Other Workplace Hazards and Precautionary Steps

Working with Ladders

Ladders and scaffolds account for about half of the injuries for electricians in the workplace. The
involuntary recoil that can occur when a person is shocked can cause the person to be thrown from
a ladder or high place.

Many jobsite accidents involve the misuse of ladder.

Make sure to follow the general rules every time you use any ladder. Following these rules can
prevent serious injuries or even death.

Click on each button to find out more:

Before using a ladder

inspect it. Look for loose or missing rungs, cleats, bolts, or screws. Also check for cracked, bent,
broken, or badly worn rungs, cleats, or side rails.

Before climbing a ladder

make sure you clear any debris from the base of the ladder so you do not trip over it when you
descend.

Working with Ladders

Other precautions when working with ladders are as follows:

If the ladder is in poor condition, do not use it. Report and tag it for repair or disposal.

Never modify a ladder by cutting it or weakening its parts.

Do not set up ladders where they may be run into by others, such as in doorways or walkways. If it
is absolutely necessary to set up a ladder in such a location, protect the ladder with barriers.

Do not increase a ladder\'s reach by putting it on a mechanical lift or standing it on box, barrels, or
anything other than a flat, solid surface.

Check your shoes for grease, oil, or mud before climbing a ladder. These materials could make you
slip.

Always face the ladder and maintain a three-point contact with the ladder (either have both feet and
one hand on the ladder, or both hands and one foot as you climb).

Never lean out from the ladder. Keep your belt buckle centered between the rails. If something is
out of reach, get down and move the ladder.

Working with Straight and Extension Ladders

Click on each step to know some specific rules to follow when working with straight and extension
ladders:
1. Always place a straight ladder at the proper angle. The horizontal distance from the ladder feet to
the base of the wall or support should be about one-fourth the working height of the ladder.

2. Secure straight ladders to prevent slipping. Use ladder shoes or hooks at the top and bottom.
Another method is to secure a board to the floor against the ladder feet. For brief jobs, someone can
hold the straight ladder.

3. Side rails should extend above the top support point by at least 36 inches.

4. It takes two people to safely extend and raise an extension ladder. Extend the ladder only after it
has been raised in an upright position.

5. Never carry an extended ladder.

6. Never use two ladders spliced together.

7. Ladders should not be painted because paint can hide defects.

There are also a few specific rules that must be followed when using a step ladder. Click on each
button to know more:

1. Always open the step ladder all the way and lock the spreaders to avoid collapsing the ladder
accidentally.

2. Use a step ladder that is high enough for the job so that you do not have to reach. Get someone
to hold the ladder if it is more than 10 feet high.

3. Never use a step ladder as a straight ladder.

4. Never stand on or straddle the top two rungs of a step ladder.

5. Do not use ladders as shelves.

As an electrician, you may be required to work in the operating area of lifts, hoists, or cranes. The
following safety rules are for those who are working in an area with overhead equipment but are not
directly involved in its operation.

Stay alert and pay attention to the warning signals from operators.

Never stand or walk under a load, regardless of whether it is moving or stationary.

Always warn others of moving or approaching overhead loads.

Never attempt to distract signal persons or operators of overhead equipment.

Obey warning signs.

Do not use equipment that you are not qualified to operate.

 Cranes that are operated in areas with places in which a person can become trapped or pinched
must have barricades placed around them to warn away workers.

Lifting Objects Properly

Back injuries cause many lost working hours every year. This is in addition to the pain felt by the
person with the hurt back. Click on each button to know the proper way of lifting and sizing up loads:

1. Stand close to the load.

2. Then, squat down and keep your back straight.

3. Get a firm grip on the load and keep the load close to your body.

4. Lift by straightening your legs. Make sure that when you lift, the pressure of the weight is on your
legs and not on your back.

5. Do not be afraid to ask for help if you feel the load is too heavy.

Precautions when Lifting Heavy Loads

Keep the following precautions in mind when lifting heavy objects:

Make the lift smoothly, and under control.

Move your feet to pivot; do not twist or you may injure yourself.

Constantly scan the path ahead for obstructions. If you cannot see your path over or around the
object being carried, then you must have help to transport the object.

Avoid lifting objects over your head.

Never lift over the side or tailgate of a pickup truck.

Dont twist your body when lifting up or setting an object down.

Never reach over an obstacle to lift a load.

Dont step over objects in your way.

Basic Tool Safety

When using any tools for the first time, read the operators manual to learn the recommended safety
precautions. If you are not certain how to operate any tool, ask the advice of a more experienced
worker. Before using a tool, you should know its function and how it works.

Hand Tool Safety

Hand tools are non-powered tools and may include anything from screwdrivers to cable strippers.
Hand tools are dangerous if they are misused or improperly maintained.

Basic Tool Safety Hand Tools

Do not:

use wrenches when jaws are sprung

use impact tools (chisels and wedges) when heads have mushroomed

use tools with loose, cracked, or splintered handles

a screwdriver as a chisel

use tools with taped handles (they may be hiding cracks)

leave tools on top of ladders or scaffoldings

When using tools with blades, you must keep

the blades and points aimed away from yourself

the blades sharp, and inspect them regularly

Power Tool Safety:

Power tools can be hazardous when they are improperly used or not well maintained.

Most of the risks associated with hand tools are also present when using power tools. Adding a
power source to a tool, however, increases the risk factor.

Power tools are powered by different sources.

Some examples of power sources for power tools include:

Electricity

Pneumatics (air pressure)

Liquid fuel ( gasoline or propane)

Hydraulics (fluid pressure)

Basic Tool Safety Power Tools

Note:

You must know the safety rules and proper operating procedures for each tool you use. (Specific
operating procedures and safety rules for using a tool are provided in the operators / users manual
supplied by the manufacturer.)

Before operating any power tool for the first time, always read the manual to familiarize yourself
with the tool. If the manual is missing, contact the manufacturer for a replacement.
Working in Confined Spaces
Occasionally, you may be required to do your work in a manhole or vault. If this is the case, there
are some special safety considerations that you need to be aware of.

This unit outlines the general precautions for working in confined spaces.

A confined space includes (but is not limited to) any of the following: manhole, boiler tank, trench
(four feet or deeper), tunnel, hopper, bin, sewer, vat, pipeline, vault, pit, air duct, or vessel.

A confined space is identified as follows:

It has limited entry and exit.

It is not intended for continued human occupancy.

It has poor ventilation.

It has the potential for entrapment / engulfment.

It has the potential for accumulating a dangerous atmosphere.

Confined Space Hazard Review

Before determining the proper procedure for confined space entry, a hazard review should be
performed.

The hazard review should include, but not be limited to the following conditions:

The past and current uses of the confined space

The physical characteristic of the space including size, shape, air circulation, etc.

Proximity of the space to other hazards

Potential Hazards in Confined Spaces

Click on each button to find out the existing or potential hazards in confined spaces:

1
Atmospheric conditions (oxygen levels, flammable / explosive levels, and / or toxic levels)

2
Presence / potential for liquids

3
Presence / potential for particulates

4
Potential for mechanical / electrical hazards in the confined space (including the work to be done)

Confined Space Hazard Review

Once the hazard review is completed, the supervisor, in consultation with the project managers and /
or safety manager, shall classify the confined space as one of the following:

A nonpermit confined space

A permit-required confined space controlled by ventilation

A permit-required confined space

Once the confined space has been properly classified, the appropriate entry and work procedures
must be followed.
Handling Hazardous Materials

You should be prepared in case an accident occurs on the job site or anywhere else.

First aid training that includes certification classes in CPR and artificial respiration could be the best
insurance you and your fellow workers ever receive. Make sure that you know where first aid is
available at your job site, as well as know the accident reporting procedure.

Each job site should also have a first aid manual or booklet giving easy-to-find emergency treatment
procedures for various types of injuries. Emergency first aid telephone numbers should be readily
available to everyone on the job site.

Solvents and Toxic Vapors

The solvents used by electrician may give off vapors that are toxic enough to make people
temporarily ill or even cause permanent injury. Many solvents are skin and eye irritants.

The next slide highlights the effects of solvents and toxic vapors on the human body.

Handling Hazardous Materials Solvents

Click on each button to know more about the effects of solvents:
When swallowed
or absorbed through the skin, solvents can be systemic poisons.

When mixed in air

small aerosol particles or solvent vapors form a combustible mixture with oxygen. The slightest
spark could cause an explosion in a confined area because the mix is perfect for fast ignition.

Material Safety Data Sheets

There are procedures and methods for using, storing, and disposing of most solvents and chemicals.
These procedures are normally found in the materials safety data sheets (MSDSs) available at your
facility.

An MSDS is required for all materials that could be hazardous to personnel or equipment. These
sheets contain information on

the materials, such as the name of the manufacturer and the chemical makeup of the material.
the hazardous materials that can be used to rectify a problem in as safe a manner as possible.

Precautions When Using Solvents

It is always best to use a nonflammable, nontoxic solvent whenever possible. However whenever
solvents are used, it is essential that your work area is adequately ventilated and that you wear
appropriate personal protective equipment.

Protect yourself by wearing --

a chemical face shield with chemical goggles to protect the eye and skin.
a chemical apron to protect your body
a chemical cartridge respirator

Note:
A paper filter mask does not stop vapors -- it is used only for nuisance dust. In situations where a
paper mask does not supply adequate protection, a chemical cartridge respirator might be needed.
These respirators can stop many vapors if the correct cartridge is selected.

Asbestos
Asbestos is a mineral-based material that is resistant to heat and corrosive chemical. Depending on
the chemical composition, asbestos fiber may range in texture from coarse to silky.

The properties that make asbestos fiber so valuable to the industry are its high tensile strength,
flexibility, heat and chemical resistance, and good frictional properties.

Asbestos fiber enters the body by inhalation of airborne particles or by ingestion, and can become
embedded in the tissues of the respiratory or digestive systems.

Exposure to asbestos can cause numerous disabling or fatal diseases. Among these diseases are
asbestos emphysema-like condition, lung cancer, and mesothelioma -- a cancerous tumor that
spreads rapidly in the cells of membrane covering the lungs and body organs and gastrointestinal
cancer.

The use of asbestos was banned in 1978.

Because asbestos was still in the manufacturing pipeline for a while after it was banned, you need to
assume that any facility constructed before 1980 has asbestos in it.

Common products that contain asbestos are:

thermal pipe insulation

mastic for duct and insulation
fireproofing materials
floor tiles
ceiling tiles
roof insulation
exterior building sheathing
old wire insulation
pipes

Note:
As an electrician, you must not drill through or otherwise work with asbestos; you can only be
trained to work around it, when it can be done safely.

The owner must have a survey of any work rules needed to work safely around asbestos.

Working with asbestos requires special training and protective equipment.

Batteries
Working around wet cell batteries can be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken.

Batteries often give off hydrogen gas as a byproduct. When hydrogen mixes with air, the
concentrated mixture can be explosive. For this reason smoking is strictly prohibited in battery
rooms. Moreover, only insulated tools should be used when working with batteries. Proper
ventilation also reduces the chance of an explosion in battery areas.

Dangers of Working around Batteries

Batteries also contain acid, which can eat away human skin and many other materials.

Personal protective equipment for battery work typically includes chemicals aprons, sleeves, gloves,
face shield, and goggles to prevent acid from contacting the skin and the eyes.

Wash stations are located near battery rooms to provide immediate care to a person in case they
come in contact with the battery\'s acid.

Note:
Do not connect or disconnect batteries without proper supervision.

Battery acid should be flushed from the skin and eyes with large amounts of water or with a
neutralizing solution.

PCBs and Vapor Lamps

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are chemicals that were marketed under various trade names as a
liquid insulator / cooler in older transformers.

PCBs are also found in some large capacitors and in the small ballast transformers used in street
lighting and ordinary fluorescent lighting fixtures.

Working with PCBs and Vapor Lamps

Note:
Use extreme caution and follow procedures when disposing these materials.

Any vapor lamps, such as fluorescent, halide, or mercury vapor lamps, must be recycled.

Tubes must be packaged and handled carefully to avoid breakage.

Respiratory Protection
The best respiratory protection is to avoid the hazard entirely. Off-shift work and / or rescheduled
work schedules should always be used to eliminate the need for working in areas with poor air
quality. Where this cannot be avoided, use an air purifying respirator -- a respirator that removes
contaminants from air inhaled by the wearer.

Particulate removing respirators are designed to protect the wearer against the inhalation of
particular matter in the ambient atmosphere.

Gas and vapor removing respirators are designed to protect the wearer against the inhalation of
gases or vapors in the ambient atmosphere.

Click on the buttons below to know the essential requirements that a respiratory protective
equipment must cater to:
1. It should be inspected regularly and maintained in good condition.

2. It should be properly cleaned on a regular basis and stored in sanitary dustproof containers.

Positive and Negative Fit Checks for Respirators

All respirators are useless unless properly fit-tested to each individual. To obtain the best protection
from a respirator, perform positive and negative fit checks each time you wear it. These fit checks
must be done until you obtain a good face mask.

To perform the positive fit check, do the following:

Adjust the facepiece for the best fit; then adjust the head and neck straps to ensure good fit and
comfort.

Block the exhalation valve with your hand or other material.

Breathe out into the mask.

Check for air leakage around the edges of the facepiece.

If the facepiece puffs out slightly for a few seconds, a good face seal has been obtained.

To perform a negative fit check, do the following:

Block the inhalation valve with your hand or other material.

Attempt to inhale.

Check for air leakage around the edge of the facepiece.

If the facepiece caves in slightly for a few seconds, a good face seal has been obtained.

Safeguarding against Falls

Proper fall protection equipment or systems must be used when working at elevations of six (6) feet
or higher.
The use of these systems becomes necessary when there is an unprotected edge or side to the
elevated surface.

The areas of work requiring the use of fall protection equipment includes but is not limited to the
following:

Finished and unfinished floors or mezzanines

Temporary or permanent walkways /ramps

Finished or unfinished areas

 Elevator shafts and hoist ways

Floor, roof, or walkway holes

Working 6 or more above dangerous equipment

Note:

If a dangerous equipment is unguarded, fall protection must be used at all heights regardless of the
fall distance.

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS)

Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS) provide fall arrest after an employee falls. This equipment
must be selected, inspected, donned, anchored, and maintained to be affective.

The complete system usually consists of a full body harness, lanyard, and anchoring device.

Full Body Harnesses

Full body harnesses are the only acceptable equipment to wear for PFAS. Selecting the appropriate
harness is based on size and gender.

The next slide presents a few essential facts on full body harnesses.

Click on each button to read more on full body harnesses:

Point 1
Inspect the equipment before use. Harnesses must be worn snug (but not tight) with all required
straps attached. When properly worn, you should be able to slide two fingers under the straps with
little difficulty.

Point 2
The D-ring in the back of the harness must be centered between the shoulder blades. After donning
the harness, have a co-worker pull sharply up on the D-ring. You should feel the harness grip around
the thighs, chest, and buttocks.

Point 3
Jobs that require positioning must be accomplished using a full body harness with side D-rings;
safety belts are not allowed.

Lanyards
Lanyards are used to connect the harness to the attachment point.

Some important points to note with regard to lanyards:

Standard lanyards must be no longer than 6 feet as no employee can be exposed to a fall of more
than 6 feet.

You can be exposed to 1800 pounds of force in a properly worn harness.

The use of shock-absorbing lanyards or retractable lanyards can reduce that force to as low as 400
 600 pounds. (In case of a fall, shock absorbers slow the employee to a stop by ripping out the
stitches on the lanyard, while elongating up it to 42 inches.)

Locking Snap Hooks:

All lanyards must have locking snap hooks.

Never attach two locking snap hooks to the same D-ring as they can foul each other, causing the
relative weak gates to break.

A twin-tailed lanyard is required when climbing. As you cannot unhook your lanyard to move it to
another anchorage and still have 100 percent fall protection while climbing, two lanyards can help
you walk to where you are working.

Note:
Retractable lanyards come in a variety of sizes, from 10 feet to over 150 feet.

Anchorage Devices
Anchorage devices and points are the interface between the PFAS and the structure to which they
are attached.

These points must hold 5000 pounds (which is the equivalent of a full size extended cab pickup
truck).

Equipment Inspection Process

Click on each button to find out about the equipment inspection process:

1. All personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) must be inspected when received and before each use.

2. Check the manufacturers\' tag for the manufacturers\' inspection date.

If the fall equipment has no date, it should be disposed of immediately.

3. Carefully look over the webbing. If you observe any burns; ripped stitches; color marker; threads;
distorted grommets; bent, cracked, or pulled fabrics, remove the PFAS from service.

Rescue Operations
Click on each button to know the basics of a rescue operation:
1. Never pull anyone up by their fall protection equipment; always rescue them with ladders or
equipment from below.

2. If the standard equipment is not available to provide rescue, a plan must be created before the
release work can proceed.

3. Rescue must be accomplished from below using ladders, lifts and / or scaffolds.

4. Immediately summon the fire department to assist the rescue effort unless you can rescue the
person without assistance.

5. Rescue must take place as quickly as possible, as hanging from a harness presents additional
hazards.
6. Continue to move your limbs (if you have a fall and find yourself hanging from a harness) while
awaiting rescue. This will help maintain circulation in your lower extremities.

PFAS Selection
The type of system selected depends on the fall hazards associated with the work to be performed.

A hazard analysis must be conducted by the job site supervisor prior to the start of work.

Lesson Summary
As electricians work in all areas of a job site, they are exposed to many of the workplace hazards
faced by other personnel.

The most common occupational hazard that electricians face includes electric burns and shock.

Some of the other workplace risks include operating hand and power tools, working with batteries
and ladders, and working around overhead equipment.

Working in confined spaces is another challenging aspect of an electrician\'s job. In the absence of
proper precautionary measures, such work can expose them to dangerous and toxic materials that
may cause respiratory problems.

A basic attitude to personal safety and complying with the safety policies in the industry (such as
the OSHA guidelines) goes a long way in ensuring a safe working environment for all.

Electricians must also wear personal protective equipment and fall arrest systems as per the
demands of the job.