You’ll be shocked at my Memoirs of Mayhem! Check out the electrical hazards in the workplace I’ve discovered as an electrical technician...
I have been an electrical technician for many years now. I get asked a lot of questions and there are some recurring themes.
For example, when I’m pushing my PAT tester trolley around while testing for electrical hazards in the workplace, I frequently get asked what I’m looking for.
Quite simply, we analyse electrical appliances and look for immediate risks and indications of electrical hazards.
We also look at how we can mitigate any potential risk for your safety going into the future.
In my Memoirs of Mayhem I’ve compiled a couple of the most outrageous electrical hazards we’ve discovered to give you an idea of what could happen.
You’ll also see why “she’ll be right” is not right when it comes to electrical hazards in the workplace.
Memoirs of Mayhem!
Most of the time we simply find old electrical items that don’t follow new safety regulations.
The second biggest category is electrical equipment that has been physically damaged or slightly burned. Like this one…
Other times we discover electrical hazards in the workplace that would make your hair stand on end. Or set it on fire…
The dangerous dishwasher
Another time we pulled a dishwasher out to inspect where it was plugged into the wall. What we found still gives me the shivers. The plug had completely melted away the wall socket – exposing wires underneath a frequently used sink.
Common sense is surprisingly uncommon
Countless times we see physical damage so bad that the common thing is to dispense with common sense and use common packing tape to hold the whole hazardous mess together.
How to prevent electrical hazards in the workplace
To prevent cables and appliances from becoming worn down so much that they get fried, or fry you, here are some simple suggestions…
- Keep electrical leads and appliances away from water.
- Keep them away from heat and hot objects.
- Keep them away from sharp objects that could damage them or cut into the cable.
- Keep them away from abrasive things or situations that could cause wear.
- Protect cables from being tripped over, which not only injures you but often causes damage to the cable and plug as well.
- Protect cables on benches from being accidentally caught on something or someone, which often pulls an appliance onto the floor and causes damage.
Another way to prevent electrical hazards in the workplace is to call in Comply Guy. We sometimes reconfigure workplaces to ensure the layout provides the most reliable and safe circuit to your electrical appliances.
Here’s one workplace before we reconfigured it…
I hope that through a few photos and a bit of common sense you now understand part of the daily work of electrical technicians at Comply Guy.
Remember: Most of the time if it’s hot, it’s hot for a [bad] reason. Don’t let it cool down and then carry on as normal. Unplug it and get it tested.
And always use your common sense, because “she’ll be right” is not right when it comes to electrical hazards in the workplace.
Electrical hazards in the workplaceIf you’d like to eliminate the risk of electrical hazards in your workplace, get in touch now…
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