Making Electrical Safety the Norm
Electricity is something that we take for granted. It lights our homes, allows us to watch our favorite shows, and keeps us connected to the world, family, and friends through the internet. While electricity simplifies life and daily tasks, it also presents a level of danger. This danger presents itself in homes, businesses, and worksites. A simple task of changing an outlet covering or replacing a ceiling fan can result in injury to a homeowner. Even worse, a parent forgetting to cover an outlet can result in a serious injury if a young child attempts to “plug” something into the outlet. An electrician is in a hurry to complete a job and neglects protocol resulting in a serious injury leading to hospitalization. These events occur more often than one may think, and it brings to light that more needs to be done to prevent injuries and death. While most major electrical companies provide optimal training for their employees, smaller companies do not always have the means to train their employees to the highest degree. Schools and cities push safety education for fire, drugs, and alcohol but often neglect to promote electrical safety. White proposes that the purpose of electrical safety training is to follow the law while also ensuring employees are familiar with standards (29). All electrical companies, regardless of size, and cities must promote electrical safety and education to ensure employees and the public are aware of the dangers and ensure individuals are trained to safely encounter electrical tasks.
One of the biggest concerns in terms of electrical safety is public education. Outside of work-related injuries, injuries in the home leads the statistics for electrical injuries. Electrical injuries include tingling sensations from shock, fractured bones, burns, cardiac arrest, and death (Barrett et al. 238). The majority of injuries in the home occur while a homeowner is performing maintenance or completing simple do-it-yourself projects. Barrett et al. found that 33% of the reported accidents were due to these tasks with 78% of those injured being males (241). The most frightening finding is that children, ages 0 to 4, accounted to 11% of the accidents with 60% being due to the child inserting an object or finger into an outlet (Barrett et al. 241). Given these statistics, it is easy to see that more needs to be done in public education. In the past, electric companies have sponsored ads that talk about downed power lines but often leave out safety within the home. The solution to this is hosting and participating in electrical safety fairs or forums. Electrical safety should be a conversation just as fire safety. There must be more of a push to require parents to child-proof their home, including covering the outlet. In addition, there should be workshops to teach individuals how to perform simple maintenance tasks in their home. Within these trainings, individuals would learn basic electrical protocols and techniques, such as LOTO (Lock Out Tag Out) (White 36). Lastly, the public would learn when they should call professionals rather than attempt to fix the problem on their own. If cities and states will push public education, with the support and assistance of electric companies, people would begin to understand the dangers of electricity and take steps to protect themselves and family.
The next area of focus is electrical codes. It is easy to ignore the importance of being familiar with electrical codes. A recent report by the National Fire Protection Association reported that some states inconsistently updated NEC (National Electrical Codes) codes when they are updated every three years (“NFPA Report Finds” 16). Some states that control electrical codes on the state level showed that adoption rates were as long as 57 months (“NFPA Report Finds” 16). This is an alarming finding since electrical codes govern wiring, electrical standards, and protocols for electrical shutdowns in an emergency. The public should be familiar with codes to maintain safe electrical systems within their homes. Over a four-year period, the NFPA determined that the average number of house fires due to electrical failures was 61,000 and 432 lives were lost in those fires (“NFPA Report Finds” 16). There are several solutions to this issue. First, states and cities must increase their standards and regulations to ensure that codes are updated in a timely manner. Secondly, electrical companies should adopt the most recent codes regardless of the state’s current standards. It is also critical that companies ensure their employees understand any changes and receive appropriate training. Lastly, the public should be somewhat familiar with codes so they can hire professionals when they notice a problem. Often, homeowners put off repairs due to finances or not realizing the severity of the problem. Cities and/or states could mail flyers once or twice a year that discuss the top codes and issues electricians find in homes. An important inclusion on the flyer would be a list of local companies that have adopted the most recent codes and have the highest ratings for safety. A more concentrated focus on electrical safety on the city and state levels would lead to the public understanding the importance and it being included in family safety plans just as fire and weather.
While the public education is critical, electricians and electrical companies must also improve electrical safety education. Large companies that cover vast areas of the country are often well equipped to provide training for their employees. However, this is not always the case for smaller companies that may not have as many resources. Smaller companies may not be able to provide the most modern equipment for their employees. This equipment has been developed to be more user friendly and allow workers to stay at a safe distance (Silvey 32). One of the main concerns for electricians is arc-flash given that approximately 80% of injures are the result of an arc (Mobarak & Alshehri 1307). Organizations, such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), put out standards and regulations for training that employees must receive. OSHA requires an individual’s training be based on the type of hazards the individual may face rather than their title (White 29). Additionally, OSHA requires personal protective equipment with the most standard being flame-resistant clothing (Mobarak & Alshehri 1307). Companies must be more diligent in creating effective electrical safety programs. One way this could be accomplished is by larger companies “adopting” smaller companies to assist in the training. Through the adoptions, larger companies would be able to specialize the training and ensure it meets the most recent standards. This would create a sense of brotherhood between the employees to ensure all are looking out for each other. Trainings must ensure that each employee is considered highly qualified and this qualification is noted (White 30). Additionally, companies should provide training for emergency responders that may encounter electrical hazards.
There are two key counterarguments that arise in this debate. First, some people would argue that efforts to educate the public would be unreceived and people would not truly understand the importance. Some may say, “Drinking and driving is preached against from early ages, yet people still choose to drink and drive.” Others may question if the cost of materials is worth the financial obligation of cities and companies when some cities lack extra funding. This is a valid point given that people do not always take notice of issues until it directly affects them. Many people may write off electrical safety because they are not electricians or foresee themselves doing any type of electrical work.
The second issue is the liability of the larger companies if they provide training for other companies. Most major companies will hire contractors to perform certain tasks, such as tree trimming and maintaining poles and wires. The companies that provide the contractors are responsible for providing the training and equipment to be used on the job. If another company chooses to provide safety training for individuals who have been contracted to complete tasks within the company, the training company is liable for anything that may happen on the job site. This means that the company may be responsible for medical treatment, or worse, be involved in litigation if the individual or family sue the company. This argument has validity given the fact that insurance companies are extremely particular in coverage and payouts. If a company is liable after an accident, that can cause financial issues and negative press that major companies do not need.
The concern that the public may be uninterested should not be an issue. Rather, communities should make the information available to save lives. If one child is saved or one house fire is avoided, the campaign would be considered successful. There is never a guarantee that information will be well received regardless of the topic. However, the information must still be put out in hopes that a large number will receive it. If nothing else, people will become more familiar with the topic sparking conversations within families. If electrical safety is included in fire safety discussions in schools, children will be more familiar with the topic and safe practices that should take place. In response to a company being liable for accidents if the company provided the training, the potential negative press far outweighs the financial concerns. If an accident or death occurs on site for a major company, people are not going to associate it with the contracted company. The news and community are going to point to the larger company since their name is directly associated with it. Additionally, if a company knowingly contracts a group that is not well versed in safety procedures, their own employees could be at danger. The larger company could still face a lawsuit from their own employee if they were not protected from the possible neglect of safety standards.
The need for electrical safety is not a new topic. Since electricity was invented, it has presented dangers. As Silvey stated, “The same hazards exist, but new, safer solutions promote progress” (30). Work continues to take place in the professional world to protect electricians from potential dangers. Electrical safety continues to evolve with each update to the OSHA standards (Silvey 30). However, if employers and professionals within the safety world do not take charge and implement the newest solutions, accidents will still occur. If the public does not become more familiar with hazards within their own homes and learn simple techniques for maintenance, more accidents will happen. It is imperative that communities, cities, and states push for electrical safety for all. Larger companies must take responsibility for assisting these organizations while also making safety a top priority for everyone connected to their company. When electricians leave their homes each morning, they expect to return to their families that night. A parent never expects their child to stick a finger in an outlet because they forgot to cover it. Unfortunately, some electricians do not return home and some children suffer major injuries due to their curiosity. It is time to focus on prevention and education. It is time for everyone to take responsibility and make electrical safety the norm.
Works Cited
Barrett, M., et al. “Analysis of Electrical Accidents in UK Domestic Properties.” Building Services Engineering Research & Technology, vol. 31, no. 3, Aug. 2010, pp. 237– 249. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0143624410364785.
Mobarak, Youssef, and Abdullah Alshehri. “Perspectives of Safe Work Practices: Improving Personal Electrical Safety of Low-Voltage Systems from Electrical Hazards.” Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 6, no. 6, Nov. 2016, pp. 1307–1315. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=iih&AN=120314006&site=ehost-live.
“NFPA Report Finds States Neglect Electrical Safety.” Professional Safety, vol. 63, no. 5, May 2018, p. 16. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=129381016&site=eh ost-live.
Silvey, Sean. “Electrical Safety Evolves.” EC&M Electrical Construction & Maintenance, vol. 118, no. 7, July 2019, pp. 30-33. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=voh&AN=137950827&site=e host-live.
White, James R. “Setting up an Effective Electrical Safety Training Program: What’s Required by OSHA, CSA, and NFPA?” EC&M Electrical Construction & Maintenance, vol. 117, no. 5, May 2018, pp. 29–36. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=voh&AN=130119606&site=ehost-live.