Basic Electrical Safety

← Back to document page

Electrical /elbasic1/1-95BASIC Electrical SAFETYPREFACEThe concepts discussed herein are intended to provide explanationand clarification of Basic Electrical Safety for individuals who havelittle or limited training or familiarity with the field of understanding of these principles is essential for comprehensionof OSHA's Electrical Safety OF CONTENTSTOPICPAGETheory of of of Electricity on the Human Workplace Protective Fault Circuit Department of LaborOSHA Office of Training and EducationELECTRICAL/elbasic1/1-951THEORY OF ELECTRICITYWhat is Electricity?Though you cannot see electricity, you are aware of it every day. You see it used in countlessways.

called a conductor. Metals and (generally) water are conductors. Gold, silver, aluminum and copper are all good conductors. Materials that contain relatively few free electrons are called insulators. Non-metallic materials such as wood, rubber, glass and mica are insulators. Fair conductors include the human body, earth, and concrete.

  Conductor, Insulators