Showing posts with label Electrical. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Electrical. Show all posts

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Top 10 Tips for Electrical safety tester at Work

Would you believe that the Health and Safety Executive, the government body responsible for ensuring that health and safety regulations are adhered to at work, receives reports of around 1000 electrical accidents at work every single year. Of this 1000, around 25 people die of injuries that they receive in said electrical accidents. The importance of electrical safety cannot be overstated.


The following top 10 tips for electrical safety tester at work will help you, your colleagues and your employees to stay free from harm as they go about their daily duties.


Tip 1 – only use portable equipment close to a plug


In the event of an emergency, using a piece of portable equipment close to a plug provides you with the ability to quickly and easily remove power from the device.


Tip 2 – place clearly identified power switches close to fixed machinery


The last thing that you want to have to do in an emergency situation is fish around the back of a fixed device for the power switch.

Ensure that power switches are clearly identified and accessible so that they can be quickly turned off.

Tip 3 – place ‘DO NOT USE’ labels on potentially faulty items


Even if you aren’t entirely sure that hipot tester item is faulty to the point of being dangerous, it should be marked clearly with a label that says DO NOT USE, and removed from its working location (if possible) until a trained professional can come to assess the situation.


Tip 4 – never pull a cable to release a plug from the wall


It might take longer to cross the room, but ensure that you hold the plug as you pull it out of the wall and not just the cable.

If possible you should also turn the socket off at the wall before unplugging the device.

Tip 5 – always unplug electrical items before cleaning


Accidents are all too easily caused through good intentions. If you wish to clean an electrical appliance, ensure it is switched off and unplugged at the wall before starting.


Tip 6 – replace any worn or frayed cables


You might think that the cable has some more life in it, but why take the chance? If the cable looks worn, or is frayed anywhere, replace it.


Tip 7 – provide enough electrical sockets


There’s the computer, the monitor, the printer, the speakers, the desk light… the list goes on and on, and the temptation may be to plug every device into one extension cable, using multiple adapters to provide enough sockets for the many appliances. Overloading electrical sockets should be avoided at all costs, as it can increase the risk of fire.


Tip 8 – work with the lowest voltage possible


The lower the voltage, the less likely serious incidents are to arise. It may not always be possible to avoid using high-voltage machinery, but if, for example, a battery-powered device would do the job just as effectively as a mains powered equivalent, choose the battery operated safer option.


Tip 9 – ensure electrical installations are carried out by a qualified electrician


Many accidents caused by electrical appliances could be avoided if the devices had been properly installed in the first place. Hire a qualified electrician if you aren’t confident in your own abilities, and ensure that all legal requirements related to electrical safety are adhered to.


Tip 10 – keep your electrical appliances maintained


To ensure the continual safety of you and your employees and colleagues, you should ensure that all appliances are tested regularly. A local PAT testing company will work with you to help you to be confident that each piece of electrical equipment within your workplace is safe for all to use.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

OSHA Electrical & Fire Safety Training

Working with electrical equipment is a hazardous job. If you happen to an engineer or electrician, or if your job involves electricity, you need to undergo OSHA compliance training. These are workplace safety regulations to protect you against the risks of electrocution, explosions, arc flashes, electric shock and fire.

What are arc flashes?

An electrical arc flash has a lot in common with lightning ? both are fast and both release a tremendous amount of electrical energy in a moment. However, unlike lightning, arc flashes do not require storm-like conditions but can occur in various conditions. Arc flashes are extremely hazardous and are known to cause serious injury and even death.

An estimated 80% of industrial injuries have been attributed to arc flash hazards.

In fact, arc flashes are so hazardous that OSHA regulations require all employers to conduct frequent arc flash analyses in the workplace. These results of these analyses are measured against the NFPA 70E OSHA standards.

What do employees learn from OSHA compliance training?

OSHA compliance training teaches employees about three-phase and single electrical systems; grounding, ground fault circuit interrupters, risky locations and safe work practices.

Safety training as per NFPA 70E standards usually covers the following topics:
Introduction to NFPA 70E standards
Safe work practices
General requirements for work practices related to safety
Electrical safety work practices
Transformer current ratings
Tagout/Lockout
Working on or near live parts
Alternative methods of determining arc flash FR clothing and PPE
General NFPA 70E standards pertaining to Personal and other protective equipment

Why is OSHA compliance training important?

All your employees should participate in arc flash training as per NFPA 70E standards.

The training process is fully documented and all employees need to pass an exam to prove that they have understood all that has been taught to them during training. OSHA compliance training needs to be updated at regular intervals , particularly if there are changes in the building' s electrical system.

As an employer, it is your duty to provide your workers with all the proper tools required for their safety. All equipment must be clearly labeled with warning signs about the arc flash hazards that it can tackle. OSHA compliance training needs to be boosted with NFPA 70E training for your employees total safety. If an arc flash hazard is discovered during the organization's arc flash calculations, you need to immediately develop an effective compliance plan comprising of six points.

What are the learning outcomes from OSHA compliance training?
Employees begin to understand the importance of electrical safety standards as well as ARC ratings.
They also grasp the relationship between NFPA 70E and OSHA.
Your employees will learn how to create and maintain safe working conditions in the organization once they understand the hazards of electrical shock.
Employees also understand how circuit breakers and transformers work, along with the risks posed by live parts.
They learn to execute a tagout/lockout and become aware of the standards required for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

OSHA compliance training should be taken by every employee working on hazardous locations.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Osha Compliance Nfpa 70e Electrical Safety Training

Fire safety training is very crucial for determining workplace safety for the staff. It can make them conscious of the potential hazards as well as avoid encountering injuries and loss of life. For the workers helping in the manufacturing units where electrical short circuit is high, they should be made conscious of nfpa 70e arc flash fire safety training . There are standards, that has to be considered for this type of factors are NFPA 70e, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards.

OSHA compliance

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration, typically known as OSHA, is a government organization which was set up in 1970 with a sight to offer health and moreover safety standards in American workplaces. Nowadays, this agency offers fire safety training as well as awareness programs for small business agencies and even corporations. It has a great network of experts as well as technical personnel who are responsible for the growth of standards all over the U.S.

OSHA electrical and fire safety has strict standards which mainly made to protect the employees from electric shock, explosions and moreover fires. You may come across a wide range of OSHA safety training resources which are designed to help employees recognize and also fix up potential dangers so that they can keep way from incidents. You'll find out more about OSHA compliance fire safety training and moreover its advantages in terms of safety as well as security. It is beneficial to identify the potential hazards and take crucial measures to prevent accidents taking place.

NFPA 70e Arc Flash Training

There should be a best standard to carry out fire safety at work and thus OSHA asked for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to provide them with safety procedures as well as solutions. And as a result, arc flash safety standard came into existence known as NFPA 70E.

NFPA 70e arc flash standard works on fire safety requirements for the workers. NFPA 70e arc flash training is crucial for preventing them from death and even accidents due to fire. The main purpose of this kind of training is to provide the worker with the protection as well as the consciousness of the possible dangers. There are several methods and even ways which can help the employees estimate the danger. Nearly all safety issues are covered that are concerned with fire or even arc flashes.

All are aware that how electricity is hazardous and to study about various safety basics can keep you secure from going through hazards . So, NFPA 70e arc flash training and so the familiarity with OSHA compliance can really make the difference as long as fire safety is concerned.