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HI-VOLTAGE SEMINAR  Electrical Safety Saves Lives by Joe Wheeler "If it looks like it can hurt you, it probably will. And it’s probably a violation," said Ron Landram at a training seminar on electrical safety sponsored by Nevada Contractors Insurance. Under General Requirement 29CFR 1926.403(b), it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that electrical equipment is free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.

Ron Landram

Ron Landram, vice president of Risk Services-Nevada, presented the program. Landram brought a wealth of experience to the topic; he worked with OSHA for 10 years as an enforcement supervisor and personally investigated hundreds of electrical accidents. He’s also a certified electrician who has run conduit and wrapped houses. All of that makes electrical safety a particular concern for Landram. "I’ve seen a lot of people get hurt and a lot of people get killed," he said. Using OSHA guidelines as a starting point for electrical safety, he stressed the serious nature of electrical accidents and what contractors must do to prevent their workers from being hurt. Landram urged them to make sure their electrical equipment is kept in good repair, is only used for the purpose for which it is intended, and that everyone on the job site be made aware of "lockout/tagout" procedures before working with electrical power. "The purpose of lockout/tagout is to prevent the unwanted release of electrical energy," Landram said. Some of the most gruesome accidents he investigated were from a lack of lockout/tagout procedures. One of them took place in a manufacturing plant that made plastic buckets. A large metal ram compressed plastic in a metal mold to form buckets. When the unit was cleaned, the power was supposed to be locked out. A young worker crawled into the machine to clean it, thinking it was safe. Someone turned the machine on while the young man was inside.  "You must provide an absolute, foolproof expectancy that power will not come back on," Landram said.  He suggested using lockout rather than tags, since the person working with the electrical equipment can control the key, therefore preventing anyone else from accidently turning the power on. Landram noted the standard for GFCI protection. All temporary 115-120 VAC or 20 amp electrical circuits must be so protected. The rule applies to all construction sites, but not necessarily in shops. * Lockout: There must be an expectancy of safe condition when working with electrical equipment. A lockout prevents others from access to the power so that the employee working with equipment or exposed wires is protected from harm. * Tagout: This is a tag put on a circuit stating, "Danger - electrician working - do not energize."   Common Violations * Electrical cords - Only 12 awg cords or larger can be repaired using rubber tape that is then wrapped with electrical tape. Smaller cords that are frayed must be discarded. NOTE: It is legal to replace the end cap on ANY cord. * Junction boxes used on the end of a electrical cord. These are usually wall boxes not intended for such use. The one exception is using a waterproof bell box with a snap cover. * Grounding - "120 people will die this year because they cut a ground pin off," Landram said. Tools with ground pins missing are easy targets for OSHA inspectors. * Disconnects must be identified on a construction site - "220." "Lights." "Plugs." * Electrical power panels must have at least 30 inches clearance. Don’t stack lumber, toolboxes, lunch boxes or anything in front of the power box. People need to be able to get to it. If your company has any questions on safety, please call Ron Landram at Risk Services-Nevada at (702) 678-6868.

 

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