Electrical Energy Hazards

Due to the widespread and commonplace use of electrical devices, workers may not take self-protection from electrical hazards as seriously as they should. As we mentioned earlier, employers in the oil and gas extraction industry must not only comply with OSHA Control of Hazardous Energy standard (29 CFR 1910.147) but also with the OSHA construction standards for electricity (29 CFR 1926 Subpart K). Employers must impress upon their workers the extreme danger that electrical energy poses. The most common causes of injuries and death from electrical energy are as follows:

• Contact with power lines - Tools and equipment that workers are using come in direct or indirect contact with power lines.
• Lack of ground-fault protection - When there is no ground-fault protection, normal use of electrical equipment may cause wear and tear and an electrical current may travel to a worker's body, which can cause burns or electrocution.
• Path to ground is missing or discontinuous - Even in cases where ground-fault protection exists, the electrical current may stray or there may be a break in the current's path, causing the current to accidentally flow through a worker's body.
• Improper use of electrical equipment - When equipment is not used in the way it was designed to be used, its safety features may not function properly.
• Improper use of extension and flexible cords - In addition to the normal wear on electrical cords, the type of electrical cord and the way workers use it can expose workers to high voltage electrical currents.

To learn more about Oil & Gas Extraction visit our Oil & Gas Extraction Safety Online Training web page.