Electrical Equipment Safety Requirements

According to U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), electricity can be dangerous, and employees who work directly, or indirectly, with electricity are exposing themselves to electrical hazards. Instituting electrical equipment safety requirements can save your employees' lives.

Function

Electrical mishaps can lead to fires, explosions, shocks or electrocutions, says OSHA. Safety requirements are designed to keep employees and work areas safe by identifying electrical hazards and finding ways to secure or eliminate them.

Permission

Unless an employee has special permission to operate electrical equipment, he should not be handling electricity. Without the proper training, employees risk exposure to a preventable accident or injury.

Grounding

According to OSHA, all electrical equipment should be grounded and frequently inspected to ensure that the grounding is continuous. All defective equipment should be removed and replaced prior to use. Defective equipment has the potential to cause fires or electrocutions.

Incorrect Usage

Electrical equipment that is used for things it is not designed to do is unsafe. Not only can this damage your electrical equipment, according to OSHA, it can cause injuries. For instance, power tools that are misused can cause severed limbs, crushed fingers and broken bones.

Cords and Wires

Cords and wires should not be tampered with. Wear and tear of extension cords or electrical wires should be reported so that they can be replaced. Only pull cords and wires out of a receptacle by the plug.

References

• U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Electrical Standards
• U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Electrical Incidents