Effective Electrical Safety for Construction Workers

Electrical Safety in Construction Industry

Today we’re going to cover electrical safety in construction industry. With electricity’s many wonders, jobs that usually take hours to finish can be accomplished in a matter of minutes. You can do anything from ironing clothes to washing dishes to preserving food. We could go on and on writing on this web page yet the space won’t be enough to list the many uses of electricity in the workplace.

But with its efficiency comes great danger. Many times electrical hazards have become the cause of injuries and fatalities in the workplace. It’s actually one of the leading causes of accidents in construction sites which is why having electrical safety training is important.

Like other serious hazards, electrical shock is not inevitable. What sets it apart, though, from other workplace perils is that it is often the beginning of a series of accidents. Its final injury may be a burn, cut, broken bone or a fall. The most common among these is burn and it may come in the form of electrical burns, arc burns, and thermal contact burns.

First Step, One Big Precaution

The first step towards electrical safety is controlling or eliminating factors in your workplace that pose electrical hazards. Ground fault electrical shock happens to be the most common electrical hazard in construction sites.

OSHA’s standard requires that employers provide ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) for receptacle outlets. Another is providing assured equipment grounding conductor program. Either of these methods can eliminate hazards in ground fault electric shock.

Training, Training, and More Training

Workers play a big part in eliminating and controlling electrical hazards in your workplace. You can make sure that they use safe work practices by providing them with appropriate training. This includes giving them copies of safety meetings and emergency plans for electrical hazards.

Only “qualified” persons should work directly with exposed energized parts. High voltages, grounding, electric current, arcing and the lack of guarding are among the inherent hazards of electricity these “qualified” persons should be familiar with.

Always use electrical protective equipment. Specialized PPE may consist of rubber insulating gloves, sleeves, hoods, matting, line hose, blankets, and industrial protective helmets.

We have complete OSHA compliant safety solutions for all your needs. Call (877) 201-8923 today to speak with one of our highly skilled safety experts about electrical safety in construction industry.

For additional information about safety equipment and hazards in the workplace, just click on the following links:

• PPE and How It Can Save Your Life – Part 1
• PPE and How It Can Save Your Life – Part 2
• Learn Safety with the Professionals
• Remember Your Safety Gear