Whether you’re a self-employed electrician or you work for a large business, safety is at the forefront of your day-to-day work. You will be working with live wires, which can cause serious injuries or death when mishandled.
Last year, there were more than 120 deaths in UK workplaces, with construction being the most common industry these occurred in. That’s why we want to show you how to prioritise safety when working as an electrician.
This will ensure you’re not putting your life or your client’s life in danger when working on construction sites or households. Read on to find out how you can become an electrician that prioritises safety.
Training
Whether you’re new to the industry or you’ve been working as an electrician for years, keeping up to date with training is vital. At this stage, you may already have your ECS cards and have met the qualification requirements, which means you’ll have a good understanding of how to keep safe.
However, new ways of working safely come up every so often, so keeping an eye out for these and then training yourself in them can help make your job safer.
PPE
Should anything go wrong on the job, then you’ll want the correct protection to keep your body from the effects of live wires. That’s why you need the correct personal protective equipment for an electrician, which includes:
- Rubber insulating sleeves and gloves
- Flame resistant clothing
- Hoods
- Hardhats
- Safety glasses
- Safety shoes and overshoes
Check for damage
Before any work can commence, you’ll need to check the existing wires in the building to see if there’s any damage. This could be faulty wiring which poses a huge risk of electrical fires. Each year, there are more than 19,000 fires of electrical origin, so keeping this number down is a must for your safety.
If any wires are damaged or faulty, then replacing them with new wires like these should be done rapidly to prevent injury whilst you work.
Tools
Having the right tools is also important for efficient working and safety. Having the wrong tools can damage the area you’re working on, which is more likely to cause injury to you. That’s why you should do your research before buying tools to make sure you’re getting the best ones available for the work you’re completing. Look out for positive reviews and reliable manufacturers that you can trust when doing this.
Some of the tools every electrician needs to complete their work safely include:
- Approved voltage indicator
- Insulated screwdrivers
- Insulated pliers
- Wire strippers
- Multifunctional tester
- Electrical wall chaser
- A cordless oscillating multitool
- Head torch