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More health and safety stuff? You've heard it all before right? I know, so I'll try to keep this brief!
Dangers lurk everywhere in the construction industry, not least with the electrical equipment which is handled every day. Electric shocks, electrocutions and stray wires to name but a few are all risky enough that regulations have to be put in place to keep you safe. Just because you're not an electrician actually working on the electrics, that doesn't mean you can't put your drill through a wall and hit a live wire!
This post will give you a brief overview of the regulations and how you can ensure you comply with them.
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What are the regulations?
As you will have guessed, there are a fair few regulations relating to electrical safety; according to USBR, there are eleven different sets of regulations for ensuring electrical safety, which address the following:
- Restricted Areas
- Working Near Exposed Energized Overhead Lines or Parts
- Operating Equipment Near Radio and Microwave Transmission Towers
- Working on Electrical Equipment and Systems
- Personal Protective Grounding
- Temporary Wiring
- Disconnect and Overcurrent Protection
- Ground-Fault Protection
- Hazardous Locations
- Wet Locations
- Battery Charging
Why is it important to follow them?
Health and safety regulations… what a bore! As we all know, it is so easy to forget or ignore any regulations set out for us to follow simply because sticking to them can sometimes seem a chore, and seemingly safe 'shortcuts' often produce the same end result in half the time. It happens in construction, and it happens in electrics too.
However, be aware that it is a legal requirement for companies to follow the requirements for electrical safety when undergoing any building work practices. So to not follow them could result in serious legal action being taken against you, perhaps even a few years down the line when a problem makes itself apparent.
Take note of this statistic: from 2003-2010, there were 1738 fatalities as a result of contact with an electrical current, which seems like a lot doesn't it? Well, this figure could have been so much lower if all the relevant electrical safety regulations had been followed. These types of figures just illustrate to us why it is so important to respect regulations, even if the job takes a little longer or a little more money to complete. You really don't want to be dragged to court because someone got injured, or worse, in a building you constructed!
As a tradesman, don't forget that making a big deal out of how closely you follow all legal regulations will put your business in a good light and win you customers, and then repeat business when they see you're telling the truth!
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What can you do to ensure compliance with these regulations?
There are many approaches to ensuring compliance with these regulations, but a good place to start is to sit down with a big cup of coffee and actually read through each regulation as outlined above. If you spot something you're not currently complying with, jot down a note on what you need to change.
More specifically, ensure that you have the right tools for every job. At least one person on your team will need to be equipped with an arsenal of electrical tools (since even the multi-functional multimeter won't do everything) to ensure the electrical part of the job goes well. Alert Electrical's tool guide explains a little about some of the common tools a beginner or amateur electrician will need for commercial work, some of which can come in handy on construction projects.
Buy from reputable brands and suppliers to ensure you're getting tools that work, and take good care of them so they go on working long-term.
As tedious as it can be, health and safety is an integral part of any building work project. So, go on be a bright spark and do the right thing!
Editor's Note: Johann Hebert is a blogger who collaborated with Alert Electrical to produce the electrician's tool guide mentioned in this article.
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Re: An Introductory Guide To Electrical Safety Regulations For Construction
