23 September Flashcards
About how many workers are electrocuted every week?
5 workers
What percent of worker occupational deaths are caused by electricity?
electricity causes 12% of young worker occupational deaths
4 main types of electrical injuries: direct and indirect
Direct: - electrocution or death due to electrical shock - electrical shock - burns Indirect: - falls
Levels of dangers of currents
- currents above 10 mA can paralyze or “freeze” muscles
- currents more than 75 mA can cause a rapid, ineffective heartbeat - death will occur in a few minutes unless a defibrillator is used
old saying about voltage and current
voltage hurts, current kills
what is the most common shock related injury?
burns
Burns:
- occur when you touch electrical wiring or equipment that is improperly used or maintained
- very serious injury that needs immediate attention
how does electricity work
- electricity is the flow of energy from one place to another
- requires a source of power - usually a generating station
- a flow of electrons (current) travel through a conductor
- travels in a closed circuit
voltage definition
voltage is the fundamental force or pressure that causes electricity to flow through a conductor and is measured in volts
resistance definition
resistance is anything that impedes the flow of electricity through a conductor and is measured in ohms
definition of current
current is the flow of electrons from a source of voltage through a conductor and is measured in amperes
Alternating Current (AC) definition
- the current flows back and forth (a cycle) through a conductor
- in each cycle, the electrons flow first in one direction, then the other
- normal rate is 60 Hz
Direct Current (DC) definition
the current flows in one direction only (as in a car battery)
is AC or DC used more often, and why?
AC is most widely used b/c it is possible to step up or step down the current through the transformer
Ohm’s Law
current = voltage / resistance
Ground (definition)
a conducting connection, whether or not unintentional, between an electrical circuit or equipment and the earth, or to some conducting body that serves in place of the earth
electrical shock definition
- an electrical shock is received when electrical current passes through the body
- you will get an electrical shock if a part of your body completes an electrical circuit by:
- touching a live wire and an electrical ground, OR
- touching a live wire and another wire at different voltage
shock severity depends on:
- path of current through the body
- amount of current flowing through the body (amps)
- duration of the shocking current through the body
what is the “let go” threshhold of current?
10 - 15 mA
3 principle ways that people experience shock:
- contact with a normally energized bare conductor (close proximity with a high voltage conductor is often enough)
- contact with a normally insulated conductor that the insulation has deteriorated or has been damaged
- equipment failure: results in an open or short circuit, causing the current to flow in an unwanted manner
4 basic ways insulation may fail
- mechanically - as with friction, tearing, crushing, or animal attack
- excessive electrical stress - occurs when the equipment and/or wiring experiences currents significantly beyond what it is designed for
- temperature - excessive high or low temps, or temp cycling can cause differential expansion or contractions on the insulator
- chemical and physical reaction - oxidation, contamination, or leaching of important ingredients from the insulation
electrical accidents are caused by a combination of what 3 factors
- unsafe equipment and/or installation
- workplaces made unsafe by the environment
- unsafe work practices
control of electrical hazards: isolate electrical parts:
- use guards or barriers (guard live parts of electric equipment operating at 50 volts or more against accidental contact - SESEK DOESNT LIKE THIS B/C CURRENT HURTS YOU MORE)
- replace covers
control of electrical hazards - isolate electrical parts - cabinets, boxes, and fittings
conductors going into them must be protected, and unused openings must be closed