Electrical shock is the industry’s greatest electrical threat
04May
Nothing captures people’s attention more than a good show. Add fire or explosions and people will give you all their attention. Therefore, it is not surprising why the industry focuses on electrical safety for arc flash. It is a showstopper – with its 19,400°C (or more) of heat, capable of destroying a business and the lives of anyone in its path in just a tenth of a second.
Arc-flash safety is important. However, the electrical industry’s deadliest act – electrical shock – is often forgotten.
More than 90 percent of electrical fatalities among U.S. workers are from electrical shock. This number does not account for the high proportion of fatalities that are often misclassified under a different cause of death. Yet, shock is downplayed within industrial settings. Most electrical safety training programs do not cover shock. Even with training, workers usually do not exercise precaution against it, at least not enough to cut the power before proceeding to work.
Oftentimes, companies’ safety methods focus on providing workers with personal protective equipment (PPE) and safety training. However, PPE is considered the last line of defence, with safety training falling next in line. Thus, for companies to devote their resources to using last-resort protection methods, the disproportionate rate of worker fatalities that occur from electrical shock each year comes as no surprise.
Read the full article in the May issue of PBSI
Contact Details and Archive...
