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30 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON
W I N T E R 20 1 6
reminders to spark a self-assessment
of our safety habits?
One thing that I always try to
remember when I’m out in the field
is that safety cannot be viewed as
assumed knowledge. Learning about
something on paper or in a classroom is
completely different to knowing
how to identify risks in a practical,
real-life situation.
As skilled electrical professionals,
we have a moral responsibility to
adopt a ‘safety first’ attitude across
all aspects of our work, whether
in domestic or commercial work
environments, large or small.
Apprentices look up to us as role
models and we are instrumental in
shaping the type of tradesperson
they will become. They watch how we
operate and mimic our behaviours –
we are, after all, the experts! It is in
these early stages of their careers
that they are most impressionable
and taking the time to explain and
test them on even the most basic of
electrical safety procedures is vital,
not only to their development but to
their safety and yours.
I hammer this point home because
young apprentices are most
vulnerable to electrical accidents and
the statistics speak for themselves.
According to Safe Work Australia,
workers aged between 15 and 24 are
injured at work more frequently than
any other age group with 48.8 injuries
occurring for every million hours
worked. Any injury or death
that occurs is, in my opinion, always
one too many and the significance
of this figure demonstrates the
need for fully qualified electricians
or contractors to ensure the next
generation of electricians is
properly trained.
Another aspect of electrical safety
that many of us are often guilty
of neglecting is the need to wear
appropriate protective clothing.
Apprentices starting out in the
industry are often educated about
and equipped with many of these
items but their diligence in using
them can start to wane as the years
go on, especially when more senior
apprentices or tradespeople don’t
seem to use protective gear!
Like in most industries, wearing
safety gear such as helmets and
glasses can be seen as uncool. This
mentality is in some ways cultural
and requires all of us to play a role
in generating positive, industry-
wide change.
Some of the most important
protective gear that often gets
overlooked includes:
>
Safety helmets: to protect workers
from overhead wires, electrical parts
or falling objects.
>
Safety glasses: to protect workers
from flying objects and electric arcing.
>
Non-conductive footwear: to protect
workers from electrical shock.
>
Insulating gloves: to protect workers
from electric shock.
>
Hearing protection: to protect
workers from industrial deafness and
hearing loss.
While ensuring these items are
always on hand is a must, regularly
maintaining safety gear and replacing
them if they are worn is just as
important. Protective gear that is
faulty or damaged is just as harmful
as having no gear at all.
For those of us who work in a
variety of environments and often
find ourselves away from fixed RCD
protection, portable protection is
another way we can better protect
ourselves and others while we’re on
site. If battery powered tools aren’t
an option, it’s important to use
portable power outlets that have
in-built safety switches. Again, this
may seem like an obvious word of
advice but it’s the basics that need
to be emphasised and re-emphasised
again to susceptible apprentices.
Encouraging apprentices to invest
their tool allowance in portable
protective equipment they need like
outlets, plug adaptors, cable reels and
heavy duty cord sets will ensure they
always have the right gear to perform
their job safely when it comes to going
out on their own.
Ultimately as contractors and
teachers we should lead by example.
By setting good habits for our
apprentices from the get go we are
ensuring the safety of our future
electricians. They need to know
the protection of our health and
wellbeing is not something that can be
compromised no matter how busy or
tired we are.
It’s important to use portable power
outlets that have in-built safety switches.
We may be the experts when it comes to the electrical
world – but even professionals make mistakes and
forget things from time to time.