Electrical Safety Suggestions

The injuries related to electricity are caused by electrocution. Electrocution can result in: minor shocks, which can cause other accidents like falls; medium shocks, which can result in burns and even critical burns and major shocks which can result in death in the same way as in some American prisons.

The victim can receive an electric shock by coming into contact with a live wire or by the electricity from a live source arcing out – essentially finding earth through that person’s body. The majority of electric shocks are not serious and are over before you know that it has happened but they are scary afterwards.

A fall ensuing from a mild electric shock almost certainly has greater potential to be fatal than the shock itself. For instance, if you were changing a light bulb from a step ladder and you thought that the power was off, and it was not, you may receive a short sharp shock, and it could make you to fall off the ladder and break your back.

On the other hand, high voltage electric shocks can cause burns deep in human tissue while leaving just minor signs of the injury on the outside. It is very critical not to become complacent about electricity, because, like the open sea, it does not suffer fools gladly. Here are a couple of electrical safety pointers to help keep you safe.

1] Always check power tools for damage and damaged plugs or frayed cords before use. You may have damaged it last time you used it and got away with it that time

2] If you are working in the same area as others, particularly on a building site, do not leave your leads trailing across the floor – try to tape them to a wall or a bench, because people may step on them, run wheel barrows over them or spill water on them.

3] Always use the correct gauge cable and fuse for your apparatus.

4] If anything gets warm when you are using it, be aware that it might be a sign of an approaching difficulty. Leave warm equipment or sockets to cool down, if it occurs again, get them checked by an electrician. Do not over load electrical sockets.

5] Strive to use a dry wooden ladder if you are working near cables, because timber does not conduct electricity.

6] If you are using any apparatus that produces heat or strong light, do not direct it on anything that might catch fire.

7] Fit fast-reacting circuit breakers between your equipment and the source of electricity to reduce the shock that you might get. These devices sense a faulty earth and turn the appliance off in milliseconds.

If your appliance or electrical apparatus has a button for checking the earth, use it each day and if you are going to work on a light socket, an electrical socket or the fuse box, test it first with one of those electrical screwdrivers with a small bulb in it. You stick it into the circuitry and the bulb lights up, you have just had a narrow escape. Be more cautious next time!

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, yet is now involved with Uvex Safety Glasses. If you want to know more, go to our website at Safety Glasses Bifocal

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