Tag-out

Basic Electrical safety Guidelines

Occupational electrocutions continue to be a serious problem throughout the United States.  Data obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Annual Survey indicate that approximately 10% of all occupational fatalities are due to electrocutions.

If you are not a qualified electrician you should not be servicing any electrical equipment.  If you are a qualified individual, always be aware of your work environment and exercise safe working procedures.

• Keep your work area clean and orderly.  This reduces the chance of accidents and prevents the accumulation of combustibles as well as flammable materials in the workplace.

• Never work around a source of electricity when you, your surroundings, your clothing, or your tools are wet.

• Remove all metal jewelry, rings, and watches before working on electrical equipment.

• Inspect all tools before use for damaged housing and frayed or damaged power cords.

• Use insulated hand tools and double insulated power tools.

• Never remove the 3rd grounding prong from an electrical cord.

• Permanently remove frayed or defective extension cords from the workplace.

• Use Ground Fault Interrupters (GFI's) when working outside, near wet areas or when using extension cords.  GFI's help to protect you from serious electrical shocks and burns by sensing the amount of current going into the piece of equipment and the amount of current going out.  If this current differs by as much as 5 milliamps the GFCI will trip within 1/40th of a second.  To learn more about GFI's click on "When to use GFI's and how they work".

• Maintain at least 10 feet clearance while working near overhead power lines.

• Obey proper lockout/tagout procedures to ensure the safety of everyone.

Last Update: 2006-09-21