Electrical Hazards: Safety Achievement Awards Top 10 Electrical Safety Tips
Electrical Hazards: Safety Achievement Awards Top 10 Electrical Safety Tips
Electrical Hazards: Safety Achievement Awards Top 10 Electrical Safety Tips
Electrical Hazards
Page Contents
8 Additional Resources
Articles may be reprinted without permission, provided Manager’s Monthly Safety Packet and Saudi Aramco Loss Prevention are credited.
Page 1
Safety Achievement Awards
The following departments have recently earned safety awards.
E
lectricity can be dangerous if you don’t handle it 7. Keep appliances away from water. Never
safely. Here’s a quick and simple guide to help reach for a plugged-in appliance when your
you stay safe around electricity: hands are wet or when you are around water.
1. Check your home’s electrical panel for a last- 8. Make sure light bulbs are screwed in securely.
inspected date. Get a new inspection if it’s Loose bulbs may overheat and burn shades,
been more than 10 years. drapes, or nearby furniture.
✗
5. Whenever possible, use surge protectors for
sensitive equipment such as personal
computers.
A
safe electrical environment makes both good Check the condition of the equipment
personal and business sense. However, reducing
and eliminating exposure to electrical hazards In addition to the physical environment, the condition of
requires constant attention. the electrical equipment plays a significant role in electrical
safety. Here are some questions you should answer about
Before performing any electrical task, identify and analyze the electrical equipment you use:
the associated hazards. Here’s a simple method of
identifying these hazards in your work area. Is the equipment in good operating condition?
Check the environment Are there any defects (e.g., frayed wires or loose
connections) that need to be repaired or replaced?
Electrical safety depends on the environment where the
task is performed. Ask yourself these questions to Is the integrity of the grounding system
determine the nature of the hazards in your electrical compromised by missing prongs, frayed wires,
working environment: or loose connections?
Is the environment wet or dry? Are the internal safety mechanisms in place, such
as double insulation or fuses?
Is the area open and well-ventilated or cramped
and confined? Is the equipment being operated at the voltage
for which it is rated? If you are not sure, use a
Is the lighting adequate or dim? voltmeter to check.
continued...
Never perform maintenance, inspection, or repairs Use only wooden ladders when working around
on any electrical equipment unless you are electricity.
trained and qualified to do so.
Ensure that all power tools are double-insulated,
Never use electrical equipment you aren’t trained or use them only in circuits that have been fitted
or qualified to use. Always read and follow the with GFCIs.
operating instructions.
For portable tools and equipment, use only
Maintain safe working clearances for energized extension cords approved by Underwriter’s
equipment, overhead power lines, or other Laboratory (UL), Factory Mutual (FM), or any
exposed conductors, as defined by company and other recognized testing laboratory.
departmental standards and procedures.
Inspect all extension cords for wear, frays,
Obey electrical voltage warning signs and stay cracks, and exposed wires. Have them repaired
clear of areas that have known electrical hazards. or replaced before using.
Treat all circuits, whether high or low voltage, Check the area to make sure that no flammable
with great respect. Always assume that a circuit liquids are stored in the area where the work is
is live until it is proven not to be. being done, even temporarily.
Isolate the equipment from energy sources to Keep access to electrical panels and junction
prevent accidents. Always follow the proper boxes clear of obstructions.
lockout and tag procedures as highlighted in
General Instruction 6.012, “Isolation, Lockout
and Use of Hold Tags.”
R
ecently, while a contractor employee was welding a steel bar to a 55-gallon drum, the drum exploded. The
drum’s top portion was blown approximately 60 meters (197 feet) away. Luckily, this employee was not
injured. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about a prior incident. A contractor employee was fatally
injured when the 55-gallon steel drum he was hot-cutting exploded. The steel drum was presumed empty at the time
of the incident, but had been previously used to store a flammable liquid.
Current access to used drums is limited because Material Supply (MS) no longer distributes or sells empty drums. In
fact, in 1997, MS asked all Saudi Aramco organizations to return unmodified drums. Any used drum still available in
the system poses great risks unless the appropriate safety procedures are implemented. Supervisors must ensure that
employees understand these procedures and potential hazards associated with used drums:
1. Any organization that does not have the facilities to positively identify the residual content, safely
clean and then verify that the container is free of toxic or explosive substances, should not modify
the drum. It must be returned to its source. Identification of the residue requires laboratory analysis
because container labels, bills of lading, and reclamation receipts may not accurately indicate the last
substance contained in the drum.
2. If appropriate laboratory facilities are available, before doing anything else, safely reduce the internal
pressure to atmospheric pressure by carefully removing the bung(s) or vent plug(s) from the drum.
3. Once the residual content has been positively identified, no modification should proceed until the container
has been safely cleaned. The correct cleaning procedure varies according to the contents of the drum. To
determine the correct cleaning procedure, consult the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or Chemical
Hazards Bulletin (CHB), or check with the laboratory which identified the substance. For further
information or assistance, contact the Environmental Protection Department at 872- 1026.
4. Venting of the drums and discharging of residual material and contaminated cleaning fluids must comply
with environmental requirements. For information regarding this, contact Environmental Protection
Department at 874-6426.
5. After cleaning, the drum(s) must be free of toxic, flammable, or explosive vapors or substances before
any modification can safely take place. Verification that the drum is safe to modify also requires laboratory
analysis. Even if a drum appears “empty” it can still contain flammable vapors or hazardous residue.
6. Once the drum has been determined safe to modify, welding or hot-cutting can start. For more detailed
information on welding or hot cutting steel drums or containers safely, refer to NFPA (National Fire
Protection Association) 326, Standard Procedures for Cleaning or Safeguarding Small Tanks and Tanks
and Containers Without Entry, 1999 edition, which is available through area Loss Prevention offices.
F
aulty electrical equipment and misuse of electrical • Keep motors free from lint, dust, and dirt.
appliances are common causes of accidents and fires. • Install ground fault circuit interrupters
Here are some tips to help you identify potential trouble (GFCIs) in all outdoor outlets and wherever
spots and reduce the risk of electrical accidents associated dampness may be encountered indoors, such
with electrical appliances: as in the kitchen or the bathroom.
• Consider the available safety features when Electrical appliances usually give off warning signs when
you shop for any electrical appliance. Look there is a problem:
for the mark of a recognized testing
laboratory such as Underwriter’s • Power outages—the frequent need to
Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM). replace fuses or reset circuit breakers
• Make sure that all controls are clearly marked
• Sizzles/buzzes— an unusual sound coming
and identifiable, and that the appliance has
an easy-to-grasp, three-prong plug (unless it from an electrical appliance
is double-insulated). • Overheating—any switch plate, wall outlet,
• Plug in small portable appliances only when cover, cord, and plug that is hot (not warm)
you intend to use them. Otherwise, keep them to the touch, discolored, or shows traces of
unplugged and stored well out of children’s smoke
reach.
• Replace or repair any appliance that is • Odor—an unusual smell of hot or burning
damaged. insulation
• Unplug electrical appliances at the source
• Arcs/sparks—bright flashes of light or
(i.e., the wall socket) by grasping the plug.
showers of sparks
Pulling on the cord of the appliance
eventually weakens the connection between • Electrical shocks—any shock, even a mild
the plug and the appliance. tingle, is a warning
• Never kink, twist, bind, cut, or crush an
appliance cord. Be on the lookout for • Dimming or flickering lights—frequent
damaged wires and loose or broken plugs. flickering and/or dimming of lights
• Never cut or bend back the third prong of an • Damaged insulation—cut, broken, cracked,
appliance plug in order to fit it into a two- loose, or frayed insulation
slot outlet.
• Keep flammable materials such as clothing, Take these warning signs seriously. Turn off the power
curtains, paper, and flammable liquids well immediately and replace the appliance or have it repaired
away from heat-generating appliances (e.g., before using it again.
lights, toaster, electric frying pan, etc.)
Note: The Loss Prevention Audiovisual Library film catalog is currently available online at Loss Prevention’s
web site. To view the catalog, go to http://lp.aramco.com.sa on the company intranet. To order films, contact
the library at 874-8424.
Note: All films/videos in the Audiovisual Library are protected by copyright laws. Those films/videos produced
by Saudi Aramco MPOD may be copied for use within the company; however, you are not permitted to copy
any other films/videos. Sign below to acknowledge that you understand and will comply with this restriction.
Signature:
Fire 1000
U-Matic Video
Film (16mm)
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Loss Prevention Department, Audiovisual Library, Westpark 3, Room 234, Dhahran, Telephone: 874-8424
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