Tag Archives: faulty wiring

General Safety Issues

FIVE COMMON CAUSES OF FIRE IN THE WORKPLACE (GUEST POST)

 

Knowing how to prevent fires and what to do in the event that a fire does break out is one of the most important components of workplace safety. In order to have a truly safe workplace, it is absolutely crucial that you understand what factors and circumstances can lead to fires, and then take active steps to ensure that you eliminate the risk of fires as much as possible. Here are five common causes of fire in the workplace with which all employees should familiarise themselves (list provided by FireandSafetyAustralia). Once you understand well the common causes of fires, you will be better able to identify steps that can be taken in order to prevent them. 

Faulty electrics 

Faulty electrics such as wiring, adaptors and power boards are very often responsible for disastrous fires. This is a particular risk in old buildings that have been poorly maintained. Ensure that you have a qualified electrician assess your electrics, and at the first sign of any faults such as frayed wiring have a professional rectify the problem immediately. Adaptors, power boards and plug points should never be overloaded, and when in doubt you should not hesitate to seek the advice of a qualified electrician. Ensure that safety switches and the appropriate fuses are installed by a professional. Because of the potential for danger, any electrical problems must be addressed immediately. 

Flammable materials 

Extra caution must be exercised when there are flammable materials on or near the premises. When handling or storing flammable materials, it is of the utmost importance that all the necessary safety precautions are observed, and that the prescribed procedures for storing such substances are strictly followed. For instance, when storing liquids that are flammable and combustible, appropriate storage containers must be used and only the allowable quantities and sizes should be permitted. When disposing of flammable materials, care must also be taken to follow all safety guidelines. 

Human error 

Your employees are not robots, and human error is inevitable no matter what kind of work your employees are doing. You should always pre-empt any accidents and put in place safeguards and emergency procedures to be followed should something go wrong. For instance, all staff should be educated as to the proper procedure to follow should an employee spill a flammable liquid or accidentally damage wiring. 

Negligence  

While some degree of human error is to be expected in any enterprise, many people fail to consider that gross negligence is also a possibility. Albeit a more distant possibility it is one that can yield disastrous results. You should do all you can to lower the likelihood of negligent behaviour. For instance, employees should be constantly reminded that flammable or waste material should never be kept near heat sources not only verbally but also through the use of prominent signage. 

Crime 

Sadly, fires are sometimes caused by deliberate antisocial behaviour. Arson or vandalism can be carried out not only by strangers but also people known to you such as disgruntled former employees. While it can be difficult to pre-empt such behaviour, it is important to be vigilant, especially when your workplace is particularly vulnerable, for instance because flammable materials are stored on the premises. If your workplace is identified as a dangerous or vulnerable location, it is necessary to maintain tight security at all times. It might be necessary to employ security personnel to be on the premises twenty four-seven, and to ensure that the identity of all persons entering the premises is verified. 

While fires are usually impossible to pre-empt, if you make a conscious effort to ensure that all precautions are taken, you will be able to effectively reduce the risk of fire at your workplace. As it is impossible for laymen to accurately pinpoint the fire safety needs of your particular workplace, it is recommended to seek advice of experts or consult government guidelines. You should never compromise safety for convenience, not least because the lives of your employees depend on your efforts to maintain a safe workplace.

Our thanks to Toni-Louise Forsyth, for sharing these fire safety procedures. pb

General Safety Issues

IMPORTANT ELECTRICAL WORKPLACE SAFETY ADVICE (GUEST POST)

By Kyle Mitchell

Electrical safety in the workplace, just like anywhere else, is of paramount importance. As an owner of any kind of business where it is required for employees/members of the public to interact with electrical equipment, it’s extremely important that the safety of those people is a high priority, and it is also important that those people at work are aware of the potential dangers of electricity.

The following table outlines just how much of an effect electrical current can have on the human body:

Physiological effect 50Hz AC
Generally not perceptible 0.5mA
Threshold of perception, tingling sensation 1mA
Maximum “let go” current                                            5mA
Painful, can’t let go 10-20mA
Severe pain, muscular contraction, difficulty breathing 30mA
Possible Ventricular Fibrillation after 3 s, death possible 0.1A
Skeletal muscle damage – death likely 1.5A

 As can be seen, electricity isn’t to be trifled with. It’s a very real danger, and it’s important to respect electricity, and find ways to prevent electrical accidents in the workplace.  Here are some common errors in the workplace that can be avoided, simply by following regulations and being vigilant.

Appliances and Faulty Wiring

Appliances are extremely common in the workplace. From computers to power tools, it’s likely that practically everyone within the organisation at some point will have to use electrical appliances.

When using these, it’s important that the user always makes sure that wiring supplying electricity to the appliance is in good, safe working order. Educating your workers on the correct appearances of wires, and how to inspect them for obvious damage such as common faults, frays, exposed wiring or cracks within the casing will allow them to determine whether an appliance is safe for work or not.

If there’s something wrong with the wire, the appliance simply shouldn’t be used. It’s as simple as that.

Correctly Hiding Trailing Wires

Live wires supplying huge amounts of power should never be left exposed – they provide a huge danger to everyone, particularly because accidents can happen at absolutely any time.

By making sure wiring isn’t exposed, and is installed behind walls etc, it ensures that all of your employees are protected from the vast risks that exposed wiring can have to your employees.

Heating Equipment, Ovens Etc.

Although it may seem obvious, these forms of equipment pose a massive risk to the workplace. They’re a huge fire risk, and leaving such items unattended for long periods of time could be an extreme danger.

It is particularly important to assess any heaters that come from external sources (IE, your employees) as these could be faulty and directly cause a fire. Portable Appliance Testing should be carried out on these forms of equipment to ensure their operation is safe, and they should be constantly monitored and ALWAYS switched off.

Electrical Repairs

No matter how minor it might seem, electrical repairs should NEVER be carried out by anyone except a qualified electrician. As can be seen by the table above, electricity can be an extremely dangerous form of energy, and without the correct knowledge and respect of how it works, it is very hazardous for anyone to tamper with who doesn’t know what they’re doing.

If something is faulty within your organisation and you need it repairing, always contact a fully certified electrician to carry out the work for you. It is your responsibility as an employee to ensure the safety of your workers, and tampering with electrical equipment puts them at a truly massive danger.

Don’t Overload Plug Sockets

Ever seen those pictures of people who’ve literally built what seems to be a LEGO-inspired collection of double adapters and then plugged them into a socket? They’re scary photos, particularly as the added weight and amount of power being supplied out to electrical items creates a huge danger.

It’s important to either use a designated surge protector with multiple plug sockets that can lie on the floor or to either plug in one or two items to a plug socket. This makes sure that the plug socket can’t overload, causing electrical burns, sparks, or even fire.

Wet Hands/Feet

It’s one of the most common electrical safety pieces of advice given for a reason. Electricity and water simply don’t mix, and it is important that your company makes sure that any employees that have been exposed to water are not interacting with anything remotely electrical.

This extends from anything from plugs to appliances like PCs. It simply isn’t worth the risk to mix water and electricity, particularly as water acts as a source for current and can cause massive electrical shocks to the person with wet hands.

Electrical Overhead Power Lines

If anyone in your organisation works at a height, it is important to relay the dangers of electrical power lines. These overhead cables carry massive amounts of power, and are more likely to cause death than injury if touched.

Absolutely anybody working at a height must always make sure to check carefully for electrical cables.

Perform Regular Testing Procedures

Under several regulations it is the organisation’s responsibility to ensure the safety of all employees. In order to do this you should regularly make sure all equipment is inspected and passed as being completely safe by a certified individual, although regular inspection checks can be performed by employees who can flag up anything that might be amiss within the organisation’s equipment.

Similarly it is also important to regularly check the status of fixed wire installations throughout the building, as these can degrade over time and become increasingly more dangerous.  If fixed wire points are dangerous, anything plugged into power points can then become a hazard, so make sure these are regularly checked over to make sure that safety within the organisation is as good as it can be.

Have Staff Complete an Electrical Awareness Course

Although they’ll decrease your productivity for a few hours, having staff take part in an electrical awareness course will help them to understand the potential dangers electricity can have, and how to avoid accidents in the workplace.

A lot of it may seem like common knowledge but there’s every chance an employee doesn’t know the procedures and regulations relating to electrical equipment. By educating them in this field you turn your workplace from a potential minefield of dangerous electrical outlets to an educated area full of people with a larger amount of respect for the power of electricity.

Similarly, developing an electrical safety regulations guidebook for your organisations for people to refer to can also be a great help in raising electrical safety. 

The article was written by Kyle Mitchell, an employer of PASS ltd who specialise in testing equipment, electrical training and wire testing in the UK. You can visit their new website tester.co.uk for more, or visit the electrical testing section for equipment information. 

 Equipment Sales: www.tester.co.uk – www.pass-thermal.co.uk

Training: www.electricaltrainingcourse.co.uk – www.pat-testing-course.com

Thank you, Kyle, for this very important information regarding safety while working around electricity.  Most workplaces should have first aid kits available.  Employees should be furnished the correct dielectric personal protective equipment, (i.e., hardhats, boots or rubber-soled shoes, and dielectric glasses.) pb