The Top 10 Mistakes Made in Electrical Workplace Safety is a presentation from Magid Glove & Safety breaks down the 10 most common mistakes made in electrical workplace safety and provides safety tips and product recommendations that will help keep your workers safe and protected.
2. Electrical
Workplace SafetyHow Bad is Bad?
Electrical Hazards – Arc Flash
Watch the disconnect door.
How much
protection
would work in
this arc?
Is over
protection a
good idea?
What works
best here,
PPE or work
practices or a
combination?
3. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Avoiding Mistakes
• Overkill on PPE
“sounds” smart but it has
two negatives
– Sends the wrong
message
– If the workers don’t
believe you they may cut
corners when no one is
watching.
– Watch out for salesmen’s
little lies…
– Better safe than sorry??
– Better safe and right
Match PPE to the hazard
5. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Avoiding Mistakes
• Making the program cheaper or easier
for management or the safety
department or for enforcement may
not be the most cost effective or the
best program.
• A natural program that becomes a
worker’s habit is the most reliable.
• Tends to over protect or not protect at
all.
• Match the kit to the level
– Don’t buy 100 cal kits for everyone.
• Arc rated daily wear is better than a
“coverall program.”
– Darlene’s story
Make the program easy for the worker
Level 2 Kit
10. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Arc-Rated PPE – Clothing
Beware of:
• “FR until washed
or dry cleaned”
• Melting “FR”
• “FR-treated”
acrylics, polyester,
nylon
Got Arc-Rating?
Because of the misuse of the term FR,
NFPA 70E removed the term favoring arc-rated.
14. Electrical
Workplace Safety
• Generic training doesn’t always get to the finer
points.
• Site specific written programs are critical
• Unique hazards must be considered
– FR cotton and 20% body burns from sodium
hypochlorite.
– Aramids and welding spatter.
– Melting polyester in cleanrooms.
• Train + Audit + Knowledgeable Management
= A Great Program
16. Electrical
Workplace Safety
• Assessment will not change the level of
protection but it will change how often you
need to wear it.
• Don’t put off PPE purchases waiting on
assessment
• Daily wear for all electrical workers
• Suits for high level exposures
• Operators work in natural fiber or are rated
gear depending on level of exposure.
Don’t put off PPE purchase but
18. Electrical
Workplace Safety
• Shock is the number one killer of the
electrical hazards.
• More bang for the buck with right PPE than
engineering. Most important engineering is
done by proper installations, maintenance
then equipment upgrades. Engineering out
the arc flash hazard is not always an option.
20. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Avoiding Mistakes
• ASTM F1506
– Hairnets/beardnets
– Cleanroom gear
– Gloves (Proposed separate Standard)
– Disposable FR Wear
• ASTM F1891
– Rainwear
– Chemical gear + Chemical Standard
• ASTM D2413 + D1116
– Shoes (EH or DI or leather, etc.)
• Other Specialty PPE must be evaluated by
the AHJ
Don’t forget specialty gear
22. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Avoiding Mistakes
• The five people you need to do proper hazard
assessment for electrical
– Trouble making electrician
– Nicest electrician
– Smartest electrician
– Electrical Engineer
– Safety Person
The Electrical Safety Team
24. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Three Types of Audits Required
Observations required to
do the following:
• Identifies:
• Demonstrate task
proficiency
• Retraining needs
• Supervisory level
• Part of evaluating Qualified
Persons
Supervisory
Safe Work Practice Inspection
NFPA 70E 110.2(D)(1)(f)
Minimum annual supervisory work practice inspection to
monitor safe work practices
25. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Three Types of Audits Required
Better practice: Separate
from Supervisory Audit.
Observations required to
do the following:
• Prove procedures work
• Identify:
• Procedures that don’t work
• Changes that should be
made
• Retraining needs
Annual Field Work Audit
Site audit looks at the site’s practices and could include
NEC auditing and NFPA/OSHA auditing 110.4 (H)(2)
Best practice: Separate
from Supervisory Audit.
• Year One: Internal by
local safety/electrical
dept.
• Year Two: Cross-
pollinate using another
professional from
another plant or industry
• Year Three: Outside
Audit by competent
auditor
26. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Avoiding Mistakes
• Documented electrical safety
program audit
(not more than every 3 yrs.)
NFPA 70 E 110.3 (H)(1)
• Must reviewed Arc Hazard
Assessment
minimum of every five years.
– Updates required if major
modifications or renovations.
– Required for calculations or if
Tables used.
– Should include audit of labeling.
Electrical Safety Program Audit &
Hazard Assessment Audit
27. Electrical
Workplace Safety
Safety-Related Work Practices
Habit 1 Always verify absence of voltage & use VR gloves &
tools.
Habit 2 Establish worker safety boundaries from shock & arc
flash.
Habit 3 Always wear arc-rated daily wear and a face shield.
Habit 4 Always use GFCI with cord connected tools & extension
cords.
Habit 5 When feasible create an electrically safe work condition.
Habit 6 Plan your jobs, use standards to identify greater
hazards, & adopt controls & PPE to mitigate hazards.
Habit 7 Measure, audit & continuously improve electrical safety
processes.
7 Electrical Safety Habits™
29. Electrical
Workplace Safety
For more information on electrical arc
PPE, for help on selecting the proper arc
PPE or for a custom quote,
Contact your local
Magid Glove & Safety Sales
Representative
1-800-444-8030
www.magidglove.com
30. Electrical
Workplace Safety
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