Cal/OSHA Guide to Electrical Safety

1 Cal/OSHA Guide to Electrical Safety Cal/OSHA Consultation Service Research and Education Division of Occupational Safety and Health This Guide is not meant to be either a substitute for or a le gal interpretation of the occupational Safety and health regulations. Readers shall refer directly to Title 8 of the California C ode of Regulations and the Labor Code for detaile d information regarding the regulation s scope, specifications, and exceptions and fo r other requirements that may be applicable to t heir operations.

2 Rev ised: October 20 12 Pr oduced by the State of California Department of Industrial Relations Ca l/O SHA C onsu ltation Serv ice Ca l/O SHA safe ty and health publications are available at You may also ca ll Cal/OSHA C onsu ltation S ervice off ices list ed on the back cove r of th is Guide for info rmation on how to get Cal/O SHA public ations. 1 Cal/OSHA Guide to Electrical Safety Why i s el ectrical Safety so important?

3 Workers such as electricians, apprentices, power line workers, and other groups of employees work directly with electricity and may be exposed to dangerous conditions if adequate precautions are not taken. Workers are injured or killed every year in California due to occupational accidents involving uncontrolled exposure to electricity. When shortcuts are taken and safe procedures are not followed, loss of life, permanent disfigurement, lost work time, increased workers compensation costs, and lawsuits can occur.

4 As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 163 workers died from injuries from c ontact with electric c urrent in 2010. 76 workers died from over head power li nes in the same year. Source: US Departm ent of Labor, Bureau of Labor Stati st ics Fatal occupational injuries by event or ex posure, 2009-2010 A worker was electrocuted from accidental contact with an over head power li ne. The victim wa s carrying a metal ladder upright to his work van. The foreman and several of his co-workers observed and ver bally war ned him about the overhead power li ne.

5 However, several s econds later, the victim s lad der made contact with the overhead power li ne and the victim fe ll to the ground suffering fatal injuries. Th is booklet explains some of the most common Electrical hazards and measures the law requires employers and employees to ta ke in order to provide a safe and healthful workplace. Common Electrical hazards With all Electrical equipment opera tions, ther e is t he threat of shock and/or electrocution. Electrical workers are potentially ex posed to a variety of hazard s such as electric s hock (the most common hazard), arc flashes, fa lls, an d therm al burns.

6 When you receive an electric shock, an electric current runs through your body because the body has become a conductor for electricity. Electrocution occurs when enough current flows through your body to cease the functions of vital organs and causes burns to muscular and skin tissues. The following are samples of the most common Electrical s afe ty related hazards t hat will pose a risk of being shocked and/or electrocuted. 2 Ex posed wires and energized par ts Fault y/broken wiring or equipment Damaged outlets and missing covers Worn/damaged electrica l c or ds Imp roper ly used extension cords Overloaded outl ets No warning signs Working under wet conditions Lack of or i nsuff icient protective dev ices Unrestrict ed access to live exposed par ts Lack of or i nsuff icient personal protective equipment (PPE)

7 Insuffici ent clearances around panels Lack of/i mpr oper lockout/ta gout procedures Fa ilure to maintain p roper cleara nce fro m over head lin es Fa ilure to fo llow manufacturer s instruction when using electrically powered equipment. Where can I find the Cal/OSHA regulations for Electrical Safety ? Ca l/O SHA regulations on Electrical s afe ty require Californ ia employers to provide workers with a safe and healthfu l workplace. These regulations are contained in Title 8 o f the California Code of Regulations (T8 CCR).

8 Most of the Electrical health and Safety regulations can be found in T8 CCR, C hapter 4, Subchapte r 5 in the Electrical Safe ty Or ders, Sections 2299 through 2989 (http:/ ). Ca l/O SHA regulations on Electrical s afe ty ar e grouped by Electrical v oltage. Regulations f or lo w vo ltage (0-600V) are given in Sections 2299-2599 and the regulations for high vo ltage (above 600V) are given in Sections 2700-2989. Sectio n 1518 addresses the safe ty requirements f or t he protection of yourself and others from electric s hock in construction.

9 Sectio n 1541 addresses Electrical s afe ty requirements f or e xcavation wor ks i ncluding subsurface i nsta lla tions. What can you do to protect yourself and others fro m el ectrical hazards? Employees can prevent shocks and injuries/electrocution from Electrical hazards by: Understanding electric shock and electrocution Recognizing pot enti al hazards around work involving electricity Fo llowing Cal/O SHA requirements Maintaining cleara nces around panels Using proper protective devices Elimi nati ng access to exposed energized par ts 3 Using proper PPE Using proper lockout/tag out procedures Maintaining proper clear ance from over head lin es Fo llowing proper procedures for confined space/enclosed space /u

10 Nderground Electrical work Fo llowing manufacturer s instructions Fo llowing safe work practic es Understanding electric shock and electrocution It is important to understand that shock c an occu r even without physically contacting live Electrical parts when there is enough voltage. It is t he ra te of current flowing thr ough the body , more than anything else, which determines how severe the shock will be. Effects on the body could r ang e from a mi nor sho ck to paralysis of vital organs such as the lungs and heart.