Electrical Electrician - Safety Practice (Notes)

 Electrical Electrician - Safety Practice

Img. Electrical safety soot/apron

Necessity of safety rules: 

Safety consciousness is one of the essential attitudes required for any job. A skilled electrician always should strive to form safe working habits. Safe working habits always save men, money and material. Unsafe working habits always end up in loss of production and profits, personal injury and even death. The safety hints given below should be followed by Electrician to avoid accidents and electrical shocks as his job involves a lot of occupational hazards.

Here a electrician should remember the famous proverb, “Electricity is a good servant but a bad master”.

Safety rules:

• Only qualified persons should do electrical work. 

• Keep the workshop floor clean, and tools in good condition, and keep proper places.  

• Do not work on live circuits; if unavoidable, use rubber gloves rubber mats, etc. 

• Use wooden or PVC insulated handle screwdrivers when working on electrical circuits. 

• Do not touch bare conductors 

• When soldering, place the hot soldering irons in their stand. Never lay switched ‘ON’ or heated soldering iron on a bench or table as it may cause a fire to break out. 

• Use only correct capacity fuses in the circuit. If the capacity is less it will blow out when the load is connected. If the capacity is large, it gives no protection and allows excess current to flow and endangers men and machines, resulting in loss of money. 

• Replace or remove fuses only after switching off the circuit switches. 

• Use extension cords with lamp guards to protect lamps against breakage and to avoid combustible material coming in contact with hot bulbs. 

• Use accessories like sockets, plugs, switches and appliances only when they are in good condition and be sure they have the mark of BIS (ISI). Necessity of using BIS(ISI) marked accessories is explained under standardization. 

• Never extend electrical circuits by using temporary wiring. 

• Stand on a wooden stool, or an insulated ladder while repairing live electrical circuits/ appliances or replacing fused bulbs. In all the cases, it is always good to open the main switch and make the circuit dead. 

• Stand on rubber mats while working/operating switch panels, control gears etc. • Position the ladder, on firm ground. 

• While using a ladder, ask the helper to hold the ladder against any possible slipping. 

• Always use safety belts while working on poles or high rise points. 

• Never place your hands on any moving part of rotating machine and never work around moving shafts or pulleys of motor or generator with loose shirt sleeves or dangling neck ties.

 • Only after identifying the procedure of operation, operate any machine or apparatus.

 • Run cables or cords through wooden partitions or floor after inserting insulating porcelain tubes.

 • Connections in the electrical apparatus should be tight. Loosely connected cables will heat up and end in fire hazards.

 • Use always earth connection for all electrical appliances along with 3-pin sockets and plugs. 

• While working on dead circuits remove the fuse grips; keep them under safe custody and also display ‘Men on line’ board on the switchboard. 

• Do not meddle with interlocks of machines/switch gears. 

• Do not connect earthing to the water pipe lines. 

• Do not use water on electrical equipment.

 • Discharge static voltage in HV lines/equipment and capacitors before working on them. 

Safety practice - 

first aid Electric shock We are aware that the prime reasons for severity of shock are the magnitude of current and duration of contact. In addition, the other factors contribute to the severity of shock are: 

• age of person 

• body resistance

 • not wearing insulating footwear or wearing wet footwear

Weather condition 

• Wet or dry floor

 • Mains voltage etc. 

If assistance is close at hand, send for medical aid, then carry on with emergency treatment. 

If you are alone, proceed with the treatment immediately. Make sure the victim is not in contact with the supply.

Effects of electric shock 

The effect of current at very low levels may only be an unpleasant tingling sensation, but this itself may be sufficient to cause some persons to lose their balance and fall. At higher levels of current the person receiving a shock may be thrown off his feet and will experience severe pain and possibly minor burns at the point of contact. At an excessive shock can also cause burning of the skin at the point of contact.

Treatment of electric shock 

Prompt treatment is essential. Check for the victim’s natural breathing and consciousness. Take steps to apply respiratory resuscitation if the victim is unconscious and not breathing. Check the victim for injury and burns. Decide on the suitable method of artificial resuscitation. In the case of injury/burns to chest and or belly, follow the mouth-to-mouth method. 

In the case of burns/injury in the back, follow Nelson’s method In case the mouth is closed tightly, use Schafer’s or Holgen-Nelson method.

Treatment for electrical burns 

A person receiving an electric shock may also sustain burns when the current passes through the body. Do not waste time by rendering first aid to the victim until breathing has been restored and the patient can breathe normally unaided. 

Burns are very painful. If a large area of the body is burnt, do not give treatment, except to exclude the air, eg. by covering with clean paper or a clean cloth, soaked in clean water. this relieves the pain. 

Severe bleeding 

Any wound which is bleeding profusely, especially in the wrist, hand or fingers must be considered serious and must receive professional attention. As an immediate first aid measure, pressure on the wound itself is the best means of stopping the bleeding and avoiding infection,

Immediate action 

Always in cases of severe bleeding 

- make the patient to lie down and rest 

- if possible, raise the injured part above the level of the body

- apply pressure to the wound 

- call for medical assistance

To control severe bleeding

Squeeze together the sides of the wound. Apply pressure as long as it is necessary to stop the bleeding. When the bleeding has stopped, put a dressing over the wound and cover it with a pad of soft material.

 For an abdominal wound which may be caused by falling on a sharp tool, keep the patient bending over the wound to stop internal bleeding,

Large wound 

Apply a clean pad and bandage firmly in place. If bleeding is very severe apply more than one dressing.