Electrical Safety for the

Non-Electrical Skilled Worker

Recognizing and Mitigating
Specific Hazards in the Work
Place Encountered by the Non-
Electrical Skilled Worker
Module 6

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 Non-Electrical Skilled Worker
 This training provides additional electrical
safety training for electrical hazards non-
electrical skilled workers are exposed to in
the work place.
 It is developed as an add-on module to the
basic electrical safety training module for
non-electrical workers.

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Review of Basic Electrical Safety Hazard
Awareness for the Non-Electrical Worker
 You should have taken as a prerequisite for
this training “Basic Electrical Safety Hazard
Awareness for Non-Electrical Personnel”.
 This training covered the hazards associated
with electrical energy – Shock, Arc and Blast.
These hazards can cause disability or death.
You were taught how to recognize electrical
hazards.

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Review of Basic Electrical Safety Hazard Awareness
for the Non-Electrical Worker (continued)
 You were taught basic electrical safety that included:
 Ground-fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs)
 Basic electrical cord safety
 Resetting Breakers
 Conductive Apparel
 Wall Penetrations
 Safe Work Practices for Equipment Applications
 Only qualified electrical workers can perform electrical
work

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 Review of Basic Electrical Safety Hazard
Awareness for the Non-Electrical Worker (cont.)

 You were taught basic electrical safety that included:

 What to do in case of an electrical emergency.
 To inspect your work area for unsafe electrical
conditions.
 To use equipment per its Listing and Labeling
instructions i.e. no daisy chaining, no overloading of
circuits, etc.
 What to do if you identify an electrical hazard.
 To contact your Site Electrical Safety Officer or Safety
Engineer for specific electrical safety items.
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Who is considered a Non-Electrical
Skilled Worker?
The following list of workers includes but is
not limited to those who would be considered
a “Non-Electrical Skilled Worker”.
Fitters, Painters, Carpenters, Laborers, Utility
Operators, Equipment Operators, D&D Workers,
Janitors, Radiation Control Technicians, Waste
Handlers and Warehouse Workers.

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 Non-Electrical Skilled Workers
(cont.)
Non-Electrical Skilled workers are:
 Exposed to specific electrical hazards
 Expected to work safely around electrical energy
 To use electrical tools safely
 To follow electrical safety requirements
 To help keep other workers safe from electrical
hazards.
 Obey all postings and barriers protecting exposed
energized electrical hazards.
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DOE and NFPA 70E Requirements
 DOE has identified NFPA 70E
(70E) as the basis document for
electrical safety at its facilities.
 Compliance with 70E is mandatory.
 70E has specific requirements for
working safely with electrical
energy.

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 70E requirements (cont.)
 Only Qualified Electrical Workers can perform work
“ON” or “NEAR” electrical equipment
 Non-electrical workers may use electrical
equipment, but must be trained to know the hazards
of the equipment and how to use the equipment
safely.
 If you don’t know how to operate a piece of
equipment safely and don’t know the hazards
involved in it use, stop work and get the required
training.

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 70E Requirements (cont.)
 70E requirements for energized work apply if
an exposed energized condition exists.
 70E requires that an electrically safe work
condition (Lockout/Tagout – LO/TO) must be
established unless work around energized
equipment with exposed electrical
components is permitted with all the required
safety precautions established.

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 70E Requirements (cont.)
 If an exposed energized condition exists, there will be a Flash
Protection Boundary and a Shock Protection Boundary that will
have specific PPE and access requirements.
 These boundaries are established to protect you from the heat
energy of an arc and from getting shocked.
 70E requires proper barriers, posting, and/or attendants to
inform unqualified workers of existing hazards.
 The work control document should address these boundaries
and your work task relationship to them.
 Do not cross these boundaries unless you are qualified and
authorized or are escorted by a qualified electrical worker.
 You must have the PPE required by 70E for the boundary to
be crossed.

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 70 E Requirements (cont.)
 Generally for systems under 600V the Flash
Protection Boundary (FPB) is 4 ft. unless calculated
under engineering supervision. The FPB is
established to protect you from the heat energy of an
ARC.
 The shock protection boundaries are based on a table
in 70E. The non- electrical worker can be escorted
by a qualified electrical worker inside the Limited
Approach Boundary, but can approach no closer to
exposed energized components. See following slide
for copy of table listing approach distances from
70E.

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 NFPA 70E Table - Approach Boundaries to Live Parts for Shock Protection
(All dimensions are distance from live parts to employee)

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

Limited Approach Boundary Restricted Approach
Nominal System Boundary;
Voltage Range, Phase Exposed Movable Exposed Fixed Circuit Includes Inadvertent Prohibited Approach
to Phase Conductor Part Movement Adder Boundary
0 to 50 Not Specified Not Specified Not Specified Not Specified
51 to 300 10 ft 0 in. 3 ft 6 in. Avoid contact Avoid contact
301 to 750 10 ft 0 in. 3 ft 6 in. 1 ft 0 in. 0 ft 1 in.
751 to 15 kV 10 ft 0 in. 5 ft 0 in. 2 ft 2 in. 0 ft 7 in.
15.1kV to 36kV 10 ft 0 in. 6 ft 0 in. 2 ft 7 in. 0 ft 10 in.
36.1kV to 46 kV 10 ft 0 in. 8 ft 0 in. 2 ft 9 in. 1 ft 5 in.
46.1kV to 72.5kV 10 ft 0 in. 8 ft 0 in. 3 ft 3 in. 2 ft 1 in.
72.6kV to 121kV 10 ft 8 in. 8 ft 0 in. 3 ft 5 in. 2 ft 8 in.
138kV to 145kV 11 ft 0 in. 10 ft 0 in. 3 ft 7 in. 3 ft 1 in.
161kV to 169kV 11 ft 8 in. 11 ft 8 in. 4 ft 0 in. 3 ft 6 in.
230kV to 242kV 13 ft 0 in. 13 ft 0 in. 5 ft 3 in. 4 ft 9 in.
345kV to 362kV 15 ft 4 in. 15 ft 4 in. 8 ft 6 in. 8 ft 0 in.
500kV to 550kV 19 ft 0 in. 19 ft 0 in. 11 ft 3 in. 10 ft 9 in.
765kV to 800kV 23 ft 9 in. 23 ft 9 in. 14 ft 11 in. 14 ft 5 in

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The following slides will discuss specific electrical
hazards the non-electrical skilled worker is exposed to
in the work place and the methods used to mitigate the
hazards.
Hazards of Electricity

Shock

Arc

Blast

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The most effective way to protect against
electrical hazards is to use LO/TO.
 Your facility will have specific requirements for
LO/TO. Always comply with the requirements.
 Only LO/TO qualified employees may work
under the protection of a LO/TO.
 LO/TO accomplishes a zero energy state and
there is no electrical hazard.
 You are required to comply with all LO/TO
requirements.
 Failure to comply can result in injury or
death!

DO NOT OPERATE!
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 Lockout/Tagout
 Your personal lock and personal
danger tag is what protects you
from systems being re-energized
while you are working on them.
 You are the only person
authorized to remove them
except under specially controlled
conditions.
 If you don’t install them, you
are not protected!

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A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is
a very effective device to protect employees in
the work place from electrical shock.
 The number of deaths from electrical shock in the work
place has been cut in half since GFCIs have been
introduced.
 GFCIs are required for all maintenance activities.
 GFCIs protect you from electrical shock by tripping on
current leakage to ground, which may be through you.
 Plugging one GFCI into another one does not create a
hazard. The most sensitive one will trip first.
 GFCIs may be permanently installed in the facility or a
portable device. – Use them.
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 Use of Specific Safety-Related
Equipment and Work Practices
GFCIs
 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) are
required for all 125-volt, single phase, 15 and
20-ampere receptacle outlets used for
temporary electric power, or as an extension to
the power supply cord.
 Test Before Use. Push the test button and
verify the GFCI has shut off by plugging a safe
device into it (i.e. portable lamp or tool). If it
doesn’t shut off, don’t use it. Reset it. If it
turns on, it is safe to use.
 Report a malfunctioning GFCI to the
designated facility organization.

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GFCIs
 Most facilities will allow resetting
the GFCI one time. Verify with
your facility.
 If it trips a second time, have it
evaluated by a qualified electrical
worker.
 It may have tripped to save your
life!
 Repeated resetting is not allowed.

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 Circuit Breaker Tripping

Anytime a circuit has been de-

energized by the operation of an over
current protective device (such as a
fuse or circuit breaker) by a short
circuit or ground-fault, the circuit
must be checked by a qualified person
to determine if it can be reenergized
safely.
The repetitive manual re-closing of
circuit breakers or reenergizing
circuits through replacing fuses is
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 Circuit Breaker Tripping
 If you are allowed to reset circuit
breakers or other electrical switches,
position yourself in the safest location
possible.
 Never stand directly in front of or
reach across the device.

 Some facilities have specific

requirements for who is allowed to
operate breakers and disconnects.
Make sure you know the requirement
before performing these actions.

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Moisture provides a conductive path
that could result in death.

Never work with wet tools or clothing.

Remove Your Jewelry.

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 Use of Specific Safety-Related
Equipment and Work Practices
Portable Electric Equipment and
Flexible Cord Set requirements:
 The user must visually inspect the
equipment for defects and damage
before they are used on any shift.
 If the tool or cord set is damaged, take
it out of service or have it repaired.

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 Portable Electric Tools -
Things to look for:

Damaged/Broken case

Ground prong missing

on three-prong plugs.
Some tools are double
insulated and won’t
have a ground prong.
That’s OK.
Damaged Cord – outer
sheath broken
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 2
1 3

4
Cords – Items to consider before use.
1. Use per Listing and Labeling
2. Inner wires exposed – Don’t use.
3. Plug not fully seated – Don’t use.
4. Cords run through doors / pinch points – Don’t use.
5. Outer sheath damaged – Don’t use.
6. Cord tightly coiled may cause a problem – Don’t use.
7. Tightly coiled cord that had a meltdown because it 5
8 couldn’t cool properly when overloaded.
8. Cords must be GFCI protected or under an Assured
Equipment Ground Conductor program.

6
7

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 Extension cords should be a minimum of 16 AWG
and be rated for the equipment in use.  The following
is a guide that might be helpful in selecting the cord:
Extension Cord
Ampere Rating
Three RECOMMENDED WIRE
Wire Size Single Phase Two and SIZE MAXIMUM LENGTH
Phase
(Copper) Three Conductor Cords AWG #16 — 25 Feet
Cords
AWG #14 — 50 Feet
16AWG 13 amps 10 amps
AWG #12 — 75 Feet
14AWG 18 amps 15 amps AWG #10 — 100 Feet
12AWG 25 amps 20 amps
10AWG 30 amps 25 amps
8AWG 40 amps 35 amps
6AWG 55 amps 45 amps
4AWG 70 amps 60 amps
2AWG 95 amps 80 amps
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Extension cords shall:

 Be protected from physical damage at all times.

 Be inspected before use.
 Be routed so trip, pinch, abrasion, snagging, etc. cannot
occur.
 Not be used as a substitute for permanent wiring.
 Be suitable for the environment i.e. outside, wet, sunlight,
etc.
 Shall have slack – not drawn out tight.
 Shall be unplugged by grasping the plug not the cord.

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 Is it
Safe?

What do you think?

Could you make this a
better installation?
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Ladders used around electrical hazards
must have non-conductive side rails.
Ladders with non-conductive side rails
that are contaminated with paint,
greases or other coatings may no longer
be non-conductive. Check them out.

Stay away from exposed energized

equipment.

Always look up before you lift or climb

up.

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 Be aware of overhead exposed
energized equipment such as
overhead lines, cords, or overhead
crane rails.
Minimum approach distance to
overhead lines below 72,500 volts is
10 feet. (Limited Approach
Boundary - 70E)
Look Up and Stay Alive!
There may be other requirements that apply to approach distances to
overhead lines. Make sure you inquire about these requirements.
Possible examples may include:
 The use of a designated spotter.
 Approach distances may be different than 70E requirements.
 Overhead utilities may be under separate management.
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The National Electrical Code
(NEC) has specific clearance
requirements around electrical
equipment to maintain safe
working clearances for electrical
workers. These are dedicated
spaces and include width, height,
and depth requirements. The
clearance distances are based on
configuration and voltage level.

You must keep these spaces clear. Check with

a qualified electrical worker to ensure you do
not store or install materials and equipment in
theses dedicated spaces.
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 Batteries present special hazards in the work place. They
may contain an acid or an alkaline substance in the
electrolyte. If you get electrolyte on you, rinse with water
for 15 minutes then get medical help. Failure to do this
may lead to severe burns or blindness.

Most batteries give off explosive

gasses when charged. Make sure
adequate ventilation is available.
Don’t cause sparks or flames in the
vicinity of batteries. A catastrophic
explosion may occur.

Batteries can store significant amounts of electrical energy.

Do not use conductive equipment/tools around batteries. If
you cause an ARC, you can be severely injured. Remember,
there is no off switch on a battery!
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If you must perform work around
batteries or battery racks, eye
wash/drench stations are required.
Spill kits for the electrolyte are to be
available. Use non-sparking/non-
conductive tools.
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 Electrical System Intrusions
 One of the most common occurrences with
electrical systems around the DOE complex
is excavating, cutting or drilling into
electrical systems.
 There are many methods of trying to
identify buried or concealed electrical
conduits and cables. None of them are fool
proof.

 Facilities have developed methods and

procedures to help prevent these
occurrences.
 If you are involved in this type of activity, it
is your responsibility to comply with facility
requirements.
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If location or condition of energized
electrical systems is uncertain, utilize
electrically rated PPE and other protective
measures such as drill stops, hand digging,
vacuum excavators, etc.

Conduit cut – Location was right,

depth was wrong.

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 Consider the following ORPS event:
Demolition Worker Cuts Energized Circuit while
Removing Conduit -- Reference: ORPS Report
OH-MB-BWO-BWO01-2003-0004

On October 14, 2003, a demolition craftsman cut an

energized 110-volt circuit while removing conduit with
a double insulated reciprocating saw. The conduit
contained numerous branches and only a cursory
check was made for air-gapped circuits. Work control
documents specifically required verification of zero
energy or installation of a lockout/tagout if verification
could not be performed. (continued)
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 ORPS (continued)
Important Points:
 The demolition worker failed to request a “meter check”
to ensure a zero-energy condition existed.
 The worker failed to complete a thorough walkdown of the
area to verify that all conduit branches and runs were air-
gapped and there was no potential for energy being fed
from other sources.
Contributors:
 The demolition worker made assumptions about the task
based on previous work experience on the same system
months earlier. He assumed the lighting circuit was
totally de-energized by an electrician when the light
circuits were removed.
(Make sure you don’t make the same kinds of errors)
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 OBEY ALL SIGNS AND BARRIERS!

Signs, Symbols, Tags, and Barricades

are used to warn personnel of potential
electrical hazards.

CAUTION

HIGH
AREA VOLTAGE
AREAININFRONT
FRONTOF
OFTHIS
THIS
ELECTRICAL
ELECTRICALPANEL
PANELMUST
MUSTBEBE
KEPT CLEAR FOR 36 INCHES
KEPT CLEAR FOR 36 INCHES
OSHA
OSHA- -NEC
NECREGULATIONS
REGULATIONS

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REMEMBER!
 The results of a mistake with electrical energy
occur at the speed of light. There is not time
to react after the error is made. You must
think ahead.
 Pre-job briefs, planned work instructions, and
facility requirements are not optional. Pay
attention and obey all the rules, not just the
ones that are convenient. They provide the
edge you need to be safe with electrical energy.

Post-job reviews help keep us from repeating

errors – participate in them.
You are responsible for your safety.
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 Summary
 Many items concerning electrical safety have been
presented. It isn’t possible to cover all the hazards
electrical energy can present.
 If you identify a hazard, make sure you and others are
safe and then report it immediately to the proper
authority for your work location.
 70E requires electrical workers to be ALERT.
 You are also required to be ALERT and AWARE of
potential electrical hazards. If you are not, you can be
severely injured or killed

 Above all, BE SAFE.

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