OSHA’s Electrical Standard requires that employers provide protection to all employees who work on or near any part of an electrical power circuit or are exposed to electrical hazards. Employers and contractors are further required to provide training to all workers who can be exposed to electrical hazards and retraining or updating as needed to maintain safety awareness.
In order for electrical safety training to be effective, the major hazards that could be encountered by employees working directly or indirectly with electrical systems should be addressed. Key elements of electrical safety training include:
- Instruction on ground-fault circuit interrupters for all workers who use power tools and other electrical equipment;
- Visual inspection of all electrical equipment before use;
- Guidelines for removal from service of equipment with frayed cords, missing ground prongs, cracked tool casings and other potential hazards;
- Use of power tools and equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions;
- Proper inspection, use and maintenance of extension cords;
- How to recognize a locked and tagged electrical source and to understand how the Lockout/Tagout process affects their specific work areas;
- Awareness of protective barriers, approach boundaries and warning signage;
- Required personal protective equipment (PPE) and its proper use.
Employers and contractors who implement electrical safety training can not only ensure their company’s compliance with OSHA safety standards, but, more importantly, reduce the risk of electrical accidents and enhance the level of protection for everyone at the jobsite.
The OSHA Training Center is offering OSHA 3095 Electrical Standards on October 5-8, 2015, in Dublin, CA. This 4-day course covers electrical standards and the hazards associated with electrical installations and equipment. For more information and to register visit the OSHA Training Center website.