How To Prevent Electrical Accidents on Job Sites

Even before our lives became more reliant on technology than ever, home construction exposed workers to the hazards of electricity. A live current can cause burns, nerve damage, and even damage to internal organs—not to mention death, with OSHA reporting that electrocution ranks second on the list of causes of construction worker fatalities. With so much equipment and so many live wires, the danger of electric shock or electrocution is high. To keep your valued workers safe as they build, ensure you learn how to prevent electrical accidents on job sites, such as home construction areas.

Keep Workers Educated

Knowledge is power, and knowledge of power is important to construction workers. Educate your workforce on the dangers of electricity in home construction and make sure that they are proficient in this knowledge before they set off to work. This is especially necessary for novice construction workers and apprentices, but even experienced hands can sometimes benefit from a refresher course. If English is not the first language of workers on your job site, furnish relevant materials in their native language when possible, to eliminate any ambiguities.

Know Where the Wires Lie

The power lines that will supply electricity to a new home can lie overhead, underground, or, in some cases, in both areas. This is not to mention other utilities such as cable and broadband, which don’t carry the same voltage as power lines but are still dangerous to workers. In order to avoid striking an underground power line in the construction process, coordinate with the local electric utility to map out where the wires lie and how you can best avoid them during the entire project.

Insist on Proper PPE

One important part of how to prevent electrical accidents on job sites is to provide the right gear. Personal protective equipment is essential when working around electricity. If there are overhead wires present, insulated headgear is a must in order to protect against any incidental contact while engrossed in a task. Face and eye protection are necessary as well to shield workers from arcs of electricity, which can be blinding and dangerous. Finally, insulated gloves are important when handling anything that may take on a live current.

Use Up-to-Date Equipment

Keeping workers well-educated and well-appointed is a major part of how we can keep the construction industry safe. To say nothing of the inherent hazards of working around underground power lines and wiring in progress, using construction equipment with frayed wires or other signs of wear can endanger workers just as much as their surroundings. Your workers and your clients both deserve a construction job with only the best tools at hand. Make sure you maintain all your equipment well and replace it when necessary, and make sure that any tools your workers use are double-insulated or grounded in case of contact with live wires.

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