Electrical Safety & Resources
Safety Notice
At no one time should a person be working on a live electrical circuit, make sure to shut down and lock out all incoming sources of power to the circuit. It is recommended to have a qualified electrician complete electrical work. Working with electrical work can have serious consequences such as fires, deafness, blindness, severe burns, and even death. Any guidance suggested by this page is not a legally standing or certified system. This website and its creators are not liable for any misfortunes.
Proceed with extreme caution. You are responsible for your actions. Your life and the lives of others are in your hands.
Tips & Tricks
- Do not work on live circuits, shut off all power.
- 1. Use a multimeter to check for voltage, do not rely on a ticker
- 2. If working on a live circuit, wear the proper gear for the voltage & amperage
- Do not take shortcuts when completing electrical work
- 1. Do not cheap out on electrical components
- Use the proper tools for the job
- 1. Use insulated tools when working on live circuits
- 2. Use proper tools for their proper use. Ex: Don't use a screwdriver as a chisel
- 3. Use fiberglass or non-conductive systems in, for example: ladders
- 4. Respect your tools, take care of them
- Use proper Lock Out, Tag Out Systems
- 1. When working on any system, make sure to lock out that circuit to prevent accidental energization
- Treat electrical circuits like they are live, be responsible
- Avoid damp or wet surfaces/objects
- Wear proper PPE
- 1. This includes glasses, a hard hat, gloves, rubber shoes, etc
- Pull the proper permits, get the proper plans
- Follow national & local electrical/building codes
Electrical Codes
- National Electrical Code 70 (2023) (nfpa.org)
- 1. Make an account to view online.
- 2. Registered electricians must own a copy of the current NEC
- 3. This code is federally enforced
Which Codebook Should I Study? - ElectricianU
- RISBC-5 Rhode Island Electrical Code
- Rhode Island State Building & Fire Code Regulations
- 2021 Rhode Island Electrical Code (up.codes)
- Massachusetts Electrical Code
- 527 CMR 12.00: Massachusetts Electrical Code (amendments)
- Massachusetts Electrical Code 2023 (up.codes)
Electrical Terms (Safety)
- Arc Flash - An energy release that occurs during an electrical fault when current flows through the air between two live conductors, causing a short circuit.
- Arc Blast - An arc blast is an explosion that occurs when an arc flash releases a high-pressure shockwave.
- Incident Energy - The amount of energy impressed on a surface, a certain distance from the source, generated during an electrical arc event
Arc Flash Fatality Video - The story of Eddie Adams (Graphic)
- Lockout, Tag Out - a safety system that prevents employees from accidentally being exposed to hazardous energy from equipment and machinery.
- Lockout - Physically isolating an energy source from the system that uses it. This can be done by using a lockout device, to secure the energy-isolating device.
- Lockout - Affixing a label to communicate information about what's being done to the equipment. A tag can warn employees not to use the equipment.
- It is illegal to remove somebody else's lock out
Lockout/Tagout It Would Have Saved His Life
- RAB - the distance from an exposed energized electrical conductor or circuit part where there is an increased risk of shock.
- Only a qualified person can cross into the zone
- Electrical Approach Boundaries Explained
- Flash Protection Boundary - The minimum “safe” distance from exposed energized conductors or circuit parts that have the potential for an arc flash.
- Limited Approach Boundary - The approach distance to exposed, energized electrical components within which a shock hazard exists. (approach limit for unqualified persons).
The Limited Approach Boundary
- PPE - Clothing and equipment that is designed and constructed to protect workers from electrical shock or to reduce the burns that would be sustained from an electrical arc flash.
"I didn't think I needed my PPE"
- Arc - A sustained luminous discharge of electricity across a gap in a circuit or between electrodes.
- Arc Fault - An unintended arc created by current flowing through an unplanned path.
- Arc Rating - A measurement of the amount of energy that a fabric can absorb before it penetrates through with enough force to carry a 50% probability of causing a second or third-degree burn.
- De-Energized - When a device is free from any electrical connection or source or when a device has no potential/electrical charge.
- Energized - When a device has an electrical connection or source of power that gives the device a potential/electrical charge.
- Electrical Hazard - A dangerous condition such that contact or equipment failure can result in.
- Ex: electric shock, arc-flash burn, thermal burn, or blast.
- Exposed - When a person can inadvertently make contact with an energized conductor or circuit part.
- Guarding - Enclosing electric equipment to make sure people do not accidentally contact live parts.
- Ground Fault - A break in the low-resistance grounding path from a tool or electrical system.
- Insulation - A material in which electric current does not flow freely; a material with a high resistance/impedance
- Qualified Person - Someone who has skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training on the hazards involved.
- Rating - The voltage at which the appliance is designed to work and the current consumption at that voltage.
- Un-Qualified Person - A person who is not a qualified person.
- Listed & Labeled - When components or products have to be approved by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), and labeled to indicate compliance.
- Ground Fault - break in the low-resistance grounding path from a tool or electrical system.
Sources
- Lanl.GOV - Electrical Terms & Definitions
- Osha.GOV - Electrical Glossary
- ehs.vt.EDU - Electrical Safety