Electrical Safety Hazards in Construction Environments


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Workplace Safety Videos :: Electrical Safety Hazards in Construction Environments

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Electrical Safety Hazards in Construction Environments	Last Updated: Sunday, August 26 2012
By Charlie Bentson King - Saturday, August 25 2012	Comment(s): 0 \| Overall Rating:

Electrial Safety in Construction Training

It’s a well-known fact that construction environments contain a number of potential electrical hazards. The construction site is an extremely dangerous place. The best way to protect your employees is through electrical hazard safety training. Electrocution is the 4th leading cause of death in the construction industry and contrary to common held beliefs it doesn’t take much electricity to stop a worker’s heart.

There are three very common electrocution hazards that are prevalent in the construction industry and every construction worker needs to be fully educated on how to avoid putting themselves a position to come in contact with them.

The first hazard is power lines. Power lines are particularly dangerous because they carry enough electricity to immediately kill a worker. In addition, these lines can cause burns or cause a fall that severely injures or kills an employee. Although cranes pose a particular risk around power lines, workers on ladders also are at great peril as well.

When working around power lines remember that they protective coating on the lines is only for protection against bad weather and does not mean humans are protected when touching them. Always work a safe distance away from power lines. OSHA has specific distances that they believe are safe and acquiring OSHA charts before a job is extremely beneficial. If possible, have the power company de-energize or ground the lines or put protected sleeves on the lines that run near your site. Buried Power lines also are a concern and properly marking the location of buried lines is essential. Always hand dig within three feet of a marked underground power line.

The second hazard is damaged or bare wires that could be part of a building or machine and direct contact with an energized tool or machine part. The most common result will be shocks and burns. A shock occurs when your body becomes part of the electrical circuit – such as being in contact with an energized circuit and the ground. The severity of the injury is dependent of several factors – how long the contact took place, the amount of current, and whether your hand was wet or dry are important factors. Water is an electrical conductor so if your hand is wet there is a greater change of serious injury. This type of contact with electricity could result in anything from a mild tingling to a heart attack and death.

It’s crucial that employees understand where the hazards are in their environment, so they can avoid them. Be diligent when inspecting for damage. Power sources should be turned off and any wires should be checked before proceeding with a job. Use GFCI’s and visibly inspect all power tools for damage and when using these tools, use them responsibility – don’t yank them from the power source or carry them by the cord. When using energized equipment make sure that proper Lockout/Tagout procedures are followed.

The last major hazard is improper use of extension and power cords. Job sites are full of sharp edges and twists and turns. These cords are pulled, yanked and drug across rough surfaces. They go through puddles and are stretched beyond their capacity. The potential for damage in normal wear and tear is great, but when subjected to the rigors of a construction site and not used properly at the site, the chances of injury increase exponentially.

Make sure that all the power cords in your site are three-pronged and not altered. Make sure there is no tension on cord joints and screws by overstretching or turning the connection at a sharp angle. Also, keep these cords away from water. Water is a conductor of electricity and even an undamaged cord can have current leakage when wet. A worker who touches an undamaged wet cord could easily get injured, but a damaged wet cord could cause a fatality. Power cords should be inspected on a regular basis for damage and replaced if there is anything amiss.

This is just a small sampling of the dangers of electricity in construction environments. A full electrical safety training program is crucial for all employees who work in construction environments. Don’t let your employees become one of thousands injured or killed by electrical burns and shocks every year.

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