Identifying Workplace Electrical Risks

Electrical hazards can be a dangerous thing to encounter, particularly in the workplace. While most injuries occur in an employee’s own home, the workplace can still prove to be a dangerous place if it’s not looked after properly.

From inspecting tools before use to maintaining proper wiring, there are plenty of obvious and not-so-obvious electrical hazards that could bring a lot of harm to those who come into contact with them.

When it comes to working with electrics or electrical hazards of any type, it’s important that you’re tackling these and preventing them from happening where possible. Here are several common electrical hazards in the workplace and how you can avoid them from causing damage.

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Faulty wiring is one of the problem areas that can cause a lot of damage to a person or building if for any reason it were to turn into an electrical fire. A lot of people allow frayed or exposed wires to continue in existence for too long, simply dismissing it for something that’s not actually too big of a problem.

However, frayed, exposed, or loose wiring in electrical cords can lead to both electrical shocks and fires. Electrical shocks can be fairly nasty depending on how much electricity is running through the wires. Fires, on the other hand, could be detrimental to your business and could be a risk to life if it turns into something serious.

It’s important that your tech and business operations team identify any faulty wiring as soon as it appears. There are some obvious signs that the wires are faulty but it’s good practice, to routinely check over wires and ensure they’re working as they should be to avoid any issues.

With any electrical equipment you have in operation around your business, you want to ensure it’s well protected from the elements and anything that could cause damage to it. Equally, you might want to protect your staff and guests from entering a space that could injure or cause death.

That’s why it’s a good idea to look at your electrical hotpoint and identify what your nema enclosure ratings might be. This is important because it will give you an idea of what level of enclosures you need to keep your electrical equipment safe at all times.

A lack of electrical protection can be a problem that you want to address, especially when you have larger volumes of equipment on your worksite or property. It’s good to assess the risk and where the problem areas lie, so consider what electrical hazards need addressing with the right enclosures.

Damaged equipment is common within the workplace, especially when it comes to bigger companies where the equipment can often go overlooked.

Faulty or broken electrical tools and appliances can cause shocks of all kinds due to the exposed live parts. Not only that but insulation within the equipment can be damaged, so it’s important that all of it is regularly inspected.

Consider what wear and tear might be evident visually but it’s worth taking a closer look, particularly at equipment that is a number of years old. Older equipment is likely going to be more damaged or prone to faults.

Within working environments, there are often a lot of electrical equipment and tools being used on a daily basis. Not everyone who is plugging in devices and tools will spot that certain electrical outlets are perhaps overloaded for any additional devices.

Plugging too many devices into a single outlet can result in overloaded circuits. This causes overheating and potential fires if you’re not careful. That’s why it’s a good idea to use power strips so that you avoid overloading the sockets.

It’s good to educate your employees about overloading circuits and how to avoid it within the workplace. Try to identify anyone who might be a regular culprit for overloading circuits or outlets and make sure they’re not doing it again.

Exposed electrical parts from open electrical panels or exposed wiring can cause shock hazards. That’s why you need to ensure all electrical components that are exposed are covered and secured as appropriate.

There will often need to be electrical parts that are exposed, so it’s necessary to create the environments required to maintain these exposed areas. Loose connections should be covered in the right manner where possible. 

If you haven’t got the right covering on these electrical parts, then you’ll definitely want to fix that problem sooner rather than later.

The grounding in which all of your electrical appliances are on, is something that you want to be mindful of. With uneven grounding, you might cause electrical shocks as a result. It can also cause problems with the electrical equipment itself, as well as the performance of said equipment.

That’s why it’s essential that you’re placing your electrical equipment on level grounding and secure grounding at that. If it’s not stable and secure, then it’s going to pose a problem.

Wet conditions can be problematic when it comes to using electrical equipment. This is particularly the case if your working areas are outside and therefore this increases the risk of shock and electrical fires.

To help avoid this where possible, you’ll want to create secure spaces and covers that will keep any water from the electrical equipment. Working with electricity when hands are wet or where there are water spills, is something to avoid entirely. Having health and safety practices in place to protect your workers is paramount.

Electrical hazards are very common in the workplace. So with that being said, use these examples as a starting point to keep your work environment as safe as possible. The more proactive you are with common electrical hazards, the better.

Putting in preventative measures is the best way to prevent them from happening and for your staff or on-site guests from getting injured as a result of the electrical faults.

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