Home Improvement

How To Protect Yourself When Working Around Electricity

If your job means that you are constantly around electricity at all times then you need to always be on your toes and to be aware of your surroundings. Many people work on construction sites and in office buildings every single day of the week and so they kind of get a little bit complacent when it comes to the risks of electricity. Modern technology allows us to put many devices in place that are there to protect us from electricity surges and such, but at the end of the day, it is up to you to take the necessary measures to keep yourself safe and well.

To keep it in context, a number of people die every year due to incidents with electricity and many of these accidents happen because people are not aware of their surroundings and they don’t look up. The thing to remember is that there are always power lines above your head in today’s society and so when you undertake any kind of work, always get in the habit of looking up and around you for danger. It’s a good idea to have an essential, affordable electrical conductivity meter with you at all times to measure the dangers that surround you every single day. There are a number of important steps that you should follow every day when working around electricity and the following are just some of those.

  • Follow the distance rule – Before beginning any work, have a good look around you and make sure that you or your tools including your ladder are never closer than 10 feet away from any power lines. In the unlikely event that your tools of the ladder to touch a power line move immediately away and make no attempt to touch anyone or anything that is near this power source. Click here for informative articles on this topic.
  • Don’t panic – In the event that you are climbing on equipment that does come into contact with a life power line, then the best thing to do is to stay exactly where you are if you haven’t been affected. The moment that you tried to climb off the equipment or the ladder that you’re standing on, it’s likely that you will create a ground for the electricity and you will almost definitely die immediately. Try to call out for some much needed assistance and have the power turned off as soon as possible.
  • Low voltage is not safe – People wrongfully assume that just because something is low voltage that it doesn’t present a danger to them. If you are staying in a hotel and the kettle lead is a little frayed or if you’re using tools that are not your own, be sure to check the electrical cords to make sure that they are not frayed or damaged in any way.

The one thing that you always need to remember is that water and electricity do not mix, so make sure that your work area is always on. If you are an employer, make sure that your staff goes through regular training with regards to the danger of electricity so that a safer workplace is created every single day.