Is your Workplace Protected from Electrical Hazards?
Find out Electrical Safety in your Workplace, with this Handy Checklist from the Safety Experts at Totalika
According to a recent report by the Ministry of Labour and Statistics, nearly 1400 fatal accidents and over one lakh non-fatal accidents occur in industries all over the country. According to the studies most of these injuries are a result of electrical short circuits caused by poor electrical wirings & connections, faulty electrical appliances and equipment etc.
The Role of Electricity in Modern Workplaces
Almost all equipment in a workplace today operates on electricity. Whether it’s something as simple as a desktop computer and printer or complicated machinery, all these devices require electrical power to run and operate.
What happens when electrical outlets aren’t appropriately maintained in the Workplace?
If improperly used, these equipment and appliances have the potential to cause severe burns, shocks and even lead to electrocution in the worst cases. Whenever a part of your body comes in contact with an open electrical circuit, shock waves pass through you.
When we say someone is a victim of electrical shock, we mean that the current enters the body at one point and leaves at another. During this passage of electrical current in the body, the victim suffers from high pain, burns and sometimes even death.
Additionally, leakage of electrical current can even spark a fire in the workplace, leading to massive damages.
Electrical Safety Seminars – A Must
To ensure that your workers are protected from the hazards of electrical malfunctioning in the workplace, you must educate them about the right use of equipment. Additionally, you must conduct periodic electrical safety audits, to keep your business free from electrical hazards.
Here are 15 Tips to Keep your Workplace free from Electrical Accidents:
- Always ensure that all your equipment have double insulation and are properly grounded. This includes everything from the coffee machine to complicated machinery.
- Instruct your workers not to overload any electrical outlet.
- Additionally, don’t make the mistake of plugging a multi-outlet bar to another multi-outlet device.
- When buying equipment for the workplace, make sure that you purchase ones that have been approved by a nationalized regulatory body.
- Try to avoid using extension bars in the workplace. Similarly, don’t connect one extension box to another. Instead, try to install extra electrical outlets wherever possible.
- Don’t cover any power cords with mats or rugs. This not only causes an issue with leakage of electrical current but is also potential tripping hazards.
- Avoid running extension cords in places where employees walk. This leads to tripping hazards.
- Always unplug and disconnect an appliance before repairing it. Also, ensure that only qualified personnel do the servicing. The workplace is not the space to try out your DIY skills.
- Never ignore warning signs. For instance, if particular machinery feels unusually hot, makes a weird noise, or emits sparks and smoke, make sure that you call in the service technicians immediately. Remove the machinery from the electrical outlet, and put up the sign “Do Not Use,” so that employees don’t mistakenly use it.
- Make sure to inspect all cords and appliances regularly. Maintain defects register and ask employees to report any warning signs in it, as soon as they spot it.
- If any wire is exposed, make sure to replace it quickly.
- While unplugging cords from electrical outlets, do so by gripping the entire plug. Don’t just pull on the wire from the distance as it can lead to breakage.
- Never use electrical appliances near a wet surface.
- Similarly, make sure to instruct all workers not to operate electrical machinery with wet hands.
- Provide your workers with the necessary safety wear while handling electrical equipment.
Here’s a Handy Checklist to Identify Potential Electrical Hazards at the Workplace:
Electrical Safety Checklist for all Departments
| S. No. | Questions | Yes | No |
| 1 | Are all electrical cords and equipment’s placed in such a way to avoid tripping hazards? | ||
| 2 | Do all electrical cords have proper insulation? | ||
| 3 | Do you use extension cords for less than 30 days? | ||
| 4 | Are all extension cords of the three-wire type? | ||
| 5 | Do all power strips have a surge protector, a cord length that doesn’t exceed 6 feet, and a 15A fuse/circuit breaker? | ||
| 6 | Is the ban on power strips and extension cords implemented in the campus? | ||
| 7 | Are cube taps prohibited? | ||
| 8 | Is the use of adapters (3-prong to 2-prong) prohibited in the workspace? | ||
| 9 | Is it easy to locate all electrical panels in the building? | ||
| 10 | Do all switches have the required faceplates and receptacles? | ||
| 11 | Are all the receptacles in bathrooms protected by a GFCI? | ||
| 12 | Do all employees know the extension number of the maintenance department? | ||
| 13 | Have all employees undergone basic electrical safety training? |
The correct answer to all these questions is “Yes.” If you get, “No” for any question, it means corrective action is required.
Electrical Safety Checklist for Workers who work with High Voltage Machinery
| S. No. | Questions | Yes | No |
| 1 | Are all insulating equipment like mats, gloves inspected every day before the work begins? | ||
| 2 | Are insulation gloves air-tested before and after work every day? | ||
| 3 | Is insulation equipment stored in the right way? (Away from direct light, extreme temperatures, excessive humidity and other harmful chemicals) | ||
| 4 | Have rubber insulation gloves been electrically tested during the last six months? | ||
| 5 | Have rubber insulation sleeves been electrically tested during the last twelve months? | ||
| 6 | Have rubber insulation blankets been electrically tested during the last six months? |
The correct answer to all these questions is “Yes.” If you get, “No” for any question, it means corrective action is required.
Start with a Safety Assessment of the Workplace
As an employer, you must protect your employees by removing all electrical hazards. Start by conducting a comprehensive safety audit of your workplace. Call in a professional, to identify potential electrical risks and draft a plan to rectify all the issues.
The Last Word
Schedule a call with our safety experts and take the first step to eliminating all potential electrical hazards at your workplace. Give us a call at 0124-266-3021/0124-266-3022 or drop in a line at support@totalika.org to get started on your journey to 100% Workplace Safety.
Have a Safe & Happy Day!
