Working with electrical equipment is inherently dangerous, but there are ways to ensure that you stay safe. That’s why the Electrical Safety Roundtable (ESR) in the Workplace group has launched a new ‘12 Steps to Safe Isolation’ infographic to ensure those in the electrical sector stay safe while they’re at work.
The infographic is an easy to follow guide on how to ensure that you’re safely isolating the electrical supply before starting work. This guide is especially important given the shocking statistics which show how some electricians are not exactly working safely.
ESR found that a worrying 1 in 5 installers do not carry a lock out kit in their van or tool, while 25% of electricians admitted to rarely or never using a lock out kit to isolate the electrical supply they are working on. Of course, this could lead to a potentially fatal accident if something is to go wrong.
“We created the Safe Isolation infographic with the assistance of Louise Taggart,” the organisation noted in a statement.
“Louise sadly lost her brother Michael in 2005 as a result of an electrical incident at work, which should and could have been prevented if safe isolation measures were used.
“Michael’s story has had a massive impact throughout the sector and our goal is to promote this infographic extensively and make Safe Isolation common practice to avoid devastating accidents like this happening in the future.”
Of course, there are many areas where electricians fall short on safety, but the ESR in the Workplace group is hoping that by raising awareness of the potential dangers and making the advice for safe working clear, they’ll be able to lower the number of accidents.
Paul Meenan, chair of the ESR in the Workplace group, noted, “It has been an honour to work with everyone to create the 12 Steps to Safe Isolation infographic.
“Many accidents are due to the lack of awareness around safe isolation procedures, or the process not being carried out correctly. 33% of electricians who don’t use a voltage tester think they are experienced enough not to make a mistake; it is imperative that we change this outlook going forward.
“This was an obvious place for our group to start and make a difference and I would like to thank all the members of the committee for their first-hand knowledge and technical expertise throughout the process of creating this.”
