Electrical Safety Basics for Non-Electrical Personnel

Most people understand that electricity is essential to our everyday life, both at home and on the job. Perhaps because it has become such a familiar part of our daily life that many of us don't give much thought to how much our work and other activities depend on a reliable source of electricity. More importantly, we tend to overlook, ignore, or just don't understand the hazards electricity poses. Therefore, we fail to treat it with the respect it deserves. Non-electrical or electrically unqualified personnel include laborers, mechanics, janitors, operators, office workers, etc. These people have often been asked what they know about electricity or electrical safety, and the typical answers go something like this: "I don't know anything about it." "My dad was an electrician, and he told me that electricity can kill you." "I know that if you touch it, it can hurt you." "I know better than to mess with it, so I call an electrician." As a general rule, non-electrical personnel don't know very much about electricity or the hazards it presents, so the phrases "what you don't know, won't hurt you" or "ignorance is bliss" simply does not apply to electricity. The problem with electricity is that it cannot be tasted, seen, heard, or smelled. Because it is essentially invisible, it is often referred to as a "silent killer" and far too many have found this the hard way. OSHA requires all personnel to be trained in the recognition and avoidance of hazards, which includes electrical hazards. Statistics show that over 50% of all electrical accidents, injuries, and fatalities occur with non-electrical personnel, therefore, electrical safety training applies as much too electrically unqualified personnel as it does to qualified electrical workers. This paper addresses the electrical hazards, safe work practices, personal protective equipment (PPE), and training requirements as they apply to non-electrical personnel.