SHOCKtober Episode 1: Unmasking the Standards – What OSHA and 70E Say About Electric Shock
Each year, electric shock causes more than 300 deaths and 4,000 injuries. Follow along with SHOCKtober to learn all about this “shocking” hazard: how it works, what’s at stake, what the standards say, and how to guard against it.
All month long, Tyndale is taking a slight detour from our normal coverage of arc flash hazards to talk about the other electrical hazard – electric shock. This is the first in our four-part SHOCKtober series.
As stated in our previous post, electric shock causes hundreds of fatalities and thousands of injuries with varying severity each year. Many of these can be avoided by understanding the hazard and wearing the proper PPE. First, it’s important to understand what the standards – OSHA and NFPA 70E – say about electric shock. Here to help us unmask the standards and better understand this seriously scary hazard is Scott Margolin, Tyndale’s Vice President of Technical:
As Scott states, OSHA and NFPA 70E require companies to:
- Conduct a Shock Hazard Analysis to determine the operating voltage to which personnel might be exposed.
- Determine the Boundary Requirements associated with that analysis.
- Provide the PPE necessary to minimize the possibility of shock to people.
Equipment should be put in an electrically safe work condition, deenergized, locked out, tagged, and verified that there is an absence of voltage. Then, the appropriate PPE which includes voltage rated gloves, leather keepers, and EH boots should be provided. Stay tuned for our next episode on EH boots.
Check out Episode 2 to find out how EH-rated boots save your sole.
