Keeping the Lights On: How to Protect Electrical Workers and Electricians
There are so many things in the home and at work that we take for granted, that we just assume will turn on and function as we expect it to. The TV, the printer, the phone charger, or the dialysis machine – all items that need electricity to function. There are tens of thousands of electrical workers – in many capacities – working under the radar – and sometimes in dangerous situations, making sure that we continue to receive electricity to our homes and workplaces so that the technology like the examples mentioned above can work when you need it to.
What you need to know about electricity
Any electrical system can be very dangerous in certain circumstances. Something as trivial as changing a light bulb could turn into a fatal task if the device is not unplugged. Electricity is a form of energy that travels through conductors. Like most metals, the human body is an example of a conductor. Electricity will always take the quickest path to complete an electrical circuit and if that means traveling through a human body, then this is what will happen. Unfortunately, humans are significantly more conductive than the earth. This means that if there is no other conductor around that provides an easy and direct path, electrical currents will flow through our bodies instead. Four main injuries can result:
Electrocution
Electric shock
Electrical burns
Slips, trips, and falls
Direct contact with an electrical current could stop our heart from beating, cause our breathing to stop, or muscle spasms to occur. Contact can also cause thermal burns and other physical injuries. Direct contact with an electric current can cause workers to react erratically and fall, whether that be from a ladder or other height.
Who are electrical workers?
First of all, there are two general types of electricians. There is a lineman who you see outside working on powerlines and higher-voltage systems, and then there are wiremen who you might see performing repairs on a fuse box or circuit breaker in a school, office, or home. While there are definitely different safety hazards in both categories, they share the obvious common threat which is electricity.
So how do we protect these electricians, who often work alone and in hazardous circumstances? Unfortunately, the answer is not a simple one, but is absolutely possible and worth it with collaborative, thought-out planning. To help you with a somewhat complex problem, here are our essential steps to protecting electricians and those in the power systems repair field.
Keeping electrical workers safe
Provide proper, maintained equipment
Yes, an obvious point but because electricians are so dependent on their equipment and tools, we put this step up at number. Any type of tool is a serious safety hazard when not maintained and care for properly, but the equipment used by these workers is dangerous even when looked after and upgraded as needed. For wiremen, this includes sharp hole saws and wall chasers, and for linemen, this includes dangerous batter cutters and climbers that keep them away from the ground when working upon an electrical pole. Having approved, regularly maintained, and/or updated equipment could be the difference between life or death for these people. If defective equipment is identified, it must be repaired or replaced immediately and not used until this is done.
Provide proper PPE
Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is essential for the protection of electrical workers as they are exposed to live electrical currents, wires and cables. Because our bodies can act as electrical conductors, fatal electrocution is a real possibility. But electricians also can experience severe electrical burns from arc flashes and explosions. Approved and tested PPE can protect lone electrical workers from such horrible injuries and death with insulated safety gloves and flame-resistant clothing, industrial protective face shields and hard hats, protective eyewear, as well as arc flash protection hoods. Like the equipment, any PPE must be regularly inspected for any damage which is cause for immediate replacement. Sidenote: Your PPE may require safety training and education – plan ahead.
Make sure it’s covered
Exposed electrical luminaires, switches, receptacles, distribution boards, and junction boxes are a serious safety hazard to the public as well as electrical workers. It is your responsibility to make sure these areas and exposed metal parts are completely covered or protected from any human contact other than qualified industry professionals. At the very least, these devices should be protected with a fitted cover or an approved box. Additionally, keep an eye out for dead, abandoned, or disused electrical conductors or equipment and make sure they are disposed of or covered quickly and appropriately - those could even mean cordoning off an area to prevent public access to an electrical box or transformer.
Care for your cables
Every electrician, in any field, works with cables and wires of all kinds and as a result, a possible safety hazard waiting to happen. First of all, make sure all of your cables are not damaged in the slightest – if they are, stop use immediately and get a replacement. Adding to that point, ensure that the cable is protected or placed in an area where it will not be damaged. Secondly, make sure that how and where the cable will be used is approved by the proper authority ahead of time, it is fitted with approved and secured with cord-end attachment devices, and if needed, it is attached to a grounding conductor. Again, cords and cables must be regularly inspected for any damage.
Lone worker protection system
When an electrical worker goes out for a job or repair, the employer needs to know that the worker is safe and where they’ll be located. In this case, technology is the answer with a number of devices being developed over the past 20 years. For example, an automated lone worker monitoring system allows the worker to check in and out of their shift, confirming their safety, as well as provides the employer with their pinpoint location tracking should they need to send emergency help.
Watch your back
Lifting heavy objects is one of the leading causes of injury in the workplace. Electrical workers will need to use heavy equipment and will need to lift large objects from time to time. The OSHA recommends a few ways to avoid injury through planning, using your “power zone,” as well as using a different lifting approach for different objects. This is a particularly prevalent problem with lone workers as they do not have a coworker to help them move heavy objects and equipment. Managers should plan ahead, making sure that if any heavy lifting is required that day, there are enough workers to do so safely.
Safety hazards: slips, trips, and falls
Every workplace has the safety risk of slips, trips, and falls. Whether it’s a slippery walkway or tripping on a cord, there are multiple possible scenarios where a worker can experience such an injury. Electrical workers are even more prone to such injuries because they often work outside, in slippery conditions, and often work from heights such as ladders and utility poles which range from 40 ft (12 m) up to 120 ft (37 m). In these cases, any approved support devices like climbers and harnesses are required, but a fall detection safety device can also save lives as it sends for help when an impact is detected.
Plan ahead and be proactive
So you see that in order to fully protect electrical workers, a comprehensive safety plan – which doesn’t have to be expensive – must be in place that can effectively address the multiple safety hazards these people face every day. Not only is this plan proactive, preventing injuries before they occur, but they can also be reactive, making sure that should an emergency and injury take place, you are prepared to deal with it so the worker can go home safely to their family at the end of the day.
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) is a well-established labor union that represents nearly 1 million members in the US and Canada, providing safety guidance and resources including apprenticeship programs – all members are required to report serious lost-time accidents and fatalities. Research if there are any other local professional electrician groups that are great conduits for the latest safety information as well as opportunities to network with others in the industry who are also great wells of safety information and advice.