Personal Safety.
Before you begin working on or around electrical devices, there are a few things you need to consider for your personal safety:
Keep your hands clean and dry, wear comfortable dry clothing, and remove any jewelry that you are wearing on your fingers, arms or around your neck. Metal objects are good conductors of electricity and jewelry is usually made from metal. A ring or watchband heats up instantly when comming in contact with a live wire. Your finger or arm can be severely burned and the jewelry ruined by such an experience.
Wear a strong leather or canvas belt around your waist. A good belt can do more than just keep your pants up. Should you accidently come in contact with a live circuit, that belt may be the thing that someone else can get a hold on to pull you away in order to save you; also if you see someone that is getting shocked and can not get loose by themselves, you may be able to use your belt to pull them away safely.
Inspect the tools that you use, screwdrivers and pliers should have insulated handles. Cords on your electric hand tools must not be frayed and should have a three prong plugin. Power you electric tools from GFCI protected power outlets.
Protect your eyes, wear safety glasses. Even if you are just an observer watching another person work, wear safety glasses.
Never work with electricity in the rain, or on damp ground or damp floors, the minute impurities in water make it a good conductor that will greatly reduce the skin resistance of your body. This leaves you more vunerable to a more harmful or possibly fatal shock should you come in contact with a live circuit.
Safety in your Home.
Insulated wiring, insulated appliances, proper grounding methods and staying dry when using or working with electrical devices are excellent methods to avoid getting shocked or electrocuted. The National Electrical Code provides extensive instructions to contractors that build, maintain or repair homes, for safety and fire protection. Most cities require contractors to follow code practices, but practices vary from city to city.
Wiring should be installed by licensed electricians to insure compliance with local building codes.
Appliances that bear the UL label on the appliance itself have passed shock hazard tests. If the UL label is only on the electrical cord, be wary of that appliance because the UL test may only apply to the cord and not to the appliance itself.
Avoid using electrical cords that have worn insulation or exposed wire.
Insure that all wall outlets are wired properly, there is an inexpensive device that you can purchase at the hardware store that will quickly verify if the outlet is wired and properly grounded according to the electrical code. This device can also be used to check your GFCI outlets. Plug your hand held appliances and tools into an outlet that contains GFCI protection.
Never replace an electrical outlet, wall switch or anything electrical with the power on. Always make sure that the power is off before you repair anything electrical. Don’t take anybody’s word that the power is off, always check it yourself, it’s your life at stake.
All appliances should be grounded using a three prong plug. Most all appliances sold have a three prong plug. If the drill or saw is old, it might have a two prong plug. Don’t use it. Again, plug your hand held tools into an outlet that contains GFCI protection. Manufacturers of GFCI outlets recommend that they be tested every thirty days.
Never use an electric tool when you are perspiring, wet skin has a very low resistance to electricity. When using power tools on a cement floor, stand on a dry unpainted board to insulate your body from ground. Cement is a good conductor of electricity because of the moisture it contains. If the floor is wet, never turn on an electric tool or appliance. Water is a good conductor of electricity, never use electric tools in the rain or on wet surfaces.
When you disconnect a cord from an outlet, never jerk it loose. Do not overload extension cords and limit the number of appliances that are connected to a single outlet with an adapter that has multiple outlets. Overheating these adapters may cause a fire.
Make sure your hands are dry when you flip switches or plug cords into electrical outlets.
Replace worn plugs and cords that are worn or frayed.
Never place electrical cords under rugs or carpets that are not designed for that purpose.
Extension cord safety
A report by the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently stated that about 4000 injuries related to extension cord usage are treated in hospital emergency rooms every year. Of accidents are tripping, and also when small children place the live end of an extension cord socket into their mouth, and get burned or shocked.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission also indicated that over 3300 residential fires have originated from extension cords that either develop a short, overloading or damage from misuse.
The standards to look for – Look for the U.L. Label, this is an indication that the manufacturer has had their extension cord designs tested and approved by a product safety authority. Use extension cords that have a three prong plug on them. New standards require the extension cord to be constructed with #16 gauge or larger wire.
Using ladders around Power Lines
Metal Ladders and Electricity don’t mix. People have been electrocuted when using metal ladders near overhead wires while painting buildings, cleaning gutters, trimming trees and doing roof or chimney repairs according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. If the metal ladder accidentally comes in contact with a “hot wire” it will conduct electricity and can harm or kill a person that is touching the ladder.
A ladder can sometimes shift position when weight is placed on legs setting on uneven ground causing it to contact a wire that you thought would be a safe distance away, or you might move your arm to the side and touch the “hot wire” accidentally. Using a power tool from a metal ladder is dangerous. A frayed extension cord could cause you to be electrocuted. Remember that metal conducts electricity.
If you are going to work with power tools from a ladder, or are going work on a ladder in the vicinity of electrical wires, use a ladder that is made of fiberglass or wood, and make sure that is dry. A dry fiberglass ladder is an insulator. A dry wooden ladder is also an insulator.
If you must use a metal ladder, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that you follow the following precautions:
- Carefully check the location of all overhead wires before using a ladder, especially where the lines connect to the house. Any power line (including the line running from the street to your house) can permit electricity to flow into a piece of metal or other object, such as a wet tree branch, that touches it.
- Power lines and phone lines often appear similar. Assume all overhead wires carry electricity. Some overhead lines are coated to extend the life of the line. The coating is not intended to protect against electrocution.
- Lower the ladder when carrying or moving it, to avoid touching an overhead wire. Since long ladders can be unwieldy, have someone help carry and set up the ladder.
- Never work on a windy day, a gust of wind can cause the ladder to shift and touch an overhead wire.
- Never place a ladder where it could slide into an overhead line. Make sure the distance to the nearest overhead line is at least twice the length of the ladder.
- Place the ladder's feet on solid, level ground before climbing it. When the ground is not level or is soft, put a flat piece of wood under one or both feet of the ladder to provide a solid, level base. If possible, tie off the ladder to prevent it from moving.
- If the ladder should start to fall into an overhead line, let it go. Never try to move it. Do not leave the ladder unattended. Have someone call the power company and ask them to cut off electricity to the line, before you move the ladder.
- If someone is holding the ladder when it contacts the overhead line, never try to pull them away with your hands. Use something that does not conduct electricity, such as a long piece of dry wood or rope, to push or pull them loose. (note: a dry leather or canvas belt can also be used).
Rescue
The human body is a conductor of electricity. The muscles in your body are controlled by very small electrical signals. If you should come in contact with a “live wire”, there is a tendency for your muscles to contract with force when the electrical current takes control. If the situation is one that causes your body to freeze then you will not be able to free yourself.
An example: Christmas lighting was being tested after being installed around the metal poles holding up the awning comprising an out door patio. A young man was standing near one of the poles with both arms extended and both hands gripping the pole. He was not moving, just standing there. He had made the mistake of grabbing on to a pole that was “alive with electricity” caused by a frayed wire in the Christmas lighting that made direct electrical contact with the metal pole. A worker saw the young man standing there and realized what was going on; the young man was being shocked, he couldn’t move his body to let go, he couldn’t call for help. He was frozen in place by the “live wire” contacting the pole that he had innocently grasped.
What did the worker do? He grabbed a wooden broom handle that was near by and used it to pull the young man away from the pole. His quick thinking and action probably saved that young mans life.
What other action could the worker have taken? He could have unplugged the lighting from the power source if the plug was near by, or shut off the power at the circuit breaker panel if it was close to him. He knew that he needed to quickly remove the person being shocked from contact with the electrical power or remove the electrical power from the person, all without harming himself in the process.
If the person is not breathing after a rescue, apply CPR immediately and ask someone to call 911.
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