Introduction to

Electrical Safety
NFPA 70E-1995 defines an Electrical
Hazard as

 “a dangerous condition, such that, inadvertent or

unintentional contact, or equipment failure, can result
in shock, arc flashburn, thermal burn, or blast.”
Electrical safety is defined in NFPA
70E-1995 as

 “recognizing hazards associated with the use of

electrical energy and taking precautions so that hazards
do not cause injury or death.”
NFPA 70E

NFPA 70E requirements for

safe work practices to
protect personnel by
reducing exposure to major
electrical hazards. Originally
developed at OSHA's
request.
Electrical Hazard and Electrical Safety

 understand the nature and consequences of electrical

hazards and the reasons for practicing electrical
safety.
Four main phases of protection from
electrical hazards.

 First, electrical installations should be designed and

constructed to be safe by complying with the criteria of
recognized and generally accepted good engineering
practices.

 PURPOSE OF PEC 1.0.1.1(a)

“Practical safeguarding of persons and
property from hazards arising from the use of
electricity”
Four main phases of protection from
electrical hazards.

 Second, the integrity of electrical equipment shall be

maintained with particular emphasis on enclosures,
insulation, operating mechanisms, grounding, and
circuit protective devices.
NEMA Enclosures
NEMA Enclosures
Overhead Insulators
Wire Insulation
 Conduits

 EMT
 RMC
 IMC
 FMC
 LFMC
 ENT
 PVC
Four main phases of protection from
electrical hazards.

 Third, unless there are serious overriding

circumstances, electrical equipment shall be placed in
an electrically safe work condition before personnel
work on or near it.
 Safe practices shall be used to establish an electrically
safe work condition.
10 rules for
workplace
electrical
safety
Four main phases of protection from
electrical hazards.

 Fourth, safe work practices

and adequate protective
equipment, tools, and test
equipment shall be
understood and used when
it is not feasible to establish
an electrically safe work
condition, or when de-
energizing would create a
greater hazard of another
kind.
 These electrical safety give guidance as to what needs
to be done to avoid creating dangerous conditions in
the first place, how to recognize them when they do
exist, and how to take appropriate precautions to
avoid having anyone injured or killed.
 Acronyms and abbreviations

 CPR cardiopulmonary resuscitation

 NEC National Electrical Code¨
 NEMA National Equipment/Electrical Manufacturers
Association
 NESC National Electrical Safety Code¨
 NFPA National Fire Protection Association
 OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
 UL Underwriters Laboratories
Exposure to electrical hazards
 Electrical hazard indicates that hazards can result
from poor physical condition of equipment or
facilities, sometimes simply called “unsafe
conditions.”
 It also indicates that injuries can result from the
careless or inadvertent actions of people, sometimes
simply called “unsafe acts.”
 Taking precautions means that safety considerations
regarding such conditions and actions should be
given to all aspects of electrical work, starting from
the initial design concept, through installation and
start-up, and continuing on into the post-operational
maintenance activities.
There are essentially three recognized kinds of injury
that may result while working on or
near electrical hazards:

a) Electrical shock;
b) Burns from contact, arcs, or flashes;
c) Impact from blasts.
 Electrical shock

 The electrical hazard of which most people are aware,

and the one that most electrical safety standards
have been built around, is the electrical shock hazard.

 Electrical shock affects human beings in the following

ways:
 Currents as small as a few milliamperes through the
heart can cause disruption of the natural electrical
signals that the heart uses to perform its normal
functions.
 Voltage levels as low as 50 V with low skin resistance
and current flowing through the chest area can cause
fibrillation, which can result in death.
 Electrical shock can damage human tissue where the
current enters and exits the body. Within the body,
the current can also damage internal body parts in its
path.

 Degree of damage
 amount of current,
 the type of contact,
 the duration of contact, and
 the path of the current through the body
 Electrical shock causes the muscles to contract. Due
to muscle contraction, the person experiencing the
shock may not be able to release the conductor
causing the shock (known as the “let-go threshold”).
 This grasping leads to longer exposure.
 Several standards offer guidance regarding safe
approach distances in order to minimize the
possibility of shock from exposed electrical
conductors of different voltage levels.
 The most recent, and probably the most
authoritative, guidance is presented in NFPA 70E-
1995.
 In fibrillation, the victim may not recover consciousness.
On the other hand, the victim may be conscious, deny
needing help, walk a few feet, and then collapse. Death
may occur within a few minutes, or may take hours.
 Detection of the fibrillation condition requires medical skill.
The application of closed-chest massage, a treatment in
which blood is circulated mechanically in a fibrillation
victim, can result in the death of a subject whose heart is
not in fibrillation.
Burns from contact, arcs, or flashes

 Almost everyone is aware

that electrical shock can be
a hazard to life.
 Many people, however,
have experienced minor
shocks with no dire
consequences. This tends to
make people somewhat
complacent around
electricity.
 Serious electrical injuries
involve burns
 Electrical burns include
not only burns from
contact, but also
radiation burns from the
fierce fire of electric arcs.
 The electric arc between
metals is, next to the
laser, the hottest thing on
earth.
 Serious or fatal burns can
occur at distances of more
than 304 cm (10 ft) from the
source of a flash.
 In addition to burns from the
flash itself, clothing is often
ignited. Fatal burns can result
because the clothing cannot be
removed or extinguished
quickly enough to prevent
serious burns over much of the
body.
 Electrical arcing is the term that is applied to the
passage of substantial electrical currents through
what had previously been air. It is initiated by
flashover or the introduction of some conductive
material.
 Arcing involves high temperatures of up to, or
beyond, 20 000 °K (35 000 °F) at the arc terminals. No
materials on earth can withstand these temperatures;
all materials are not only melted, but vaporized.
 The arc as a heat source

 The electric arc is widely recognized as a very high-

level source of heat. Common uses are arc welding,
electric arc furnaces, and even electric cauterizing of
wounds to seal against infection while deeper parts
are healing.
 Impact from blasts

 The rapid expansion of air caused by a fault current

has been recognized for some time as one of the
electrical hazards. What was not recognized
previously was the fact that this blast and its effects
could be calculated, and precautions against its effects
could be taken.
Pressures developed by arc blasts

 People are exposed to two dangers from electrical

arcs: burns and blasts.
 The blast can cause falls and other injuries, as well as
damage nearby structures.
Case Histories
 Case no. 1 - shock
 A mechanic, while working
on some equipment in the
rear of a power-type circuit
breaker auxiliary metering
compartment, accidentally
came in contact with
adjacent energized
transformer terminals. He
apparently had not checked
for other energized
components in the vicinity in
which he was working. He
required medical treatment
for shock.
 Case no. 2 - Shock
 A construction electrician was assigned to a job
installing wiring for lighting fixtures in a 208 Y/120 V
system. The job was already partially completed. The
electrician was told by the foreman that everything
was “dead”. The “home run” was already installed,
and those wires were protruding from a junction box.
The electrician was on a ladder and began to remove
the insulation from the home run wires using “wire
skinners” with one hand. His other hand was holding
the wires, but was also in contact with the box. He
was not wearing gloves, and received a severe shock
causing him to fall from the ladder.
 Fortunately, he received
only minor bruises from
the fall. He later said, “I
should have checked
myself to see that it was
really dead”.
 Case no. 3 - Severe shock
 A field engineer was using portable radiography
equipment to inspect the quality of medium voltage cable
terminations. A construction electrician was assisting him.
The radiography equipment consisted of a cathode ray
tube in a metallic casing (called an X-ray head) and a
control unit. A control cable interconnected these units.
The engineer was on top of a stepladder, leaning against
the switchgear enclosure, grasping the handles of the X-
ray head, and adjusting its position. The electrician
proceeded to plug the control unit into a 120 V outlet and
connect the control cable. Suddenly, the engineer received
a severe shock and fell off of the ladder.
Case no. 3 - Severe shock (cont.)
 It was later determined that
the plug-in connection
between the control cable and
the control unit was poorly
polarized. The electrician had
forced the connection
together in the wrong
orientation, putting 120 V on
the casing of the X-ray head.
The engineer was taken to the
medical department at the site,
and was observed for the
remainder of the day. He said
his grasp was locked onto the
handles momentarily until his
weight broke him loose during
his fall. He complained of
muscular problems for several
days afterward.
 Case no. 4 - shock and burn

 An electrician was part of a crew that was operating a

13 kV switch in a new electric power system. One
switch blade did not close properly. As other crew
members packed up their tools and prepared to
return to the shop to discuss the problem with
supervision, they heard a noise.
Case no. 4 - shock and burn (cont.)

 They turned around to see the switch door open, and

the electrician surrounded by smoke and flames.
While trying to read a part number, the electrician
had accidentally made contact with an energized part
of the switch, and a flash had occurred. A coworker
pulled the man from the switch and revived him using
cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Nine months later,
after having some fingers and toes amputated, the
electrician was still receiving medical treatment as a
result of the accident.
 Case no. 5 - shock and burn
 A construction electrician had been running wiring all
day long for several new heating and air conditioning
units in the space above a suspended ceiling. The
electrical feeder that supplied the new installation
was a 480 Y/277 V system, but it had been verified as
de-energized earlier in the day; however, no lockout
had been installed. The electrician, at one point late in
the day, began to prepare the main feeder for
connection. He was working on a ladder and started
to remove the insulation from one of the wires. He
did not have gloves on. He let out a yell as he became
“hung up” on the wires.
Case no. 5 - shock and burn (cont.)

 Apparently, sometime during the day, someone had

turned on the feeder breaker. A carpenter, working right
beside the electrician, recognized that the electrician was
“frozen” to the wires due to muscle contraction. The
carpenter used a piece of lumber to knock the electrician
off the ladder, breaking him free of the wire. The
electrician fell onto the floor, rolled, and banged against a
wall. He was taken to the hospital and kept for two days
for treatment and observation, having received a severe
shock, second degree burns to both hands, and facial cuts
from the fall.
Case no. 6 – flash, blast, and burns

 A contract electrician had finished drying out a 480 V

bus duct. While working on a ladder, reinserting the
plug-in units onto the bus, he encountered difficulty
getting one of the units to make up properly. He
banged on the plug-in unit and was met with a flash
and blast that severely burned him and knocked him
off the ladder. He was not wearing any protective
clothing.
 Case no. 7 - fatal shock

 An electrician was installing a 277 V lighting

fixture in an industrial plant. Turning the power
off was inconvenient, as it involved winding his
way around and through some vessels and
pipes, and going up two flights of stairs to the
lighting panel.
Case no. 7 - fatal shock (cont.)

 Apparently thinking that there was not much danger

in this “minor” job, he didn’t bother to turn the
power off. Working in an existing junction box, he
made up two of the connections, and was trying to
remove an existing wire nut to install the third wire.
He was having difficulty removing the nut, so he used
a lug crimping tool to try to pull and twist the wire nut
off. He gripped the tool too hard and it cut through
the outer shell of the wire nut, making contact with
the energized wire inside. He was electrocuted.
Reasons for practicing
electrical safety
There are at least three good reasons
for practicing electrical safety:

 1st, Personal reasons:

 This affects everyone as

caring individuals and
employers.
There are at least three good reasons
for practicing electrical safety:

 2nd, Business reasons:

 Because safety makes

good business sense;
There are at least three good reasons
for practicing electrical safety:

 3rd, Regulatory and legal

reasons:

 Because violations can

result in fines and/or
imprisonment.
 Personal considerations
 The first reason for practicing electrical safety is the
adverse way in which we are personally affected by
electrical accidents, especially since we know that they are
often avoidable.

 Even if we don’t get hurt ourselves, it may still deeply

affect us, and hurt us emotionally, if a family member, an
acquaintance, or a fellow employee is injured or killed.

 For these reasons, we should work safely ourselves, look

out for the safety of those around us, and help educate as
many people as we can about electrical safety.
 All members of the workforce need to think about
what they are going to do and how this will impact
upon others before they act.

 By encouraging safety awareness and highlighting the

importance of safety on site, this should help to
minimize accidents, incidents and near misses.
 A poster on the wall in the induction room had the heading
“The most important reason for making your workplace
safe is not at work at all!” Underneath was a family
photograph of the project manager, his wife and three
children, with the caption: “Here is my reason. What is
yours?”

 Supervisors asked the workforce to provide personal

photographs of their families, to be displayed on the
dedicated safety board, as a reminder of their
responsibilities. Operatives’ children also provided artistic
work to raise awareness of safety to a much higher level.
 Business considerations
 The second reason for practicing electrical safety is
the fact that safety makes good business sense.

 If serious electrical injury, death, or property damage

occurs at a particular company facility as a result of
unsafe acts or unsafe conditions, it costs that
company large amounts of money and aggravation in
both tangible and intangible ways.
 Improving productivity: Healthy workers who feel
safe and comfortable in their work environment are
more likely to work more productively than workers
who become injured or sick in the workplace.

 Business reputation: Businesses can be asked to

publish the details of accidents in newspapers. In
addition to that, many tender documents now require
you to write about your safety record.
 Reducing cost: When a worker is injured, it costs the
business in lost working hours investigating the incident,
replacing workers and training, as well as an increase in
workers’ compensation costs.

 Loyal workers: Recruiting and training workers can be

costly. Workers are much more likely to have high
absenteeism and ultimately leave your workplace if they
do not feel safe. No one goes to work to get an illness,
injury or worse.
Consider the possible costs of the
following items:
a) Time lost by the injured employee; j) Possibility of lawsuits by the injured,
b) Medical bills; or the family, claiming negligence;
c) Time lost by supervisors and k) Possible intervention and fines by a
managers trying to find out what law enforcing agency such as OSHA;
really happened; l) Payment for any necessary outside
d) Time lost and aggravation caused consultants;
by answering many questions from all m) Time lost escorting investigators;
directions; n) Discomfort of explaining “why” to
e) Time lost by supervisors and the family of the victim;
managers writing reports; o) Lowered morale of fellow
f) Time lost by other employees employees if employer is thought to
sympathizing and discussing the be negligent;
accident; p) Replacement or repair costs of
g) Lost production quantity or quality; damaged equipment;
h) Loss of test and research data if q) General disruption of the normal
unexpected electrical outages result; operating routine;
i) Possible increase in insurance rates; r) Mistrust by customers of a company
with a poor safety record.
Regulatory requirements and legal
considerations

 Laws exist that mandate certain requirements for

electrical safety and fire protection.
 Breaking these laws could mean fines for companies
and possibly even imprisonment for management
personnel.
 In the Philippines, there are two main documents relating
to electrical safety for use by governing agencies:
 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Standards
 Philippine Electrical Code

 There are also other recognized standards and guides that

contain electrical safety information that might be
referenced in a legal case.
 The Department of Labor has written laws under
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS (As
Amended, 1989) that establish requirements for electrical
installations and electrical safe practices in the country.

 RULE 1210 ELECTRICAL SAFETY covers the Philippine

Electric Code, Electrical Safety Inspection, Inspection Fees,
and Requirements in the Preparation of Electrical Plans

 Other sections of the OSHA Standards also discuses

electrical safety for different purposes. (e.g. RULE 1940
FIRE PROTECTION AND CONTROL)
 Other countries of the world may have their own laws
on which their electrical safety programs should be
based.
 In any case, before beginning electrical work
anywhere, make sure the applicable laws regarding
electrical safety are known and followed.
 The Philippine Electrical Code

 Also known as PEC.

 The practical safeguarding of persons and property
from hazards arising from the use of electricity.
 Contains provisions that are considered minimum
requirements necessary for safety.
 The Philippine Electrical Code

 Covers the installation of electrical conductors,

equipment and raceways; monitoring, signaling and
communications conductors, equipment and
raceways; and optical fiber cables and raceways
installed within or on, to or from:
 The Philippine Electrical Code

 Public and private buildings, including but not limited

to residential, commercial, industrial, institutional,
cultural, agricultural, agro-industrial, planned unit
development and all other building premises that may
require practical safeguarding of persons and
property from the hazards arising from the use of
electricity.
The Philippine Electrical Code

 Electric Generating  Yards, carnival, parks,

plants parking and other lots
 Industrial plants  Quarries and mines
 Transformer stations  Watercraft
 Permanent and  Dockyards
temporary  Mobile homes and
substations recreational vehicles
 Airfields  Offshore facilities
 Railways switchyards
 The Philippine Electrical Code

 Does not cover the following:

 Rolling stock
 Aircraft
 Automotive vehicles
Other standards
 The National Electrical Manufacturers Association
(NEMA) has many standards on electrical products
and systems. Their product standards have often
served as a basis for Underwriter Laboratories’ (UL)
safety standards. Both NEMA and UL standards are
formulated on a consensus basis and should be
considered as minimal requirements.
 The Color Book Series by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE) provides recommended
practices that go beyond the minimal requirements of
the NFPA, NEMA, and UL standards. When designing
electrical power systems for industrial and
commercial facilities, consideration should be given
to the design and safety requirements of the
following IEEE color books:
In summary, electrical hazards exist, and will continue to exist,
in our world of ever increasing technology. In order to prevent
injury and loss of life, everyone should learn to recognize the
electrical hazards associated with their respective workplaces
and job assignments, and know how to take appropriate
precautions to avoid injury.
There are a lot of reasons why everyone should receive some
level of electrical safety training.

Familiarity with the OSHA regulations, the NFPA electrical

codes and standards, Philippines Electrical Code, and the
IEEE standards can increase safety awareness for all electrical
employees, and perhaps may save an employee or friend
from injury or death.