The Employer's Responsibilty with Electrical Safety in Construction


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Workplace Safety Videos :: The Employer's Responsibilty with Electrical Safety in Construction

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The Employer's Responsibilty with Electrical Safety in Construction	Last Updated: Sunday, August 26 2012
By Charlie Bentson King - Sunday, August 26 2012	Comment(s): 0 \| Overall Rating:

Electrical safety should be paramount at every construction site. Electrocution has become one of the leading causes for fatalities at a job site and employers have the responsibility to take reasonable steps to keep their workers safe. The following is a list of steps every employer should take to reduce the risk of electrical injury their job site.

Power lines are one of the biggest hazards at a job. Prior to a job every employer should ask the power company to de-energize or ground the power lines that run by a job site. If this isn’t possible because the surrounding area would lose power, then protective covering should be placed on the lines adjacent to the construction work. In addition, any employee working close to overhead or underground power lines should utilize PPE such as insulating gloves, hoods and sleeves to minimize their risk if the come in contact with an energized line. If the power lines are beneath the ground then they should be properly marked prior to construction and steps should be taken to keep employees from accessing these areas.

Electrical outlets and power supplies should be protected. First of all, all wires should have covering that are protected from abrasion and when wires enter circuit–breaker boxes they should be closed around the wires themselves. All unused electrical openings should also be closed. All holes that power cords reach through should be smooth and round to prevent damage. In addition, all circuit-breaker boxes and fittings are covered and metal covers are ground. Flexible power cords and extension cords should be rated properly and marked so that they are used appropriately.

GFCI or Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters play an integral role in construction safety. GFCI’s can sense when electricity is not going where it should and shuts off the circuit. This protection is crucial and can save lives. The GFCI’s at a job site must be separate from the permanent wiring at the site. IF GFCIs cannot be used at a job site an "Assured Equipment Ground Program” can be implemented. This program will make sure that every piece of energized equipment has grounding. This program has specific rules defined by OSHA. The rules include a written description of the plan, daily recorded tests of all equipment and wiring, free access to the recordings by OSHA personal or employees on the job site. Training specific to the AEGP must be conducted prior to the implementation.

Every employee who enters a job site should be trained to inspect all electrical equipment prior to use and this should be part of a greater electrical safety training program that teaches every aspect of electrical safety. This diligence is their responsibility and should be undertaken every time a piece of equipment is used. They also need to understand that equipment cannot be altered and used for purposes that it was not intended. For instance, prongs should never be altered or removed.

Employers also have a responsibility to make sure that any piece of equipment that operates with more that 50 volts must have the energized parts covered and should be placed in areas where only authorized workers come in contact with them. In addition, they should be kept in locked storage or placed out of the way in areas at least 8 feet off the ground.

Lastly, Lockout Tagout training should be given to all employees so that they understand what equipment needs to be deactivated when it is being worked on and how the deactivated equipment should be marked with tags. This is essential when working with these dangerous machines.

There are a lot of responsibilities that a construction employer has in regards to electrical safety and the article covers just a fraction of them. Make sure that you are educated on every part of electrical safety and that all OSHA guidelines are followed. Following these steps may just save someone’s life.

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