this electrical awareness video is focused on identifying hazards around electricity on the job site all other hazards on the job require the same focus and respect while performing your hazard assessments and should not be disregarded or have any less importance placed on them electricity is all around us it is an essential element in our daily lives nearly everything we do is connected with electricity on the job site working around electricity can be very safe when workers properly identify and mitigate the hazards if hazards are ignored electricity can strike out and its effects can be devastating as with any task on the job site you should never attempt to perform work without the proper training and experience only qualified Personnel should be involved in the operation or repairs of electrical equipment inadequate training lack of experience and failure to recognize potential hazards could result in electric shock or arc flash electric shock can occur when a worker approaches or contacts exposed energized electrical equipment workers exposure to electric shock can vary from a tingling sensation to involuntary muscle contraction causing respiratory paralysis ventricular fibrillation and severe internal and external Burns and even death the victim is also at risk of other serious physical harm such as falling from Heights arc flash results from two electrical components sustaining an arcing fault if conditions are correct an arc flash will result followed by a blast wave containing molten metal shrapnel and toxic gases no matter the severity any worker exposed to any level of electrical shock or Flash must seek medical attention while electricity has the power to seriously harm you the risks of electrical shock can be mitigated and work can be safely carried out without incidents electrical safety begins with the proper use of field level Hazard assessments and identifying the potential hazards your hazard assessment is the first step in protecting you and everyone else on your job site from any Associated hazards which may include electric shock a brief inspection of your job site will help identify other potential electrical hazards while performing your walk through look listen and smell this will assist you in identifying the hazards on your site all power tools and equipment should be plugged into a GFCI this is a must when working in wet moist or exterior locations ground fault circuit interrupters monitor the balance of electricity flow and can detect even minor imbalances and will trip reducing the risk of electric shock bump testing the GFCI before use must be done to ensure the unit is functioning properly by pressing the test button the receptacles should trip pushing the reset button should restore power to the GFCI unit if this fails the GFCI unit is defective and must be taken out of service adequate lighting is a must in your work area if light levels are too low additional lighting must be installed on either a temporary or permanent basis whenever working directly around electrical equipment the de-energizing of equipment is the recommended practice de-energizing equipment removes the potential for electrical shock as power is removed this can be achieved with the proper use of a lockout tag out system while basic procedures may vary from site to site it is essential for you to understand the lockout tag out procedure being used at your job site one thing that does not change from site to site however is that you may never remove another party's lock in a lockout tagout system before using any electrical cords or tools always inspect individual items to ensure they're in good working order faulty equipment can lead to personal injury and poses a risk to all those on a job site if items are damaged or are in four working condition tag the item and take it out of service for repair or replacement always know the locations of fire extinguishers on your site these should be rated safe for use with electrical fires common practice is the use of a dry chemical type ABC fire extinguisher depending on the type of work you're doing a hot work or electrical permit may be required always ensure you're in compliance with your site-specific policies and procedures regarding permitting controls always consider overhead hazards in your work area power lines are an ever-present danger due to the possibility of electrical arcing or direct contact and should always be marked high voltage hazards can also be in the ground line locates are required by law before any ground disturbance takes place always call before you dig occupational health and safety regulates minimum work distances to electrical sources with certain voltages and should be referred to before working near any high voltage sources it is extremely important to recognize equipment in an abnormal condition such as an open electrical panel exposed wiring Sparks smoke or fire when you encounter this situation use the look listen and smell approach as this is an immediate cue that extra caution should be used and may indicate a potentially dangerous situation is present water or liquids pose additional risk of electrical shock due to high conductivity the hazard should be removed only after the area is de-energized if you recognize a hazard that you cannot Rectify ensure that you ask questions and seek solutions from the appropriate personnel on site do not take it for granted that other workers understand the scope of your work or that there is a potential danger to you or to them common PPE requirements on job sites include cotton or fire resistant pants a cotton or fire resistant shirt with a minimum six inch to full length sleeve electric shock resistance or static dissipative Footwear type 1 and 2 class CNG protective headwear additional high-vis clothing safety glasses and work gloves for Electrical Workers that conduct their tasks around energized equipment you should be aware of the CSA standard z462 competent workers need to be trained to this standard which will help identify the hazards Associated around electrical sources what controls can be best used as well as the additional specialized PPE required such as arc flash clothing arc flash face shield rubber insulated gloves which include leather protectors and more PPE is your last line of defense do not use PPE as a substitute for the opportunity to control or remove existing hazards in the event that all Safeguard systems have failed and a co-worker is being shocked never come in direct contact with the worker or you may become entrapped in the shock cycle if possible deactivate the power source and activate your emergency response plan working around electricity can be performed safely and without incident by executing sound judgment and diligent observations in order to create your field level hazard assessment and by following the proper safe work procedures you'll be well on your way to completing your task without incident remember the importance of using the proper equipment in good condition and by wearing the proper personal protective equipment by employing all these safeguards not only will you help keep yourself and your co-workers safe you'll help ensure that you'll return safely every day to the people who count on you the most foreign foreign