Construction sites are among the most dangerous workplaces, with heavy machinery and equipment used to operate hazardous tasks. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), electrocution is one of the “Fatal Four” causes of death in the construction industry, accounting for 9% of all construction fatalities in 2019. This fact states that electrical hazards are one of the leading causes of accidents and injuries at a construction site. Electrocution, fires, and explosions are all risks associated with electrical hazards, and they could create catastrophic consequences for workers and bystanders. As a result, it is critical to understand and manage electrical safety hazards at construction sites. In this list, we’ll cover the top ten electrical safety hazards present at a construction site and provide tips on preventing them.
Top eight electrical hazards at a construction site
- Contact with overhead power lines
Coming into contact with overhead power lines is one of the most common and deadliest hazards present at a construction site. These overhead power lines can carry up to 750,000 volts of electricity, and even coming close to them can result in electrocution. Electrocution can be very dangerous, as it burns most of the person’s body from outside and inside. In this case, such high voltage would kill the person electrocuted on the spot.
The best safety measure to save yourself from such high voltage electrocution would be to follow all the safety guidelines provided by your employer and company, including staying at least ten or more feet away from these power lines and using a spotter when necessary.
- Faulty wiring and equipment
Faulty wiring and equipment account for most of the electrical hazards at a construction site. Faulty wiring and equipment can be present at a construction site. With loads of tasks being operated, it is no rare for a wire to become naked due to ware and tear or for an equipment to become faulty. Damaged wiring or equipment can create electrical arcing, which can ignite fires, cause equipment to malfunction, and result in electrocution.
To avoid faulty wiring and equipment, you should ensure that all the naked wires and faulty equipment are regularly inspected, and damaged items should be either replaced or repaired immediately.
- Wet conditions
Wet conditions can occur for many reasons. This can either be due to water spills or rainy weather, which could create a wet conditions and increase the electrical risks at a construction site. Water conducts electricity, so workers exposed to live electrical sources in wet conditions can face a high risk of electrocution. Electrocution through a water source can be dangerous and can affect several workers at a time.
To prevent electrocution in wet conditions, you, as an employer, should ensure that your workers are provided with a dry area where they can work safely. Secondly, you should teach your workers to be responsible and tell them to avoid any liquid spills in the working area of a construction site, or in another case, you should also teach them to report such instances of water spillage on the construction site.
- Lack of proper grounding
Proper grounding is crucial to preventing electrical hazards at construction sites. Grounding provides a safe path for electrical currents to flow, minimizing the risk of electrical shock or electrocution.
To ensure proper grounding at a construction site, it is vital that you properly plan out all things accordingly and where and how each live wire would be grounded. Other methods could be to use ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).
- Improper use of extension cords
Extension cords are widely used at construction sites for everyday work. However, it could be hazardous if not used correctly. Overloading extension cords is standard in most construction sites and can be very dangerous. Another electrical hazard can be using extension cords in wet conditions, which can result in electrocution or fires.
To prevent improper use of extension cords, you have to make sure that they are not damaged or frayed. Teach your workers not to overload the extension cords and to keep them away from water or heat sources.
- Lack of personal protective equipment (PPE)
Personal protective equipment is crucial to ensuring electrical safety at construction sites. When your workers are adequately equipped, it maximises their well-being and allows them to remain safe while at work. Proper PPE includes gloves, goggles, face shields, and other equipment that saves the workers from electrical hazards. With appropriate PPE, your workers would be safe from electric shocks that they might be unaware of.
PPE plays an important role for a person’s safety. But it is important to understand that what would be the use of such safety equipment if one does not know how to properly utilize them. Therefore, educational courses like PPE training are recommended, that would teach the workers on how to select the proper PPE for their work and how to utilize it properly to maximise their safety.
It is mandatory for employers to provide their staff with proper personal protective equipment to ensure that they remain safe while at work. Employers are also legally required to provide their workers with safety equipment that ensures their safety. By providing proper PPE, you can help prevent severe injuries and even safe lives, overall creating a safe working environment.
- Lack of training
Lack of training of your workers can create severe problems for your workplace. Working at construction sites is a difficult task, and not everyone is capable of doing this labour-intensive job. A labour that is not adequately trained would not be competent and be aware of the hazards, including the electrical threats, at a construction site. Therefore, an untrained worker would be at a higher risk of electrical hazards, increasing the chance of workplace accidents and injuries.
It is your responsibility as an employer to provide your employees with proper electrical safety training to ensure their safety while at work. By providing them with appropriate training, you can ensure their safety and your compliance with health and safety regulations. Sufficient training would educate your employees with the skillset and knowledge required to efficiently perform their job while ensuring their well-being.
- Lack of lockout/tagout procedures
Implementing effective lockout and tagout procedures helps prevent electrical accidents and injuries caused by electrical equipment. Lockout/tagout procedures are critical to preventing electrical accidents at construction sites. Lockout and tagout procedures involve isolating and de-energizing electrical equipment to protect workers from hazardous energy sources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, electrical safety hazards pose a significant threat to workers at construction sites. From contact with overhead power lines to lack of personal protective equipment, these hazards can lead to electrocution, fires, and explosions, causing severe injuries and even death. To ensure safety at construction sites, it is crucial to identify and manage electrical safety hazards properly. By following safety guidelines, regularly inspecting equipment, using personal protective equipment, and providing adequate training, we can prevent electrical accidents and make construction sites safer places to work. So, let us all prioritize electrical safety to create a safer working environment for everyone involved in the construction industry.
