Construction is one of the riskiest sectors to work in. A building site is fraught with dangers. Every year, many workers are wounded or killed due to these generally avoidable dangers. One of the most common hazards on a construction site is electrocution. While construction site managers should take all required efforts to avoid as many electrical risks as feasible, construction personnel should take as many personal precautions as possible to protect themselves.
Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set in place various safety standards, these regulations are frequently not followed precisely. Even if all criteria are followed, construction workers are still in danger of being injured or killed due to work accidents and risks.
Be Cautious When Working Near Power Lines
When electricity lines are powered and energized, they produce extraordinarily high voltages. Contact with a live electrical line can result in severe burns and even electrocution. Overhead power wires are a hazard that most construction workers are aware of, but they may be unaware of the depth of their threats to a work site. Overhead electricity lines can electrocute even experienced employees and managers.
Here are some overhead power line safety recommendations to consider when working on a construction site that could help prevent an electrical injury or death.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Lookup is one of the most crucial electrical safety advice for construction workers. When a worker arrives at a workplace for the day, he should wear the custom men’s FR coveralls and inspect his surroundings. Being aware of the threats present can make a significant difference in preventing unintentional accidents. While surveying the site, the worker should look for any barriers or signs signaling dangers, as well as any potentially live electrical wiring. These are the regions that should be avoided at all costs.
Maintain a Safe Distance
A minimum of ten feet should be maintained between overhead electrical wires and any equipment on the site. This applies to any overhead wire with a voltage of up to 50 kilovolts. If a line has more than 50 kilovolts, add four inches to the minimum distance maintained for every 10 kilovolts beyond 50. Keep an 11-foot space from an 80-kilovolt line, for example.
Take Extra Precautions
When assessing a job site, workers should watch overhead electricity wires and notify their managers if equipment or other objects are being kept beneath them. They should wear custom men’s FR coveralls for extra safety and not utilize metal ladders when working near a power line. They should always be treated as potentially dangerous.
Suppose a person or piece of equipment comes into contact with an overhead electricity line. In that case, employees should not approach or touch the person or object since electrocution can occur quickly, resulting in damage or death.
Never Work with Compromised Equipment or Tools
When damaged tools and equipment are operated, turned on, or merely connected to a power source, they can cause electrical burns and electrocution. Therefore, custom FR workwear is essential for construction workers.
All equipment should be checked before attaching them to a power source, turning them on, or using them to avoid injury from faulty equipment. During the inspection, workers should evaluate all cable, wire, cord, or other electrical components of a tool for cracks, breakage, or other anomalies. If something occurs that is not normal; the worker should not attempt to repair the problem; instead, the person should remove himself from the compromised equipment and notify management so that a suitably competent individual can be contacted and the issue can be resolved.
Avoid Working in Wet Conditions
Water and electricity do not get along. If wetness is observed during the initial scan of the construction site upon arrival for the day, a manager should be notified immediately. At this stage, a formal inspection should be performed to determine the workers’ safety.
Even if a project is determined to be safe, workers should take extra precautions to avoid injury or electrocution. Before operating any equipment, they should adequately inspect it for signs of dampness and avoid standing in or near water when working with electrical tools.
Be Wary of Improper Grounding
Among many, one of the most dangerous electrical risks on a building site is improper grounding. If the electrical wires are not adequately grounded, but employees believe it is, they may take risks they would not otherwise take, resulting in significant injury and death. Proper grounding is intended to eliminate unnecessary voltage, lowering the risk of electrocution.
Workers should inspect the grounding work and report any concerns about the validity of the grounding to their supervisors so that specialists may check the grounding of the wires and if required, repair.
It is necessary to treat all electrical wires as live to avoid any injury, even if they appear to be grounded. As in any other dangerous industry, erring on the side of caution is always the best approach in the construction sector.
Conclusion
To conclude, the management and firm are responsible for the safety of a construction site and its workers. However, workers should still take all necessary precautions like wearing custom FR workwear to safeguard themselves and their coworkers. Regular inspections and protective device coordination analyses can aid in detecting and preventing electrical injuries and fatalities on construction sites.
