Electrical Safety

Avoiding electrical shocks both at home and at work requires awareness of the safety hazards and a respect for this “Silent Killer.”  The human body has a low resistance to electricity, making it a good conductor, like most metals. Unlike metals however, the human body does not respond well when electricity passes through it.  Physical results include thermal burns, disruption of normal heart activity, severe muscle contractions, and even death.

In consideration of this serious hazard, ask yourself the following questions when surveying your work environment.

Are there:

• damaged outlets or outlet covers?
• areas with exposed wiring?
• electrical panel access doors damaged, missing, or open?
• places where water is dripping onto or pooled in the vicinity of any electrical panels?
• temporary or permanent wiring running across pooled water?
• any signs of damage to temporary or permanent wiring?
• tripped circuit breakers/blown fuses which show that too much current is flowing in a circuit.
  (This could be due to several factors, such as malfunctioning equipment or a short between conductors. You need to determine the cause in order to control the hazard.)
• posted signs warning of electrical hazards.

If any hazard is identified during your assessment, STOP. Do not perform the task until you have identified and resolved any potential dangers.

Electrocution is one of the leading causes of death in the workplace. More than half of these deaths are caused by two things: defective electrical equipment or failure to follow safe procedures. Even if an electric shock doesn’t kill you, it can still cause serious injuries.

Find out more about how CaravanFM makes Safety Our Overriding Priority.