May the Electrical Safety be with You
National Electrical Safety Month, observed every May and spearheaded by the Electrical Safety Foundation International, raises awareness to reduce electrically related fires, fatalities, and injuries. Electrical malfunctions account for roughly $1.3 billion in property damage every year. Aside from damage to property, electrical malfunctions are responsible for thousands of personal injuries and deaths each year, in the U.S. alone.
Here’s a few SHOCKING statistics to ELECTRIFY the importance of safety.
- Residential Electrical Fires: Approximately 35,000 home fires are caused by electrical malfunctions annually, resulting in over 1,130 injuries and 500 deaths.
- Total Nonfatal Shocks: Sources suggest around 30,000 to 35,000 nonfatal shock incidents occur yearly.
- Emergency Room Visits: Roughly 5,000 people seek emergency treatment for electrical shocks annually.
- Workplace Incidents: Electrical hazards cause more than 4,000 injuries annually in the workplace, with electricity ranking among the top causes of occupational injuries.
- Demographics: About 20% of all electrical injury victims are children, with the highest incidence found in toddlers and adolescents.
- Fatalities: Beyond injuries, about 400 to 1,000 deaths occur due to electrical accidents in the U.S. each year
Focus Areas and Safety Tips:
- Lithium-ion Batteries: Use only certified chargers and batteries for devices, electric bikes, and scooters to avoid fire hazards.
- Indoor Safety: Avoid overloading circuits, check for damaged cords, and use outlet covers/caps for child safety.
- Outdoor Safety: Always look up and around for power lines before using ladders or equipment and call to locate underground lines before digging.
- Disaster Safety: Learn how to safely handle electrical components before and after natural disasters.
The 5 Golden Rules of Electrical Safety are essential procedures designed to ensure a circuit is fully de-energized and safe to work on:
- Disconnect Completely (Isolate): Fully isolate the electrical installation from all live power sources. This means turning off switches, disconnecting circuit breakers, or removing fuses to ensure no electricity is flowing to the equipment.
- Secure Against Reconnection (Lockout/Tagout): Prevent accidental reactivation by locking out the isolating device. Ensure that no one can re-power the system while you are working on it (e.g., using locks and warning tags)
- Verify the System is Dead (Test for Voltage): Always assume a circuit is live until proven otherwise. Use a properly calibrated and suitable voltage tester to verify the absence of electricity.
- Ground and Short-Circuit: For high-voltage systems, create a safe, grounded state. Immediately ground and short-circuit the conductors so that if power is accidentally reconnected, the energy is directed away from the worker to the ground.
- Protect Against Adjacent Live Parts: If there are other live electrical parts in the immediate vicinity, use protective barriers, screens, or covers to ensure you do not accidentally touch them while working.
If you’re not sure how to properly secure, fix or handle a potentially harmful electrical hazard remember to STOP, SECURE THE AREA AROUND THE HAZARD and REPORT THE SITUATION. Never just assume you “got it” if you don’t. Stay safe out there!