subject: The Dangers of Insulation—or the Lack Thereof [print this page] The Dangers of Insulationor the Lack Thereof
Insulation aims to protect the lives of people by allowing them to touch electrically charged surfaces without getting hurt. This is made possible by having a layer of insulator between the skin and the charged substance to prevent direct contact. Especially when the flow of electricity is high, any person cannot be expected to withstand it for long. Such is the risk with people working for electrical companies. They are constantly in danger of touching live wires that can cause demise or paralysis. The danger not only lies with the lack of insulation. It can also be because of the lack of a sufficient amount of insulation capable of withstanding the flow of electricity.
Electrical companies cater to the electrical needs of thousands of houses, which mean that they generate high amounts of electricity at a given time. This amount needs to be maintained so that power interruption will not occur. However, it cannot be helped for some of the circuits to need replacement or maintenance checks, which will mean that some personnel will check the connections to determine whether all areas are working as they should. They need to be clothed in insulated material as an added protection; the areas are charged and heated, which will make it difficult for the person to move unprotected. Furthermore, they will have to touch hot surfaces to test their performance. If the insulation is not enough, the person touching a surface conducting high levels of heat and electricity can experience physical pain. In worst cases, people have been electrified while at work at plans.
