Electricity is a wonderful utility, but can be dangerous if not approached carefully. There are three basic hazards that cause injury or death – shock, arc-flash, and arc-blast. It is important to remember that even a small amount of current passing through the chest can cause death. Most deaths occurring for circuits of less than 600 volts happen when people are working on “hot,” energized equipment – PLEASE DISCONNECT AND LOCK OUT ALL ELECTRICAL POWER BEFORE ATTEMPTING KILN REPAIRS!

ELECTRICAL HAZARDS

SHOCK

An electrical shock is a current that passes through the human body. Any electrical current flows through the path of least resistance towards ground; if an external voltage contacts a human body, e.g. by touching a live wire with the hand, the voltage will try to find a ground, and a current will develop that flows through the body’s nervous system or vascular system, and exit through the closest part of the body to ground (e.g., the other hand which may be touching a metal pipe.) Nerve shock disrupts the body’s normal electrical functions, and can stop the heart or the lungs, or both, causing severe injury or death.

ARC-FLASH

An arc-flash is an extremely high temperature conductive mixture of plasma and gases, which causes very serious burns when it comes into contact with the body, and can ignite flammable clothing. Arc temperatures reach up to 35,000°F – which is 4X the temperature of the sun’s surface!

ARC-BLAST

Arc-blast is a pressure wave resulting from arcing, which can carry molten metal fragments and plasma gasses at very high speeds and distances. This can not only carry very hot shrapnel to injure a person, but can actually be strong enough to destroy structures or knock workers off ladders.

SAFETY PRINCIPLES

1. Be safe! Make sure any equipment that is being installed or serviced is disconnected from all sources of power. In industry, it is important to have ‘Lockout and tagout’ procedures in place to make sure that power stays disconnected while people are servicing equipment. It is just as important in residential and commercial sites – DO NOT WORK ON LIVE EQUIPMENT UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!
2. Use the right tools for the job – do not improvise. For instance, use a proper fuse puller; don’t use a screwdriver to pry out that open fuse.
3. Protect the person; use proper gloves, shoes, and clothing. In industry it is recommended to wear safety goggles or face shields to prevent arc-flash or arc-blast injuries. Wear rubber soled shoes.
4. Make sure the environment around the equipment being serviced is safe. For instance, when working around electricity, it always very dangerous for the floor to be wet. Make sure there is adequate space to work safely.
5. Be aware that current flow across your chest can be fatal. If possible, use only one hand to manipulate test leads when conducting any necessary measurements on live equipment. Use a clamp for one lead, and use one hand to guide the other test lead. Keep the other hand as far as possible from the live circuit components.