Health and safety when working with electrics

Health and safety when working with electrics

Working with electrics can be very dangerous if not done properly, and even the most skilled professionals can find themselves in sticky situations. That's why it's so important to use safety precautions such as switchboard matting, testing your electrical equipment and ensuring your electrics aren't live when working on them.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, surviving an electric shock makes you lucky. Next time it could be different, and as such, it's important to find out if your electrical equipment is safe. Sometimes just inspecting the equipment visually can be enough.

Check the wiring is all in place, ensure the fuse is of the correct rating, and check that no wires are visible across the equipment. Furthermore, check there are no burn marks (as this is a sign of overheating, and make sure the cable is safe.

If you undertake these inspections regularly, and be careful with (and respectful of) your equipment, there shouldn't be any need to replace it anytime soon. It also significantly reduces the risk of an accident taking place.

However if you or a colleague does have an accident whilst working with electrical equipment, there are some procedures you must follow. An accident is generally reportable if a person dies from being shocked, or suffers a major injury; alternatively, if they must take sick leave for 3 days or more, receives a burn or is admitted to hospital for over 24 hours, this must be noted.

These are what is known as incidents that come under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995. To report an incident, companies should contact the Health and Safety Executive.

Remember that the risk of being shocked by electrical equipment is significantly heightened by operating the electrics in a damp area, or in an area where there is a lot of metalwork surrounding it. So avoid operating equipment in these conditions if possible, and if you suspect someone else is working in unsafe conditions.

Electrical safety floor mats are made from a special grade of insulating rubberdesigned for use in front of switchboards or high-voltageequipment. They can protect operators or maintenance staffagainst accidental electric shock and should alwaysbe specified in any area where a Health & Safetyrisk assessment shows a possibility ofhigh-voltage shock.

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