The need for analyzing electrical hazards in the workplace has been recognized by a small segment of the industry for many years. The petrochemical industry and many government institutions have performed research on this subject for over forty years. For the most part, however, the user level of the electrical industry has largely ignored the subject, essentially reacting to catastrophic accidents and equipment failure rather than proactively trying to predict and prevent them. The arc flash incident that completely destroyed the front of the electricians’ shirt, along with severely burning the electrician could have been prevented if management and the worker completely understood the electrical maintenance hazards. This article will provide an overview of the three principle types of electrical maintenance hazards, along with a discussion of the standards and regulations pertaining to the subject.
Leaders should understand that an important portion of their business process, if it were to fail, could not only injure or kill employees but also could shut the business down for days. If you have tasks in which you have this kind of exposure, shouldn’t you be involved in the decision making process to make electrical maintenance and operations safe?