About Electrical Safety
Electricity has become essential to modern life, both at work and at home. Some people work directly with electricity as part of their jobs, while others work indirectly with it to power tools and equipment. Because it is such a familiar part of our surroundings we tend to overlook the hazards electricity poses and often don’t treat it with the respect it deserves. Given the right circumstances, even low current levels of electricity can severely injure or kill a person.
Electricity presents a number of serious hazards in the workplace and at home, including the danger of shock, burns, fire, arc-blast, explosion, and electrocution. Thousands of people in the United States are critically injured and electrocuted as a result of accidents and electrical fires in their home each year. On average, 51,000 electrical home structure fires occur each year, claiming numerous lives and injuring thousands more. The number of fatalities directly related to exposure to electricity each year in the United States is approximately 1,000. More than 4,000 injuries result from exposure to electricity each year. Many injuries and fires can be prevented simply by understanding basic electrical safety principles and adhering to safe practices.
This course contains important information for everyone, but is mainly intended for those that work indirectly with electricity. The information contained within is not designed to teach you how to safely work on electrical equipment, but rather to provide some basic information on electrical safety. You will not be qualified in any way to work on electrical equipment after completing and passing the exam at the end. Only properly trained employees should attempt to work on any electrical equipment.
After reading this course, you should be able to:
Become familiar with the fundamental concepts of electricity
Become familiar with the effects of electricity on the human body
Become more aware of the dangers of electricity
Become familiar with electrical protective devices and how they work
Identify and eliminate electrical hazards at home and the workplace
Always use caution when using electrical equipment and if you spot a potential problem, report it to your supervisor.