The Basics of Electrical Safety

8/14/2019 The Basics of Electrical Safety

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2009

Rob Vajko

8/19/2009

The Basics of Electrical Safety

Like a tiger cub that has grown

up, we tend to be so used to

electricity that we can easily

forget how dangerous it can be.


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www.nationalsafetyinc.com

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National Safety, Inc.

Electricity and the human body

Direct Injuries

Direct injuries are injuries that are directly due to contact with electricity.

The severity of the injury will depend on three factors:

1. The path that the current takes as it travels through the body. One of the reasons thatelectricity is so often fatal is that the point of entry and the point of exit usually goes through

the heart. The point of entry is usually a hand. The electrical current exits through whichever

point of the body is grounded. This is usually the foot which is in contact with the ground or

some other point of contact or the other hand which is touching something else. The heart isright in the middle of both of these paths.

2. The amount of current that travels through the body3. The amount of time that the current is in the body. The longer the currant is in the body the

more damage it inflicts.

The soft tissues in the body, partly because of the high water content, are the most affected. This means

that the greatest damage is done to vital organs like the heart, the liver, etc

As little as 3 milliamps will result in shock. By 10 milliamps or so the body will start having muscular

contractions. By 30 milliamps the person will start experiencing respiratory paralysis, by 50 heart

paralysis. Anything over this has a high chance of being fatal. At 75 milliamps the heart can go into

fibrillation which brings about death unless a defibrillator is used in time. Tissue burning and scalding is

also present above 4-5 amps.

A simple Google image search under Electrical Burns will turn up enough photos to drive home the

severity of this form of injury (Not a recommended search for those with weak stomachs)

Additionally, because the softer tissue is beneath the skin (dry skin is a very poor conductor. Moisture in

the skin, however, rapidly increases the conductivity) many of these burns happen under the skin and

arent visible until imaging and other medical techniques are used.

Indirect Injuries

In addition to the direct injuries we have what we are calling indirect injuries. Indirect injuries are

injuries that are caused by trauma as a result spasms or falls causes by an electrical jolt. Because

electricity causes muscles spasms and because people react to electrical shock, many of the injuries are

not a direct result of the electrical current but rather because of a fall or blow due to the reaction to the

shock.
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Falls are the most common of these. A worker who gets an electric shock falls and injures himself or killshimself as a result of the fall. Other reactions to the shock can cause a worker to injury himself by

slamming into an object, dropping equipments or tools.

In this category of indirect injuries we also need to list fires. Electrical shorts cause over 2,000 deaths

each year as well as billions of dollars of property damage. Especially susceptible are older homes with

old and faulty wiring.

Arc Flash Injuries

Arc Flash is a complete course in itself. Check out the arc flash section on our website at

www.nationalsafetyinc.com for a complete The Basics of Arc Flash Protection document as well as

other downloads and related articles.

Protecting against the hazards of electricity

The old adage that the problem with common sense is that it is common enough holds true here. Most

electrical injuries and fatalities could have been avoided with a little common sense and prevention.

Tips for working safely around electricity:

Make sure that GFCIs (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters) are installed in wall receptacles, circuitbreakers and portable plug-ins. There is no single thing that you can do to decrease the chance

of electrical injury in and around the house than this. Fire officials have estimated that some30,000 homes fires a year could be prevented by simply using GFCIs. Use extension cords with

built-in GFCI or that is plugged into a GFCI (Coleman Cable has a great one. See ithere)

Always turn off the power before moving or working on any electrical apparatus or machine. Inindustrial settings, be sure to read and apply safety procedures associated with lockout/tagout

(you can download The Basics of Lockout/Tagout from our website at

www.nationalsafetyinc.com under the lockout/tagout section)

Pay attention to the quality of the electrical and electronic equipment that you purchase.Although compliance agencies require testing and certification, there is an increase in

counterfeits that may bear all the seals of approval and certification but that are actually

forgeries that have been built with inferior parts and products. (For more information onelectrical counterfeits go to: http://esfi.org/node/565)

Avoid working with electricity around water and wet conditions. Never work on live circuit panels. The danger of arc flash is simply too great. Call a professional. Educate yourself on the proper use and hazards of improper use for all electrical equipment that

you use (power tools, space heaters, power generators, extension cords, etc).

Educate yourself and your children on any and home electrical safety issues.
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If the worse should happen Do not touch a person who is being electrocuted, the odds are that you will become another

victim rather than save the person.

To free the person who is being electrocuted look first for the source of source of power andturn if off.

If you cannot access the source of the power, use a non-conductive material to remove themfrom the electrical current (dry wood, cardboard or plastic)

Immediately call 911. Even if the person appears okay, there might be internal, non-visibleinjuries.

Lay the person down and elevate their legs. Begin CPR if the patient is no longer breathing. Treat any burns while waiting for help to arrive. For electrical fires, make sure that you use the appropriate fire extinguishers. Water only

increases the risk of electrocution.

Additional Resources:- http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/electrical/index.html - The OSHA site with a ton of information on all

things related to electrical safety.

- http://esfi.org The home of the Electrical Safety Foundation International.- http://www.elec-toolbox.com/Safety/safety.htm - The Electricians Toolbox Etc website
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The Basics of Electrical Safety

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