5 Must-Know Electrical Safety Tips for the Workplace
As a warehouse owner, factory manager, or workshop supervisor, you are responsible for ensuring the safety of your employees. One of the biggest threats to their safety is electricity. While electricity has made many tasks easier, it remains dangerous. Electrical accidents can lead to severe burn injuries, electrocution, and even death. But learning and implementing these five must-know electrical safety tips for the workplace promises to make those incidences few and far between.
1) Always Be Training
The first step to eliminating electrical accidents in your workplace is ensuring that your employees are well-trained to avoid putting themselves in a vulnerable position. Often, supervisors go through a brief spiel to meet company policy on what not to do while never revisiting it. However, safety training should not be a one-time thing.
It’s in everyone’s best interest to have regular safety talks to refresh their minds on the best practices. All employees who work with electricity should know safety procedures like the back of their hand, such as identifying exposed wires, using electrical equipment correctly, and avoiding electrical shocks.
2) PPE Is Paramount
You’re not going to win any fashion awards when wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace, but it may keep you alive if an accident were to occur. All employees who work with electricity must wear protective gear such as gloves, eyewear, helmets, and protective suits.
PPE safeguards employees from electrical shocks, burns, and other injuries. Wearing these items should never be optional for an employee. Even if they are adamantly against wearing it because they think they aren’t in danger, all must comply and be vigilant about wearing PPE.
3) Turn Things Off When Not in Use
For those who grew up in a household where their parents insisted they turned off the lights when they left the room, this tip shouldn’t be a surprise. When electrical equipment isn’t used, it’s best to keep it turned off and unplugged. Doing so will reduce the risk of electrical fires and other electrical mishaps.
4) Keep Things Labeled and Organized
Surely, there is an outlet or light switch in your home that you have no earthly idea of its purpose. However, you could have eliminated the guessing work if you had the proper labels in a fuse box to tell you what it does.
Similarly, labeling all electrical panels and devices would be best so your employees understand what each device does and how it works. A labeling system also helps avoid misidentification of circuit breakers in an electrical emergency. With electrical currents and voltages involved, it’s not worth gambling over.
5) Perform Routine Inspections
Regular inspections help identify potential electrical hazards before they become a severe safety issue. Conducting electrical inspections should be part and parcel of your workplace safety program. Inspections not only reduce the risk of electrocutions, but they also keep your workplace compliant with relevant safety regulations.
When it comes to electrical safety, every workplace should take it seriously. These five must-know tips for electrical safety in the workplace are only the start. Electricity can be dangerous, but you can avoid accidents, injuries, and fatalities with the right safety measures.
Mats Inc. understands that electricity and unsafe practices are lethal, so we offer electrical safety matting to minimize the possible consequences. These mats will keep employees safe when standing on them; the added comfort is simply a bonus.