Utility workers often encounter situations in which they are required to work with electricity or must be around energized tools or equipment.  The most important thing to remember when performing work in these situations is that you should always consider electric circuits to be energized and dangerous until you have made certain they are not. 

Electrical shock occurs when your body becomes part of an electrical circuit.  This can happen because of contact with

• Both hot and neutral conductors at the same time,
• A current-carrying conductor when it is in contact with the ground, or
• A short circuit, which occurs when a hot conductor contacts metallic parts, causing them to become energized. 

The effects of electrical current passing through the body range from a mild tingling sensation to severe pain and muscular contractions, which can cause death.

The easiest way to avoid electrical accidents is simply to avoid contact with energized circuits.  Again, you should always presume that an electrical circuit is energized and dangerous until you are certain that is not.  Before touching a circuit, use a voltage meter to determine if the circuit is live.

Before you work on equipment, turn off power to it.  Lockout/tagout procedures must always be implemented before you begin working on or around energized equipment. 

All electrical equipment and apparatuses must be double-insulated or grounded.  Avoid the use of extension cords, if possible.  When extension devices (an enclosure with multiple sockets) must be temporarily used, the wire gauge of the device must ben equal to or larger than the cord on the item being operated.  Do not attach extension devices to building surfaces by staples, nails, or other attachment materials.

Extension devices equipped with surge protectors may be permanently used with equipment that contains microprocessors, such as computers, but surge protectors should not be used in areas subject to moisture, physical or chemical damage, or flammable vapors.

Safeguards you can take to avoid electric shock are simple, commonsense procedures:

• Check your work area for puddles or wet surfaces near energized circuits, because water acts as a conductor and increases the potential for electrical shock.
• Check for metal pipes and posts against which you could become grounded—and part of the electrical circuit – in energized areas.
• Do not wear rings, watches, or other metal jewelry when performing work on or near electrical circuits, because they could also serve as conductors.
• Avoid the use of metal ladders or uninsulated metal tools on or near energized circuits.
• Examine all electrical tools and equipment for signs of damage or deterioration.  Do not use them if they are damaged or if they are not properly insulated or grounded.  Defective cords and plugs should be replaced immediately.
• When working with overhead equipment, be sure to maintain safe distances from energized lines and wear a class B utility service helmet that protects against high-voltage shock and burn.

In addition to electrical energy, there are several other forms of hazardous energy that workers may be exposed to during installation, maintenance, service, or repair work.  A comprehensive hazardous energy control program should address all forms of hazardous energy, including

• Kinetic (mechanical) energy in the moving parts of mechanical systems;
• Potential energy stored in pressure vessels, gas tanks, hydraulic or pneumatic systems such as pipelines, and springs (potential energy can be released as hazardous kinetic energy); and
• Thermal energy (high or low temperature) resulting from mechanical work, radiation, chemical reaction, or electrical resistance.

You want to ensure that before any employee does any servicing, construction, or maintenance on any source of hazardous energy where the unexpected energizing, startup, or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, that the involved machine, pipeline, or other equipment is isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative.

These tips won’t make you an electrical expert.  However, they are important practices you can use to create a safer workplace.