Electrical Safety Basic Training for Non-Electricians | Schneider Electric
Summary
TLDRThis video script emphasizes the importance of electrical safety on job sites, highlighting the potential dangers of electricity and the necessary precautions to mitigate risks. It covers hazard identification, proper training, GFCI use, lockout/tagout procedures, equipment inspection, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The script also addresses the need for emergency response planning and the importance of recognizing and rectifying electrical hazards to ensure a safe working environment.
Takeaways
- 🔍 Always perform a hazard assessment to identify potential electrical hazards on the job-site.
- ⚠️ Do not disregard other hazards; they require the same focus and respect as electrical hazards.
- 👷♂️ Ensure only qualified personnel operate or repair electrical equipment to avoid risks like electric shock or arc flash.
- 🚫 Never attempt to perform work without proper training and experience in handling electricity.
- 🔌 Use Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) when working in wet or moist locations to reduce the risk of electric shock.
- 💡 Check GFCI units regularly by bump testing to ensure they are functioning correctly.
- 💡 Ensure adequate lighting in the work area to prevent accidents caused by poor visibility.
- 🔒 Deenergize electrical equipment when working around it using a lockout/tagout system to eliminate shock risk.
- 🔍 Regularly inspect electrical cords and tools for damage to prevent personal injury and ensure they are in good working order.
- 🧯 Know the locations of fire extinguishers suitable for electrical fires and be aware of site-specific permitting controls.
- ⚠️ Be vigilant about overhead and ground hazards, such as power lines and high voltage sources, and always call before digging.
- 👀 Recognize and report abnormal equipment conditions like open panels, exposed wiring, or sparks as they may indicate dangerous situations.
- 👔 Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) including fire-resistant clothing and electric shock-resistant footwear.
- 🛡️ Understand and follow the CSA Z462 standard for electrical workers to identify hazards and use the necessary specialized PPE.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of the electrical awareness video?
-The primary focus of the video is on identifying hazards around electricity on the job-site and ensuring that workers properly identify and mitigate these hazards to work safely around electricity.
Why is it important to perform a hazard assessment for tasks other than working with electricity?
-It is important to perform a hazard assessment for all tasks because every job has its own set of hazards that require attention and respect to prevent accidents and ensure safety on the job-site.
What are the potential consequences of ignoring electrical hazards?
-Ignoring electrical hazards can lead to devastating effects such as electric shock, arc flash, severe internal and external burns, and even death.
Who should be involved in the operation or repairs of electrical equipment?
-Only qualified personnel with the proper training and experience should be involved in the operation or repairs of electrical equipment.
What is an electric shock and how can it affect a worker?
-Electric shock occurs when a worker approaches or contacts exposed energized electrical equipment. The effects can range from a tingling sensation to involuntary muscle contraction, respiratory paralysis, ventricular fibrillation, and severe burns, potentially leading to death.
What is an arc flash and what dangers does it pose?
-An arc flash is a dangerous event that results from two electrical components sustaining an arcing fault, followed by a blast wave containing molten metal, shrapnel, and toxic gases. It poses a significant risk to workers in the vicinity.
Why is it necessary to seek medical attention after any exposure to electrical shock or flash?
-Medical attention is necessary because the effects of electrical shock or flash can be severe and may not be immediately apparent, requiring professional assessment and treatment.
What is a GFCI and why is it important in electrical safety?
-A GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter) is a device that monitors the balance of electricity flow and can detect minor imbalances, tripping to reduce the risk of electric shock. It is important for electrical safety, especially in wet, moist, or exterior locations.
What is the recommended practice when working directly around electrical equipment?
-The recommended practice is to deenergize the equipment, which removes the potential for electrical shock by removing power. This can be achieved through the proper use of a lockout/tagout system.
What should be done before using any electrical cords or tools?
-Before using any electrical cords or tools, they should be inspected individually to ensure they are in good working order. Faulty equipment can lead to personal injury and pose a risk to everyone on the job-site.
Why is it important to know the locations of fire extinguishers on the job-site?
-Knowing the locations of fire extinguishers is important because they are a crucial safety measure in case of electrical fires. Fire extinguishers rated safe for electrical fires, such as dry chemical type ABC, should be readily accessible.
What is the significance of recognizing equipment in an abnormal condition?
-Recognizing equipment in an abnormal condition, such as an open electrical panel, exposed wiring, sparks, smoke, or fire, is significant because it indicates a potentially dangerous situation that requires immediate attention and caution.
What are some common PPE requirements for job-sites?
-Common PPE requirements include cotton or fire-resistant pants, shirts with minimum 6-inch to full-length sleeves, electric shock-resistant or static-dissipative footwear, Type one and two class E and G protective headwear, high vis clothing, safety glasses, and work gloves.
What is the CSA standard Z462 and why is it important for electrical workers?
-The CSA standard Z462 is a set of guidelines that competent workers need to be trained on to help identify hazards associated with electrical sources, understand what controls can be best used, and be aware of the additional specialized PPE required, such as arc flash clothing and arc flash face shields.
What should you do if a co-worker is being shocked and you cannot deactivate the power source?
-If you cannot deactivate the power source, you should never come in direct contact with the worker as you may become entrapped in the shock cycle. Instead, activate your emergency response plan to handle the situation safely.
Outlines
🔌 Electrical Safety and Hazard Awareness
This paragraph emphasizes the importance of electrical safety on job sites, highlighting the need to identify and mitigate hazards associated with electricity. It underscores that electricity is omnipresent in daily life and can be safely managed with proper training and awareness. The paragraph warns about the severe consequences of ignoring electrical hazards, such as electric shock and arc flash, and stresses the necessity of qualified personnel for electrical operations. It also introduces the concept of field level hazard assessments and the use of Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) to prevent electric shock. Additionally, it advises on the importance of adequate lighting, deenergizing equipment, and understanding lockout/tagout procedures to ensure safety.
🚨 Advanced Electrical Precautions and Emergency Response
The second paragraph delves into more specific electrical safety measures, including the marking of power lines and the legal requirement for line locates before ground disturbance. It discusses the regulations on minimum work distances from high voltage sources and the importance of recognizing abnormal equipment conditions as potential hazards. The paragraph also addresses the increased risk of electric shock in the presence of water and the need for proper personal protective equipment (PPE). It outlines the standards for electrical workers as per the CSA Z462 and the specialized PPE required for tasks around energized equipment. The summary concludes with guidance on emergency response in case of electrical shock incidents, emphasizing the importance of not using PPE as a substitute for hazard control and the steps to take to ensure safety while working with electricity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Electrical Awareness
💡Hazard Assessment
💡Electric Shock
💡Arc Flash
💡GFCI (Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter)
💡Deenergizing
💡Lockout/Tagout
💡Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
💡CSA Standards Z462
💡Emergency Response Plan
💡Field Level Hazard Assessment
Highlights
The video emphasizes the importance of identifying hazards around electricity on the job-site, alongside other hazards, for a comprehensive safety approach.
Electricity is an essential element in daily life, but can be dangerous if not handled properly on the job-site.
Workers must properly identify and mitigate electrical hazards to ensure safety.
Only qualified personnel should operate or repair electrical equipment to prevent accidents.
Inadequate training and lack of experience can lead to electric shock or arc flash incidents.
Electric shock can cause a range of effects from tingling to severe internal and external burns, or even death.
Arc flash can result in a blast wave containing molten metal, shrapnel, and toxic gases.
Any worker exposed to electrical shock or flash must seek medical attention, regardless of severity.
Field level hazard assessments are crucial for identifying potential electrical hazards.
A walk-through of the job-site using sight, sound, and smell can help identify electrical hazards.
All power tools and equipment should be connected to a GFCI for safety in wet or moist conditions.
GFCI units must be bump tested to ensure they are functioning correctly.
Adequate lighting is mandatory in the work area to prevent accidents.
Deenergizing equipment is recommended to prevent electrical shock by removing power.
Lockout/tagout procedures are essential for understanding and safely handling electrical equipment.
Inspection of electrical cords and tools is necessary to ensure they are in good working order.
Knowing the location of fire extinguishers and having the correct type for electrical fires is important.
Compliance with site-specific policies regarding permits and controls is crucial for safety.
Overhead hazards, such as power lines, must be considered and marked to prevent accidents.
Line locates are legally required before any ground disturbance to avoid high voltage hazards.
Occupational Health and Safety regulations provide minimum work distances from high voltage sources.
Recognition of abnormal equipment conditions like open panels, exposed wiring, or sparks is vital for safety.
Water or liquids increase the risk of electrical shock and should be handled with caution.
Seeking solutions from appropriate personnel is essential when encountering unrectifiable hazards.
Common PPE requirements include fire-resistant clothing, protective headwear, and safety glasses.
CSA standard Z462 provides guidelines for competent workers to identify electrical hazards and use specialized PPE.
PPE should not be used as a substitute for hazard control or removal but as a last line of defense.
In case of a co-worker being shocked, deactivating the power source and following the emergency response plan is crucial.
Executing sound judgment, following safe work procedures, and using proper equipment ensures safe work around electricity.
Transcripts
[MUSIC PLAYING]
This electrical awareness video is focused on identifying hazards
around electricity on the job-site.
All other hazards on the job require the same focus and respect while
performing your hazard assessments.
And should not be disregarded or have any less importance placed on them.
Electricity is all around us.
It is an essential element in our daily lives.
Nearly everything we do is connected with electricity.
On the job-site, working around electricity
can be very safe when workers properly identify and mitigate the hazards.
If hazards are ignored, electricity can strike out,
and its effects can be devastating.
As with any task on the job-site, you should never
attempt to perform work without the proper training and experience.
Only qualified personnel should be involved in the operation
or repairs of electrical equipment.
Inadequate training, lack of experience, and failure
to recognize potential hazards could result in electric shock or arc flash.
Electric shock can occur when a worker approaches or contacts
exposed energized electrical equipment.
Workers' exposure to electric shock can vary
from a tingling sensation to involuntary muscle contraction causing
respiratory paralysis, ventricular fibrillation,
and severe internal and external burns, and even death.
The victim is also at risk of other serious physical harm
such as falling from heights.
Arc flash results from two electrical components sustaining an arcing fault.
If conditions are correct an arc flash will result, followed by a blast wave
containing molten metal, shrapnel, and toxic gases.
No matter the severity, any worker exposed
to any level of electrical shock or flash must seek medical attention.
While electricity has the power to seriously harm you,
the risks of electrical shock can be mitigated.
And work can be safely carried out without incident.
Electrical safety begins with the proper use of field level hazard assessments,
and identifying the potential hazards.
Your hazard assessment is the first step in protecting you
and everyone else on your job-site from any associated hazards, which
may include electric shock.
A brief inspection of your job-site will help identify
other potential electrical hazards.
While performing your walk-through, look, listen, and smell.
This will assist you in identifying the hazards on your site.
All power tools and equipment should be plugged into a GFCI, this is a must
when working in wet, moist, or exterior locations.
Ground-fault circuit interrupters monitor
the balance of electricity flow.
And can detect even minor imbalances, and will trip,
reducing the risk of electric shock.
Bump testing the GFCI before for must be done to ensure the unit
is functioning properly.
By pressing the Test button, the receptacle should trip.
Pushing the Reset button should restore power to the GFCI.
If this fails, the GFCI unit is defective,
and must be taken out of service.
Adequate lighting is a must in your work area.
If light levels are too low, additional lighting
must be installed on either a temporary or permanent basis.
Whenever working directly around electrical equipment,
the deenergizing of equipment is the recommended practice.
Deenergizing equipment removes the potential for electrical shock
as power is removed.
This can be achieved with the proper use of a lockout/tagout system.
While basic procedures may vary from site-to-site, it is essential for you
to understand the lockout/tagout procedure being used at your job-site.
One thing that does not change from site-to-site,
however, is that you may never remove another party's
lock in a lockout/tagout system.
Before using any electrical cords or tools,
always inspect individual items to ensure they are in good working order.
Faulty equipment can lead to personal injury, and poses a risk to all those
on a job-site.
If items are damaged or are in poor working condition, tag the item,
and take it out of service for repair or replacement.
Always know the locations of fire extinguishers on your site.
These should be rated safe for use with electrical fires.
Common practice is the use of a dry chemical type ABC fire extinguisher.
Depending on the type of work you're doing, a hot work or electrical permit
may be required.
Always ensure you're in compliance with your site-specific policies
and procedures regarding permitting controls.
Always consider overhead hazards in your work area.
Power lines are an ever-present danger due to the possibility
of electrical or direct contact, and should always be marked.
High voltage hazards can also be in the ground.
Line locates are required by law before any ground disturbance takes place.
Always call before you dig.
Occupational Health and Safety regulates minimum work distances
to electrical sources with certain voltages,
and should be referred to before working near any high voltage sources.
It is extremely important to recognize equipment
in an abnormal condition such as an open electrical panel, exposed
wiring, sparks, smoke, or fire.
When you encounter this situation, use the look, listen, and smell approach,
as this is an immediate cue that extra caution should be used.
And may indicate a potentially dangerous situation is present.
Water or liquids pose additional risk of electrical shock
due to high conductivity.
The hazard should be removed, only after the area is deenergized.
If you recognize a hazard that you cannot rectify,
ensure that you ask questions and seek solutions from the appropriate
personnel on-site.
Do not take it for granted that other workers understand
the scope of your work or that there is a potential danger to you or to them.
Common PPE requirements on job-sites include cotton or fire-resistant pants.
A cotton or fire-resistant shirt with a minimum 6 inch to full length sleeve.
Electric shock-resistant or static-dissipative footwear.
Type one and two class E and G protective headwear.
Additional high vis clothing, safety glasses, and work gloves.
For electrical workers that conduct their tasks around energized equipment,
you should be aware of the CSA standards Z462.
Competent workers need to be trained to this standard, which
will help identify the hazards associated around electrical sources.
What controls can be best used, as well as the additional specialized PPE
required, such as arc flash clothing, arc
flash face shield, rubber-insulated gloves which
include leather protectors, and more.
PPE is your last line of defense.
Do not use PPE as a substitute for the opportunity
to control or remove existing hazards.
In the event that all safeguard systems have failed
and a co-worker is being shocked, never come in direct contact with the worker
or you may become entrapped in the shock cycle.
If possible, deactivate the power source,
and activate your emergency response plan.
Working around electricity can be performed safely and without incident.
By executing sound judgment and diligent observations in order
to create your field level hazard assessment
And by following the proper safe work procedures, you'll be well on your way
to completing your task without incident.
Remember the importance of using the proper equipment in good condition.
And by wearing the proper personal protective equipment.
By employing all these safeguards, not only will you
help keep yourself and your co-workers safe,
you'll help ensure that you'll return safely every day to the people who
count on you the most.
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