Here we will explore the current UK electrical safety regulations being enforced by law which applies to all electrical applications and professional trades which work directly with electricity. Whether you’re an employee in an electrical contractor firm or a self-employed electrician, these are rules which need be followed by all electrical specialists in the UK and they have legal duty to ensure the electrical systems which they construct are done in a way which minimises the risk of injury.
Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) UK
Electrical work presents unique challenges and hazards to the men and women working in the UK. To minimize the risks posed by electricity, PPE must reflect the particular risks posed by each job. For example, an arc fault explosion generates a tremendous amount of light and heat, with temperatures reaching thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. In some areas, the heat is intense enough to melt metal. Exposure to an arc flash can cause severe burns and lung damage so it’s the role of the employer to ensure that employees are equipped with protective equipment which minimizes the effects of such conditions.
As previously stated the regulations outlines how all electrical systems whether it be a domestic rewiring carried out by a self-employed electrician or the construction of a Railway electrification system by Network Rail they all follow the same rules and possess the legal duty to ensure everything they construct is built in a way which prevents danger to both themselves and other people. It’s also a requirement that all electrical systems located in a workplace environment such as an office or factory be inspected at least once every five years at the latest. These checks are done to ensure that an electrical system hasn’t deteriorated in such a way which has now made them unsafe.
While electric vehicles dominate the conversation about electrification, other industries are also making the transition. Industrial parks, factories, and food processing sites across the UK are increasingly turning to electrical alternatives. This transition to an electrically powered workflow exposes these industries to the increased danger of electricity which has the capacity to cause major burns, electrical shock, and even life-threatening electrocution. Thus, electrical safety is crucial in any work environment. As the demand for electrical power sources increases, so does the need for workers who wear the proper PPE.
The Electricity at Work Regulations (1989) also highlights how anyone performing work or maintenance on electrical systems should be equipped with the correct PPE to prevent the risk of injury. Electrical PPE is the last line of defence for workers exposed to electricity. Despite there being fundamental life-saving reason to wear PPE, 85% of electrical workers do not use PPE. It’s the role of the employer to provide their employees with the correct PPE to ensure they work in a safe environment. This would typically include providing them with insulated gloves which are designed to prevent electricity from making direct contact with your skin if your touch an exposes wire. If you are working on an electrical device such as a PC or transformer it’s recommended they are placed on insulated matting which can be used as a protective later which prevents a conductive path being established between the floor and the worker’s body. Electrical professionals who work at height should be equipped with an ‘insulated ladder’ which prevents electricity from being transmitted through the ladder and into the person using it. Electricians working at height may be at significant risk of receiving an electric shock if loose electrical wires end up touching a ladder made of conductive materials such as steel. One piece of life saving equipment which people who work in places with high voltage equipment may need is ‘Rescue Rods’. A rescue rod is a piece of equipment used to rescue people who have been electrocuted. Instinctively you might think it would be best to rush over to the electrocuted individual and try a help them however in some cases the risk of being electrocuted is still present in the location the electrocuted victim currently is and rushing over to them will only expose you to the risk as well. This is why it’s best to use an insulated rescue rod to move the individual away from the danger.
A very common piece of equipment an electrician should be equipped with is a Voltage Detectors. A Voltage detector is a device which can determine if an object being tested currently possesses an electrical charge. This is an important piece of equipment because although a device may be disconnected from a power source an electrical device with a capacitor may still possess a charge making potentially unsafe for the electrician to work with until it’s fully discharged.
Built To withstand the elements
Electricians are required to construct electrical systems to a standard which protects people from harm. An electrician is also required to construct electrical systems which are protected from environmental elements which have the potential to damage or accelerate the degrading of the system. For example an electrician tasked with installing some exterior lighting for home would need to consider ways in which the electrical system will remain unaffected by environmental elements such as rain water. Rain water would be considered an electrical safety risk due to it being able to cause electrical systems to ‘short-circuit’. Electrical systems which short-circuit have the potential to ignite and cause fire spread throughout your property. An electrician should also consider the temperature when installing new electrical systems as a damp and humid environment has the potential to accelerate the corrosion of metal objects such as wiring. Corrosion causes electrical connections to fail over time and there are two fundamental types of corrosion which affects all electrical systems exposed to water or humid conditions.
- Galvanic corrosion is where electrolytes in water extract enough copper from an electrical connection to break it causing electricity to travel in the wrong directions in a circuit.
- Dendritic corrosion which also called ‘creep’ corrosion is where two traces on a circuit merge together due to build-up of copper. This has the potential cause electrical systems to lose certain functionality or cause the device to stop working altogether.