Simple Ways to Improve Electrical Work Safety

No matter the setting, electrical safety should be a top priority in the workplace. Obviously, electrical work safety is more of a concern in some industries than others. However, companies in all industries need to be aware of electrical hazards in the workplace and the best ways to mitigate them. Fortunately, there are a lot of little things that employers can do to address electrical hazards. Let’s take a look at some simple and easy ways to improve electrical work safety.

Stay Clear of Water

Everyone knows that water and electricity don’t mix, but it never hurts to be reminded. There should be no source of water anywhere near electrical equipment. Likewise, employees should be trained to stay clear of circuits and electrical equipment if they have wet hands.

Discard Damaged Cords

One important lesson in electrical work safety is to always discard damaged cords. If there is any damage to plugs or any amount of fray with cords, they should not be used. It may seem like a minor issue, but even a small amount of damage to an electric cord can increase the safety risk, which is why you should never take any chances.

Use the Right Safety Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a given for any task, but it’s exponentially more important when electricity is involved. No employee should go anywhere near electrical equipment without having goggles, rubber gloves, and any other form of PPE that might be required of a specific task.

Put Up Safety Signs

This might be the bare minimum that an employer can do in the name of electrical work safety. For the most part, safety signs should only reinforce what employees have already learned. But it doesn’t hurt to post signs warning of electrical hazards. It’s just one more way of reminding workers of the potential dangers of working with electricity.

Use Physical Barriers Around Electrical Hazards

Ideally, employees should know well enough not to go anywhere near electrical equipment without a purpose. But having physical barriers can make it easier to prevent any unnecessary contract with electrical work. Electrical panels should always be located inside cabinet doors that can be closed to prevent exposure to wires.

Educate Employees About Electrical Safety

As with anything else, training will play a key role in electrical work safety. Of course, any employees who work with electricity should receive the most extensive training. But every worker at the company should receive some education about electrical safety, even if it’s just learning to stay away from electrical components without an expert present.

Use the Right Tools

For the employees who may work with electricity, it’s important for employers to supply them with the right tools. Certain tools and cleaning solutions might be active conductors, making it important to keep these away from electrical panels. Workers should always assume that electrical panels are active and create a hazard, which will encourage them to always use the right tools.

Keep Unqualified Workers Away

Finally, one of the basic rules of electrical work safety is to keep unqualified workers away from electrical equipment at all costs. Even if you have employees who understand how electrical equipment works, it never hurts to bring in a licensed electrician to do work or just provide guidance. When it comes to electricity, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, so always make sure qualified electricians are doing the work.

Prioritize Workplace Safety with the Right Software

For all types of workplace safety, it helps to have occupational safety software like the kind offered by EHS Insight. Our system helps to connect all elements of workplace safety so that everything stays organized and easy to manage. It’s a proven way of reducing risk and creating a safer environment for employees.

If you are trying to make workplace safety more of a priority, let’s have a conversation about how we can help make that happen.