Many people take up carpentry, painting, gardening and even plumbing as a habit. Harrison Ford was a carpenter before he became a movie star. But when it comes to home wiring, most people stay away because of fear and it keeps people from completing their beautiful upgrades that could had save you thousands of dollars.
Electrical safety is no doubt the most important aspect of any electrical work. And our fear comes from 'not knowing' or the unknown just like anything else in life. How would you feel if you can perform home wiring safely and confidently and save thousands of dollars on electrical projects? Only if you could do if yourself safely!
All you need to do is to take a common sense approach, and your undivided attention. When doing electrical work, do not be distracted by anything and not be in hurry to get it done. Always plan out your project accordingly and allow plenty of time to finish your project or at least if you have to leave, find a suitable stopping point, put everything away and come to it at a later time.
Anything can conduct electricity if the conditions are right even with an insulator (A conductor allows the flow of electrons, and an insulator resists the flow of electrons). When you turn off the power to a breaker, tape the breaker off. A contractor is required to lock it off by OSHA rules and tag it out. The contractor needs to put red tags and devices to lock the breaker to prevent it from being turned on. (If you have your panel cover off, remember that even when you turn breakers off, there are still energized components in the panel itself!).
In your home, at minimum put tape over the breaker, then close your service panel cover, and put a piece of masking tape across the cover, or a sign that says, "Do Not Open," or "Danger", or something similar, so anybody who approaches that panel will immediately know what's going on. Furthermore, inform your family members that you are doing electrical work so that others are completely aware that you are working on the electrical system.
Also when working with fuse panels, use only one hand to remove it. Put one hand behind your back, it is a good practice when working with fuse panels. This will prevent electricity to flow through your heart when you accidentally touch a circuit with both hands. It can be a life saver. But electricity can still flow through one hand and one foot, then pass through your body, but if you have one hand behind you, your exposure to the hazard will be minimize.
Another important piece of electrical safety is tool use. It is well worth spending more money to purchase quality hand tools and other tools you will use for electrical work. For instance, Good wire strippers will prevent you from nicking or skinning the wires. Good screwdrivers will prevent slipping out of screw heads or rounding them out. Good quality tools will make you feel good, improve your confidence and also improve the quality of your workmanship. So don't skimp on good tools, they will last you a lot longer than cheaper tools.
In conclusion; when talking about electrical safety we are talking about good common sense and using good tools. Also taking personal responsibility for your own safety and everyone in the house.
Electrical safety is no doubt the most important aspect of any electrical work. And our fear comes from 'not knowing' or the unknown just like anything else in life. How would you feel if you can perform home wiring safely and confidently and save thousands of dollars on electrical projects? Only if you could do if yourself safely!
All you need to do is to take a common sense approach, and your undivided attention. When doing electrical work, do not be distracted by anything and not be in hurry to get it done. Always plan out your project accordingly and allow plenty of time to finish your project or at least if you have to leave, find a suitable stopping point, put everything away and come to it at a later time.
Anything can conduct electricity if the conditions are right even with an insulator (A conductor allows the flow of electrons, and an insulator resists the flow of electrons). When you turn off the power to a breaker, tape the breaker off. A contractor is required to lock it off by OSHA rules and tag it out. The contractor needs to put red tags and devices to lock the breaker to prevent it from being turned on. (If you have your panel cover off, remember that even when you turn breakers off, there are still energized components in the panel itself!).
In your home, at minimum put tape over the breaker, then close your service panel cover, and put a piece of masking tape across the cover, or a sign that says, "Do Not Open," or "Danger", or something similar, so anybody who approaches that panel will immediately know what's going on. Furthermore, inform your family members that you are doing electrical work so that others are completely aware that you are working on the electrical system.
Also when working with fuse panels, use only one hand to remove it. Put one hand behind your back, it is a good practice when working with fuse panels. This will prevent electricity to flow through your heart when you accidentally touch a circuit with both hands. It can be a life saver. But electricity can still flow through one hand and one foot, then pass through your body, but if you have one hand behind you, your exposure to the hazard will be minimize.
Another important piece of electrical safety is tool use. It is well worth spending more money to purchase quality hand tools and other tools you will use for electrical work. For instance, Good wire strippers will prevent you from nicking or skinning the wires. Good screwdrivers will prevent slipping out of screw heads or rounding them out. Good quality tools will make you feel good, improve your confidence and also improve the quality of your workmanship. So don't skimp on good tools, they will last you a lot longer than cheaper tools.
In conclusion; when talking about electrical safety we are talking about good common sense and using good tools. Also taking personal responsibility for your own safety and everyone in the house.
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Want to find out more about Safety Services, then visit Peter Hung's site on how to choose the best Environmental Services for your needs.. This article, Electrical Safety Common Sense has free reprint rights.
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