RelatedArticlesElectricalSafetyHazardsOSHATop10ElectricalSafetySummaryElectricalSafetyQuickTips#266Electricityisapowerfulsourceofenergythatpowerslights,tools,machineryandmanyotherdevicesnecessaryforourday-to-daywork.Electricitycanalsobeahazardcausinginjuryordeath.ExpertsintheelectricalindustrylooktotheNationalElectricCode(NEC)fortheelectricalsafetystandardsonhowtocorrectlyassembleandmaintainelectricalcircuitsandtheNationalElectricSafetyCode(NESC)forthebasicprovisionsforsafeguardingpersonsfromhazardswheninstalling,operatingormaintainingelectriccurrents.OSHArecognizedtheimportanceoftheNECandincludedthe1971editionintoSubpartKofthe29CFR1926fortheconstructionindustry.Theyhavesincemadeupdates,revisedandclarifiedthestandardtomakeitmoreflexibleinordertoeliminatetheneedfortheconstantrevisiontokeeppacewiththeNEC,whichisupdatedevery3years.Forthegeneralindustry,OSHAhasdedicated29CFR1910SubpartStoelectricalsafety.OnFebruary14,2007,OSHApublishedafinalrulerevisingtheelectricalinstallationstandardsfoundinSubpartSthatareintendedtoreducetheriskofinjuryanddeathcausedbyunsafeelectricalinstallations.ThisrevisedstandardbecameeffectiveonAugust13,2007.Someoftherequirementsofsections29CFR1910.303through1910.308donotapplytoallelectricalinstallations.Itcanbedifficulttodeterminewhichrequirementsapplytotheinstallationbasedonthetimeperiodinwhichtheequipmentwasbuiltorlastmodified.ToremedythisproblemOSHAhasdevelopedaninteractiveeTooldesignedtoassistemployersdeterminingwhatregulationappliestothembasedonthedateofinstallationormodificationoftheequipment.ElectricityandItsEffectsontheBodyInorderforelectricitytowork,acompletecircuitmadeofaconductor,aloadorelectricity-consumingdeviceandagroundisneeded.Electricitywillflowthroughtheconductortotheloadandfinallytothegroundtocompletethecircuit.Electricitywillfollowthepathofleastresistancetoground—similartowaterinapipelinethatflowsoutofavalvewhenitisopened.Electricitybecomesdangerouswhenyoubecomepartofthecircuit,becausetheclosestpathtogroundmaybethroughyou,causinganelectricalshock.Whenyouareshockedbyelectricity,yourmusclescontract.Ifthelungsareinvolvedinthepathofthecircuit,voluntaryrespirationcanbehalted.Iftheheartisinvolved,fibrillationcanoccurresultinginheartfailure.Aslittleas50milliamperescancausedeath.Itisimportanttorealizethatanelectricalshockmaynotbestrongenoughtocauseafatalitybutitcouldcauseyoutofallorjolttodangeroussurroundings.Fordetailsontheeffectselectricityhasonthebody,seetable1.QualifiedPersonnelvs.UnqualifiedPersonnelThe29CFR1910SubpartSidentifiestwotypesofpeoplethatmaycomeintocontactwithelectricalequipmentonajobsite:qualifiedandunqualified.Aqualifiedpersonisonewhohasbeentrainedtoavoidelectricalhazardswhenworkingonornearexposedenergizedpartsandis:•Familiarwiththesafety-relatedworkpracticesrequiredin29CFR1910.331-1910.335•Abletodistinguishexposedlivepartsofelectricalequipment•KnowledgeableoftheskillsandtechniquesusedtodeterminethenominalvoltagesofexposedpartsAnunqualifiedpersonissomeonewhohaslittleornotrainingregardingelectricalhazards.Eventhoughunqualifiedpersonsmaynotbeexposedtoenergizedparts,trainingshouldstillbeprovidedsotheycanbefamiliarwithanynecessaryelectricalsafetypractice.ElectricalSafetyPracticesatWorkSafeworkpracticesareusedtopreventelectricalshockorsimilarinjuriesbykeepingworkersawayfromenergizedequipmentorcircuitsandbytrainingqualifi...
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