NTT Blog

Electrical Safety Tips You Should Know on Day One

If you’ve been an electrician or apprentice for any length of time, you know that safety is essential in our industry: a careless worker who doesn’t heed his company’s safety protocol can injure themselves or others. Strict rules and guidelines, monitored by the organization, OSHA, have been developed by the government and industry to ensure the safety of those working with electricity, so it’s important that you and all your workers are up to speed on current electrical safety tips.

Over the years, you may have developed your own safety protocol, and if you’re conscientious, you probably err on the side of caution. No matter how safe you are, however, new codes, practices, and equipment emerge as the industry evolves. It’s sometimes hard to stay up to date, let alone, just refresh and reinforce what you already know.

Fortunately, skilled trainers are available to help you brush up on your knowledge and upgrade your skills. Here are a few of the things most electricians and apprentices should know and put into practice from the first day on the job.

Electrical Safety Tips for Day One of a New Job

Here are some basic safety recommendations to compare your first-day safety procedures against.

• Plan the job ahead of time: assemble the right tools for the job; consult procedures that you’ve mapped out prior, as well as pertinent drawings and documents.
• Ensure that equipment is isolated from power sources.
• Conduct a Walk-Thru Review of the job site for potential arc flash and electric shock hazards.
• Test conductors and circuits prior to touching them.
• Make good use of personal protective equipment, but remember it’s the last line of defense — rigorous safety procedures should be your first line.
• Don’t tackle jobs you’re not qualified for.
• Turn power off electrical equipment and conductors before working on them.
• Lockout and ground equipment before you work on it.
• Use insulated tools whenever possible.
• Power down and take precautions wherever contact with uninsulated overhead power lines is possible.

Training for Safety: How Electrical Safety Tips Can Help you Stay Safe

After reviewing the above procedures, you realize it’s time for an upgrade of your safety skills and electrical safety tips by calling in a trainer. If you’re an employer, what about training new employees to ensure they have an optimum understanding of safe procedures? Safety training is important not only for the physical wellbeing of the workforce, but also to maintain your company’s reputation for safety.

You may decide the best option is to bring outside trainers into the workplace to provide seminars and classes. Obviously, there’s a wide range of electrical safety topics to choose from, but here’s a sampling of some general electrical topics:

1. Arc flash electrical safety — Arc flash analysis, or identifying potential electrical hazards in a facility, is standard procedure for our industry, so a training course may sometimes be necessary. Such a course would teach how NFPA 70E (Standards for Electrical Safety in the Workplace) standards are used during both construction and maintenance of buildings and facilities, and why such safety procedures are important, as well as what should be done to ensure the business meets government standards (OSHA) for worker safety. Workers in NFPA 70E training would also learn what protective equipment is needed for safe work practices and how these standards apply to facilities.
2. High voltage electrical systems — As our electrical systems grow larger, workers need to complete tasks safely and efficiently near high voltage electrical systems. A safety seminar in this area would train workers under OSHA 1910.269 and the NESC (National Electrical Safety Code). Now, with a large increase in OSHA’s penalties for violations and more serious criminal negligence citations, it’s crucial that you, your contractors, and technicians are up to date. Learn how to create a safe work environment through an understanding electrical hazards and proper work and protection practices.
3. Codes and standards — Attendees will learn about compliance with codes and standards, both national and local, as well as how to make changes safely–in an effort to improve reliability and decrease down time at a facility. Pointers on how to get through inspections easier might also be provided. Other courses we provide include: NEC, NEC changes, Grounding and Bonding, Power Generation, Electrical Troubleshooting, and national fire alarm, signaling codes.

Are you interested in learning more about Electrical Safety training or seminars to improve your own skills or those of your employees? Contact NTT Inc. and speak to an advisor about our various electrical safety seminars.

For more information about National Technology Transfer or any of our programs click here: http://www.nttinc.com or http://www.nttinc.com/seminar-list-catalog/.