Accident Prevention Tips When Conducting Electrical Maintenance

Many people die because of electricity. Some of these deaths should have been avoided if only they have enough knowledge and awareness on how to deal with electricity. We do not need to become electricians to learn how to fix simple electrical problems. If necessary we should call a professional electrician but if we can perform minor electrical maintenance Capalaba by ourselves, here are the things to consider;

Pre-emptive steps- Before anything else, we should turn off or shut down all the main switches or safety boxes and safety breakers. This is a must to cut down the supply. This must be done beforehand. Use electrical tester to ensure that there is no electrical current.

Using Safety Gears – Almost every activity require us to use safety gears to protect us from accidents. For example, it is mandatory to wear a helmet whenever we ride a motorcycle. In construction areas, construction workers are required to use safety shoes and hard hats to avoid great damage from falling debris. How much more when conducting electrical maintenance? A single mistake can cause our sudden death. As we all know, the electric current is invisible. We cannot see it but we know its existence. That’s why it is advisable to use protective gears such as gloves, safety shoes, safety belt, etc. Make sure that all gears that you will use are electric insulators.

Use Appropriate Tools- Tester is one of the best tools that will come handy whenever we perform electrical maintenance. By using it, we could immediately detect the currents’ degree. Therefore we could avoid touching wires with high voltage. Make sure that your tools such as pliers, cutters, screw drivers, etc are not damaged. Water is a conductor of electricity so check if the tools are moist or wet. Be very particular in inspecting the handles. The handles of these tools are coated with rubber or insulators to avoid electric shock. If the handle is damaged, there is a higher tendency of electrical injury or worst, sudden death. Electrical tape is used to fix and attach damaged wires so make sure to bring some. Among other tapes, it could withstand high voltage. We should use high quality electrical tapes that could last for a long time. We shouldn’t be hesitant in buying the best quality of electrical tapes since it will be used to ensure our safety.

Consider The Weather Condition- As stated above, water is a conductor of electricity. As much as possible, do not try to fix electrical problems when it’s raining especially in outdoor area. Try to postpone the activity and wait for the fair weather. If the electrical maintenance is inevitable, don’t forget to use safety gears.

Recheck – Before turning on the switches at main supply, double check the wires using electrical tester. Double checking is essential for us to ensure that we did it right. Short circuit could lead to electrical failure and larger damage.

Electricity is one of our basic needs especially for those who live in the cities particularly in this new generation. We should learn how to handle it.