Page 8 - OHS, April 2021

TRAINING: ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Tips on Creating an
Effective Electrical
PPE Program
There is still much to consider when it comes to protecting workers from arc flash and electrical shock hazards.
BY MIKE ENRIGHT
Electrical safety has made significant headway over the past 20 years as overall awareness of electrical hazards and the NFPA 70E standard has increased substantially. While this is definitely a positive, there is still a lot of work ahead of
us to fully protect workers from the devastating effects of arc flash and electrical shock hazards.
The Hidden Hazard and Complacency
I think most safety professionals would agree that electrical hazards don’t get the same level of attention as hazards that happen more frequently. This makes sense since arc flashes and electrical shock accidents don’t happen nearly as often as trips and falls, cuts, back injuries, moving vehicle and machinery accidents, and so on. However, the results of an electrical incident are typically far more severe and catastrophic compared to other hazards. In addition, electricity is one of the few hazards that doesn’t have many “warning” signs. You normally can’t see, hear, smell or feel anything right before an arc flash or shock accident happens.
Unfortunately, this reduced frequency and lack of warning signs can result in complacency. Many workers don’t even realize they are falling into this dangerous complacency trap. They just know that they haven’t been injured, or even had an incident in years, so why should they be concerned about it now? If they’ve been working with electricity long enough, they’ve probably had a few near-misses they weren’t even aware of.
It is critically important for safety professionals to combat complacency through constant communication and education. Fortunately, there are many educational resources available as well as hundreds of videos on the internet that put a spotlight on this “hidden hazard” and clearly demonstrate the devastation that arc flash and electrical shock incidents can have on workers. There are many strategies and tactics on how to effectively address this problem, and some companies do a better job than others. An approach that may enhance your program is to collaborate with peers to share electrical safety ideas and best practices. There are some great organizations and events, such as the IEEE
8 Occupational Health & Safety | APRIL 2021
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