Safety Precautions Every Electrician Should Know

When working with electricity, the first thing to remember is that it can be potentially lethal. It doesn’t matter whether you’re working in a regular home or business; all electrical systems pose risks. 

As an electrician, you encounter electrical hazards in every project. Learning about safety tips is important as they could save your life one day. Working with electricity is a severe and hazardous business, so we have compiled these safety precautions every electrician should know. 

The Dangers of Electricity

Before diving into safety tips for electricians, it’s important to understand why electrical safety is so critical: 

• The human body is a natural conductor of electricity, making it vulnerable to electrical hazards. 
• Electrical accidents can cause shocks, burns, tissue damage, and even fatal injuries. 
• Direct contact with energized parts can affect brain function, cause breathing difficulties, or stop the heart. 

17 Essential Safety Precautions for an Electrician to Know 

1. Avoid Water at All Costs: Ensure your hands are dry before working with electricity. Never touch or repair any electrical circuits or equipment with wet hands. Wet hands increase the conductivity of electric current. According to OSHA’s Basic Electricity Safety Guide, even low voltages can cause serious damage if your hands are damp.
2. Inspect Your Equipment: Never use electrical equipment with frayed cords, broken plugs, or damaged insulation.
3. Turn Off the Main Switch: Always disconnect power when working on any receptacles. Also, it is advisable to put a sign on the service panel so that nobody will accidentally turn the main switch on.
4. Use Insulated Tools: They provide extra protection against electrical shock.
5. Beware of Warning Signs: Exposed energized parts and unguarded electrical equipment, which may become energized unexpectedly, are also electrical hazards. Such materials are typically marked with a “Shock Risk” warning sign.
   It is essential to be always observant of such signs and follow safety rules established by your country’s electrical code. 
6. Wear Protective Gear: Always use insulated rubber gloves and goggles when working on branch or other electrical circuits.
7. Never Work on Energized Equipment: Always use a tester to ensure the equipment is de-energized. To check if an electrical current flows through a wire, the bulb inside the tester will light up when it touches a live or hot wire.
   Before proceeding with your work, test all the cables, the outer metallic covering of the service panel, and any other hanging wires. 
8. Use Appropriate Ladders: Avoid using an aluminum or steel ladder when working on elevated receptacles. Steel and aluminum are electrical conductors. If you don’t use the proper ladder, an electrical surge will ground you. Use a bamboo, wooden, or fiberglass ladder instead.
9. Know Your Electrical Code: Stay updated with your country’s electrical code.
10. Check All Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) Monthly: A GFCI is a residual current device that has become very common in modern homes, especially in damp areas like the kitchen and bathroom. They help prevent electrical shock hazards by quickly disconnecting the power to avoid injuries caused by overcurrent or short circuits. 
11. Use Appropriate Circuit Protection: Select fuses and circuit breakers with the appropriate current rating. These protection devices automatically disconnect the live wire when a short circuit or overcurrent occurs. 
12. Exercise Caution With Underground Cables: Working outside with underground cables can be dangerous. Damp soil around the cable is a good conductor of electricity, and ground faults are quite common in underground cabling.
    Avoid using a spade to dig at the wire, as it can damage the wiring easily. Instead, wear insulated gloves and dig at the cable by hand. 
13. Cap Live Wires: Remember to cap the hot/live wire while working on a magnetic board or service panel. Placing a lid on the live wire prevents the bare ends from short-circuiting with the neutral. The cap insulates the copper ends of the cable to avoid any shock.
14. Properly Discharge Capacitors: Always take extra care and precaution when removing a capacitor from a circuit. Ensuring the capacitor is properly discharged is crucial because it can easily cause an electric shock.
    Putting the tip of two insulated screwdrivers on the capacitor terminals after removing the circuit is an easy way to discharge low-voltage capacitors. 
15. Practice Soldering Safety: Wear goggles when soldering your circuit boards. Keep the soldering iron on the stand when not in use as it can get scalding and easily cause burns.
16. Don’t Touch Electrocuted Individuals: It is natural to want to reach out and assist someone who has been shocked or burned by electricity. However, we advise you not to touch someone while the person is getting electrocuted.
    Remember that the body is a conductor, and if you touch someone who is getting electrocuted, the current will also travel into your body. Turn off the primary power source and call 911 for emergency assistance instead. 
17. Always Avoid Power Lines: Power lines are often around construction sites. They pose a severe threat to electricians and even other tradespeople. Although the path may look safe, the slightest contact can send thousands of electricity through your body.
    Power line electrocution can cause fourth-degree burns (both internal and external), require the amputation of a limb, or worse, make your heart stop.

The Takeaway 

When working on an electrical project, always remember the safety precautions we mentioned. Knowing safety tips will help save your life and the lives of others. However, these safety precautions aren’t the only ones you can employ in your projects. 

One commonly overlooked tip is using access doors to ensure that electrical wiring and equipment are out of the way. When choosing access doors and panels to protect electrical installations, fire-rated access doors or valve boxes will do the job correctly. 

Are you looking to secure your electrical wiring and equipment? Don’t hesitate to find an access door supplier for your commercial project. Trust Access Doors and Panels today. Contact our team of experts or call us at (800) 609-2917 for personalized guidance. You may also visit our website to request a quote.