SAFETY

Overview

● Introduction to Safety● Potential Electronic Mishaps● Safe Work Practices

Definition of Safety

● The condition of being free from (or causing) hurt, injury, or loss.

OSHA

● 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act

● Prior to 1970, employers weren’t required to provide personal

protective equipment (PPE) to employees. Over time, various

laws were enacted to protect the rights of employees injured on

the job, but they were hard to regulate and enforce. This was a

dangerous time for employees that worked in hazardous

environments!

OSHA http://www.osha.gov

● 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act

● In 1970, all workplace safety laws were combined into one law,

called the Occupational Safety and Health Act, or OSHA.

Thanks to OSHA, people rarely have to work in an unsafe

environment without personal protective equipment and

procedures in place.

MSDS

● Required by OSHA in work areas

● Includes a list of all potential hazardous materials and safety practices

MISHAPS

Electrical Shock

High Voltage = 600 Volts

Large Current = > 1 Amp

MISHAPS

Safe Distance

● High Voltage Electricity can ARC across gases (like air) continuously

● Current will continue to increase in an uncontrolled arc until equipment is destroyed

MISHAPS

Electrocution

● Death can occur from any electrical shock that carries enough

Heart and brain are most susceptible to damage

current

MISHAPS

Electrical Shock

● Current passing across the chest as low as 0.05 amps induces Ventricular Fibrillation

● Current can interfere with nervous system - control of heart and lungs

Warning!

The next slide is graphic.

MISHAPS

Electrical Burns

Electricity + Body = Heat

MISHAPS

Electrical fires are caused by:

● Decayed wiring/ bad grounds

● Poor maintenance practices

● Power surges

MISHAPS

Misuse of Tools and Equipment

● Improper tool settings

● Lack of PPE

● Wrong tool for the job

Safe Work Habits

● No watches / rings / jewelry

● Unplug your equipment before servicing!

● Work Area = clean and dry

● Proper grounding / Insulation

● One-hand rule

● Always keep one hand in your pocket when troubleshooting to

prevent a current path across the heart .

● Safety observer present

● In the event of an emergency, another person's presence may

save your life!

● Follow step-by-step procedures● Following proper procedures could prevent serious damage to

you and your equipment.

Safe Work Habits

Protection

Ground

● Physical connection to earth

● Provides a safe path for electrical discharge

Protection

● Circuit Breakers ● Ground Fault Circuit InterrupterA circuit breaker is an automatically

operated electrical switch designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by overload or short circuit.

GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is any imbalance, it trips the circuit. It is able to sense a mismatch as small as 4 or 5 milliamps, and it can react as quickly as one-thirtieth of a second.

● Lockout / Tagout● Lockout/tagout procedures are

safety protocols that protect workers from accidents; regulated by OSHA

● Involves physically locking and labeling power sources to avoid accidental activation while maintenance is being performed

Protection

Protection

● Fuses: First line of defense● When a device receives too much current, the wire

filament inside the fuse will burn or break; this stops current from flowing.

● The device is now protected from excess current preventing further damage.

Protection

Fire Extinguishers

Fire Extinguisher Classes

Universal (ABC) is the most common

Class D is for metals

Shock!

● DO NOT TOUCH!

● REMOVE from source of electricity

● If not breathing, begin CPR

● If breathing, place in recovery position and treat

for traumatic SHOCK

● STAY until help arrives

Summary

Remember, good safety habits play an important role in everything you do. Engineers can design and build safety devices into a piece of equipment; unfortunately they cannot design and build safety into you.

Safety is your job.

YOU must be responsible for your own safety. When working around electricity and electronic devices, ensure your own safety by :

•Recognizing and avoiding potential dangers•Paying attention to all warnings and cautions•Following good personal and laboratory safety habits

SAFETY