Electrical power equipment, like hot plates, circuit breakers, cable connectors, junction boxes, power supplies, lasers and etc, are essential elements of many applications. All these devices are very useful pieces of electrical equipment, but can also pose significant danger to operators. This is especially true if such electrical equipment is not protected and well maintained. Everyone who’s job includes electrical power equipment is at potential danger, because many of these electrical devices are working with high voltage and have high power requirements. Therefore, appropriate safety procedures need to be implemented and followed, so that the risks of potential electrical accidents and injuries can be minimized. Knowing how to use such devices is a priority and something that should not be ignored. Here are few electrical equipment safety tips that should be followed and respected by everyone in the electric industry.
Electrical Hazards
Main electrical hazards associated with the electrical equipment are fire and electric shocks.
Electric shocks happen when a human body becomes part of the electric circuit. This could happen when one person comes in contact with the wires of the electric circuit. The severity and the injuries from the electrical shocks can vary, and they depend on several factors like:
- the pathway through the human body
- the time or duration of the exposure
- the total amount of the electrical current
- whether the skin of the body is wet or dry.
It is well known that water is a good conductor of electricity. Because of this, the electrical current can flow very easily under wet conditions and through wet body skin. The affects and the injuries from electrical shocks are different and may vary from slight and low tingle to more severe burn injuries and even cardiac arrest that can lead to death. See the table bellow which shows the severity of injuries depending on the strength of the electrical current for 1 second duration of the electrical shock:
Milliampere Severity Of Injury 1
Slight reaction 5
Slight electrical shock, disturbing but not painful 10-30
Painful electrical shock 50-150
Very painful shock, muscular contraction, respiratory arrest 1000-4000
Ventricular fibrillation 10 000 +
Severe body burns, cardiac arrest and potential death
In relation with the electrical shocks, even the little sparks from the electrical equipment can lead to serious fires and explosions. Even the loss of the electrical power can lead to extremely dangerous situations.
To be continued…
