Personal electrical safety : School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering ...

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School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering

Personal electrical safety

It is essential that you take suitable precautions with electrical equipment as faulty FURTHER
equipment or improper use can cause serious injuries and even death. INFORMATION

Regulation 63(1) of the Electricity (Licensing) Regulations 1991 requires every member of the community,
consumer or industry to report an electricity-caused accident that has caused, or is likely to cause, danger
to a person or property. Reports should be made to the relevant network operator or, where the network
operator cannot be identified, to the Director of Energy Safety.

If the person is an electrical worker in the course of his or her employment, it is sufficient for the purposes
of this regulation if the report is made to the employer of that person. Any report made to an employer
under sub-regulation (1) shall be reported to the relevant supply authority and Director.

The WA Department of Commerce defines an electric shock as an incident which does not require
medical or first aid treatment, an electrical incident is where no injuries are sustained, but precautionary
medical treatment is sought. An electrical accident is defined as an incident in which a person requires
assessment and/or treatment at a medical facility, and includes fatalities.

For information on current and historical electricity-related serious accidents and fatalities, visit the
EnergySafety website.

Reporting of electrical accidents: report all electrical accidents to your supply authority (or employer) and
the Director of Energy Safety at Energy Safety, phone Freecall 1800 678 198.

Electricity is invisible – this in itself makes it dangerous. It has great potential to seriously injure and kill.

The average person can receive critical injuries as a result of even very short exposures to everyday 240-
volt singlephase alternating current supply voltages. For more information, see Technical guidelines for
workplace electrical safety [PDF, 215Kb].

1. Nature of hazard

2. Electric shock

3. Preventing contact with electricity

4. Effects of current on human beings

5. Action plan — DRABCD

6. References

Nature of hazard
Electricity can shock, burn, damage nerves and internal organs or kill people and animals. It can also cause property damage.

Injury or damage can be almost instantaneous and without warning. Recovery can be very difficult with permanent scarring, nerve damage or
interference with the functioning of the heart (the heart may not resume normal functioning even after the electricity is disconnected from the body).

The release of energy from major faults can be very large and create an explosion or fire. Even minor faults can be a source of fire that can go on
to cause serious property damage and risk to life.

Energy Safety – Apprentice Safety Assessment Guidelines page 8 [opens as PDF, 1.83Mb]

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Electric shock
Since the human body is a conductor of electricity, a current will flow through its tissues when contact is made simultaneously with two objects
which are at different voltage potentials.

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For example, if two terminals of different voltage potential are grasped, one in each hand, current will flow through the body from hand to hand. A
similar effect will be produced if only the active is touched and the person is in contact with earth or an earthed conductor.

Under normal circumstances, voltages below 50 volts are generally not harmful to humans. However, they must still be treated with respect.
Electricity supply systems typically operate at 240 volts AC phase to earth and 415 volts AC phase to phase. A shock at these voltages can be
fatal. Hence, it is essential that adequate precautions are taken to ensure no person comes into contact with any ‘live’ electrical equipment or
conductors.

Electric shock is the effect produced on the body and in particular, the nervous system, by an electrical current passing through it. The effect varies
depending upon the magnitude, path, duration and frequency of the current. In the event of arcing fault, persons in the vicinity may also be
subjected to flash burns and organ damage.

If the current magnitude is within a certain range and its path traverses the heart region, the normal rhythm of the heart can be interrupted. In this
state, known as ventricular fibrillation, the heart contracts in random ways and cannot maintain circulation. Reversion to normal rhythm rarely
occurs spontaneously and if the condition persists for more than a few minutes, the result is almost certain to be fatal.

Paths to electrocution
Contact with the following circuit paths could lead to an electric shock which could be fatal, because the potential difference between the contact
points could cause harmful current to flow through parts of the body.

Active to neutral single phase 230 volts

Active to earth single phase 230 volts

Active to active polyphase systems 415 volts

Neutral to neutral in an operating circuit where phase load imbalances are resulting in large neutral currents

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Preventing contact with electricity

AS 3000 SAA Wiring Rules Section 1 “Scope and Fundamental Safety Principles”
This section describes the two main principles by which protection against the risk of electric shock and fire may be achieved.

1. Protection against direct contact with live parts means preventing, or limiting the magnitude of, electric current passing through the body of a
person. The method of providing this protection is by means of insulation, by the use of barriers or enclosures or obstacles, or by placing live
parts out of reach, so a person cannot come into direct contact with an active conductor.
2. Protection against indirect contact with live parts means providing appropriate safeguards against the dangers of a person coming into contact
with exposed conductive parts which are not normally live, but may become live as a result of a fault. This protection can be provided by either
preventing or limiting the magnitude of the current passing through a person in the event of such a fault occurring, or by arranging for the
supply to be disconnected if a fault causes exposed parts to become live. The method of providing this protection is by the automatic
disconnection of the supply (by“earthing” the conductive parts to induce a tripping current), by using double insulation or isolating
transformers, by equipotential bonding or by suitable location of conductive parts so a person cannot come into indirect contact with an active
conductor.

Examples of equipotential bonding include ensuring all metal reinforcing rods in a shower or bathroom are connected to ground, ensuring
conductive service pipes such as water and gas are connected to the earthing system, ensuring all individual conductive parts of equipment are
joined together, and ensuring all conductive items in a public swimming pool environment such as taps, power point earths, metal slides are joined
to a low-impedance ground.

As well as these two main principles, there are four other methods specified to assist in minimising the risk of electric shock and fire:

1. Protection against overheating which may cause flammable materials to ignite or persons to be burnt: an example of this is putting papers or
similar flammable items on top of equipment such as computers, printers or photocopiers. The flammable items may block or restrict air flow
so without correct ventilation there is a risk of fire.
2. Protection against over-current which could cause damage through excessive temperatures or electromechanical stresses: an example is
plugging electrical appliances into power boards with a total load that exceeds the capacity of the powerboard which would then be
overloaded which causes overheating and risk of fire.
3. Protection against the effects of prospective short circuit currents: the more common examples are providing circuit breakers or fuses so they
will provide a rapid disconnection of the power if a short circuit occurs.
4. Protection against the effects of a fault between live parts which are supplied at different voltages: some equipment such as theatre lighting
dimmers are fed with 440-volt 3 phase and supply outputs of 240 volts single phase. In addition there are control transformers supplying 12
volts. These different potentials need to be kept isolated using insulation, transformers, earthed metal barriers and double insulation.

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Effects of current on human beings

AS/NZS 60479.1:2002 Part 1

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For a given current path through the human body, the danger to people depends mainly on the magnitude and duration of the current flow. The
different parts of the human body – such as the skin, blood, muscles, other tissues and joints – present to the electric current a certain impedance
composed of resistive and capacitive components. The values of these impedances depend on a number of factors and, in particular, on the
following and ohms law:

The current path some parts of the body are more susceptible to damage by electric currents such as the heart

The touch voltage the higher the touch voltage the more current flows

The duration of the more current usually means more damage

current flow

The frequency higher frequencies usually result in more damage to the body due to muscle damage

The degree of moisture ohms law, moisture lowers resistance so more current flows
of the skin

The surface area of ohms law, larger surface area lowers resistance so more current flows
contact

The pressure exerted higher surface pressure reduces resistance so more current flows

The temperature high temperatures increase blood flow and sweating so resistance lowers so more current flows

Typical current paths through the human body

Hand to hand 1000 ohms (impedance)

Hand to foot 1000 ohms (impedance)

Hand to both feet 750 ohms (impedance)

Hand to seat 500 ohms (impedance)

Both hands to seat 250 ohms (impedance)

Touch current values of typical paths through the human body at 230 volts AC
Hand to hand I=v/Zr = 0.230A (230mA)

Hand to foot I=v/Zr = 0.230A (230mA)

Hand to both feet I=v/Zr = 0.307A (370mA)

Hand to seat I=v/Zr = 0.46A (460mA)

Both hands to seat I=v/Zr = 0.92A (920mA)

Electricity Regulations 1947 Part IX: General safety requirements for electrical work

Resuscitation instruction for employees

Employers should take all practicable steps to ensure that all employees working on, or assisting in working on, electrical apparatus are instructed
in the method of resuscitation from apparent death due to electric shock, and all employees shall keep themselves familiar with the method.

It is good work practice to do a resuscitation course or first aid course as the greatest risk of fatality from an electric shock is ventricular fibrilation
where the heart needs to be normalised.

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Action plan — DRABCD

In an emergency, it is necessary to have an action plan, one that will work every time, regardless ofthe type of incident.Thisaction plan is called
DRABCD. Each letter of the DRABCD plan stands for something the rescuer must do and the order in which it mustbe done:

Check for Danger

to you
to others
to casualty

Check for Response

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is casualty conscious?
is casualty unconscious?

Check Airway

is airway clear of objects?

is airway open?

Check for Breathing

is chest rising and falling?

can you hear casualty’s breathing?
can you feel the breath on your cheek?

Check for signs of Circulation

can you see any obvious signs of life

any movement including swallowing and breathing?
observe colour of skin in face
can you feel a pulse?

Defibrillator

Attach an automated external defibrillater as soon as available and follow the prompts.

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References
Safety Information – Energy safety – Hazards, effects of electricity
Apprentice Safety Assessment Guidelines – Energy Safety [PDF, 1.83MB]
Reporting electricty and gas related accidents/incidents – Energy Safety
AS/NZS 60479.1:2002 Australian/New Zealand Standard™ Effects of current on human beings and livestock Part 2: Special aspects

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