Virginian building organizations have started a campaign to increase knowledge of the risks electrical hazards present on construction locations. The initiative seeks to make the building sector a safer place to work by stressing these hazards and supporting best practices.
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Program for Electrical Hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) claims that the building sector is among the industries in the United States with the highest rates of occupational injuries and deaths. One of the several kinds of injuries possible is electrical. Of the 145 deaths in the workplace in 2022, 62 originated from the building industry, driven by electricity.
ESF and CPWR joined forces to start a campaign to increase awareness of the need for electrical safety in the building sector. The project aims to reduce the expected number of injuries and deaths by educating the general public about electrical risks when constructing job sites.
As mentioned, the campaign materials incorporate an infographic related to OSHA's focus.The building sector's four hazards are electrocution, falling from heights, striking by, and becoming caught in or between. Accordingly, finding and naming utilities on the working site, such as overhead power wires and underground cables, is crucial before starting work.
Keeping a safe distance from electrical lines is also quite important.
These simple techniques can help keep workers safe on the job site. Thus, ground-fault protection should always be used, and portable electric instruments should only be operated if grounded or double-insulated.
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Causes of Electric Hazards in Building Industry
Workers at building sites run electrical hazards, increasing their chance of injury or death. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), 36% of all workplace related electrical deaths between 2011 and 2017 were from overhead power lines. Glancing around the job site is essential to find all current powerlines and help to prevent these problems. Once the power line locations have been established, it is imperative to follow strict safety protocols to protect your crew and yourself from incurring catastrophic injuries or perhaps death.
As stated, electrocution is linked with many hazards, such as burns and shocks, arc flashes, blasts, fires, and explosions. Incorrect wiring, inappropriate cord usage, the absence of ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets in wet conditions, reversed polarity, and an ensured grounding conductor program are some of the reasons that might lead to these dangers.
Furthermore, broken electrical tools and equipment can be more than simply irritating the building site since they can be devastating. A spark from something as little as a frayed cable or an exposed wire could endanger electrocution and fire.
Nevertheless, one way to lower the risk of this hazard is to assign someone at every building site who regularly and carefully examines all electrical tools, switches, cables, and cords for cracks, cuts, or abrasions.
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