Any residual effect of the COVID 19 pandemic seems to have been cleared away from the UK at this stage. Businesses are back to work again and in this different circumstance it is crucial to ensure electrical safety at workplaces. But what does electrical safety actually means?
Understanding electrical safety
In easy words electrical safety you can say is a general practice of both handling and maintaining electrically powered equipments to avoid accidents. Proper training is necessary to correctly identify as well as control hazards. Only when the hazards are correctly identified and controlled it is possible to keep an environment safe for the people hanging around.
In other words this means electrical appliances in a workplace have to be in safe, working order. According to a realistic estimation as many as 1017 people have been injured in the last 5 years because of unsafe electrical setup at workplaces across the country. The figure includes fatal injuries as well.
Damaged or faulty electrical appliances at workplaces expose staffs and employees to every type of risk including electrical shocks and fires. Even death cannot be ruled out in such circumstances. Some of the commonest things that cause compromised or hazardous electrical environment at any place include –
- Exposed or broken wiring
- Poorly installed or maintained electrical appliance
- Lengthy extension leads that can easily succumb to damage
- Overloaded or overheated electrical outlets
Even any electrical equipment when being used near a water source makes the circumstances literally deadly.
It is crucial to realise the necessity of reducing the risk of electrical hazards. In the following section of the blog post let us explore few tried and tested tips to ensure electrical safety at workplaces.
Routinely check all electrical sockets and outlets around the area
You must carry out routine checking of every electrical socket and outlet installed across the workplace. If an outlet is hot to touch or seems frayed then that could be a sign of potential danger. These symptoms often lead to electrical fire warns a commercial electrician in London.
Be careful with extension cables
You must be careful with your extension cables. Here are a few tried and tested tips to make your task easier.
- You should check the cables regularly to cuts or exposed wires. If an exposed wire is spotted, stop using that cable any more.
- Make sure that the current level rating of your extension cable should match the rating of the equipment or the appliance that is being used.
- It is also important to ensure that all your electrical cables are at a safe distance from heat, water as well as sharp objects.
- You should never hang your extension cables. It leads to their breakage from inside.
Your light bulbs must have the correct wattage
- Light bulbs that you use must be of correct wattage for your light fittings. Else the light bulbs will neither work correctly nor safely.
Make sure the plugs easily fit into your electrical outlets
- Remember there is no need to force a plug into an electrical outlet. If you have to force a plug into an electrical outlet then it means the two are not made for each other and are incompatible.
- Never let your electrical circuit be overloaded. According to experts this often leads to a serious hazard.
Dos and don’ts from the aspect of safe electrics
In order to maintain an electrically safe workplace you must practice these dos and don’ts.
Things that you should do or practice –
- Immediately disconnect a device and stop using it if it gives off a strange or burning smell.
- Whenever an electrical appliance is not in use just make sure to turn it off. You can turn it on again when it has to be used.
- According to a commercial electrician it is crucial to prevent any electrical equipment from coming in contact with wet areas. Any electrical equipment as well as an electrical source must be kept at a minimum distance of 5 feet from water or any other liquid. Installing GFCIs is also important near wet areas like swimming pools, bathrooms and kitchens. GFCI stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. These devices prevent accidents like electrical shocks, overheating, ground fault, fire and destruction of wire insulation.
- You should know your switchboard properly. A switchboard is basically an electrical safety device. It isolates and protects an operator from electrical current. Moreover it controls the flow of electricity by dividing, distributing and metering electrical power to different directions, parts and devices. You can ensure the best performance of a switchboard as well your electrical safety by ensuring that the switchboard resembles the amount of electrical power it distributes. When a switchboard does not resemble the amount of power it distributes in that case it could get overheated to start an electrical fire.
- Make sure electrical cords are installed correctly and in a tidy way. Quality electrical installation includes keeping both fixed electrical equipments and electrical cords out of the way.
- Never ignore a light that is flickering. If a light inside your commercial space starts flickering you should have it checked immediately and have the problem fixed. There could be various reasons behind this problem ranging from a loose connection somewhere within the circuit, problem with the light itself to serious issues like it is time to replace the electrical wiring.
- You should install warning signs that are easily visible from a distance at places inside your workplace where high voltage electricity is in use.
Things that you should not do –
× You should never use a damaged electrical socket.
× You should never use a broken electrical cable or cables.
× Never ever double up adaptors. Doubling up adapters easily leads to electrical shock or electrocution.
× Never ever try fixing an electrical device while it is still plugged into a socket.
× You should always remove a plug by pulling the cable explains a commercial electrician in the UK. Remember that plugging always has to be done using the plug itself. At Commercial Electrician London we recommend customers to do their own electrical checks at their workplace. But it is also a legal requirement that commercial properties comply with and meet electrical safety standards to ensure safety for staffs, employees, visitors and customers.
