Equipment Hazards

Equipment Hazard
 Physical Hazards – may include rotating parts, cutting or
punching motions, electricity, excessive noise, excessive
vibrations, excessive pressures, excessive temperatures, or
excessive radiation.
 Chemical Hazards – come from toxic, harmful, or corrosive
substances such as cleaning solvents, lubricants, or process fumes.
 Ergonomic Hazards – are the result of repetitive or awkward
motions during operations or maintenance.
 Biological Hazards – come from exposure to bacteria, fungi, and
viruses on working surfaces, or in improperly treated cooling
water.
 Moving or Rotating Equipment Hazards

Injuries Caused by moving or rotating parts:

 Pinches
 Strains and sprains
 Cuts, punctures, or tears of skin from minor to severe
 Sheared or severed limbs
 Crushed or broken body parts
 Blindness
 Strangulation
 Moving or Rotating Equipment Hazards
 Power transmission is another potentially hazardous area, since it
involves moving parts such as pulleys, gears, chains and cranks.
Types of accidents caused by nip points:
 Crush fingers or other limbs
 Grab any loose articles of clothing or hair and pull the worker into

the equipment.
 Flying chips
 Sparks
 Broken equipment parts
 Moving or Rotating Equipment Hazards
 Power transmission is another potentially hazardous area, since it
involves moving parts such as pulleys, gears, chains and cranks.
Types of accidents caused by nip points:
 Crush fingers or other limbs

 Grab any loose articles of clothing or hair and pull the worker into the

equipment.
 Flying chips

 Sparks

 Broken equipment parts

OSHA C.F.R. 1910 Subpart O - OSHA requirement regarding the use

of machine guards
 Hazards
 Pressure Hazards - pressurized equipment presents potential hazards
such as leaks, vibration, rupture or explosion.
 Temperature Hazards – equipment can operate at extremely hot or cold

temperatures. Exposed skin can be burned by hot or cold surfaces.

 Radiation Hazards - classified as ionizing and non-ionizing

Ionizing radiation – can be in a form of gamma, alpha, beta and x-rays.

Can cause headaches, increased risk of infection, fatigue, nausea/vomiting,
sterility, mutations, cancer and death.

Non-ionizing radiation – can take many forms such as visible light,

ultraviolet light, infrared light, microwaves, radio and AC power. Can cause
blisters, blindness, burns, heat stress, cataracts, skin cancer and dry skin.
 Hazards
 Energy Hazards - hazards present when dealing with energy
sources that are properly controlled and maintained.
Sources of energy:
 Electricity (flow of electrons)
 Hydraulic (fluid pressure)
 Pneumatic (air pressure)
 Steam(steam pressure)
 Tension (force)
 Gravity (force of attraction)
 Process( backflow through a valve into a rotating piece of

equipment)
 Causes of Equipment Hazard
 Incorrect design or construction of equipment
 Insufficient or missing guarding on moving or rotating parts
 Poor or improper maintenance or modifications
 Incorrect or unsafe operation
 Using the equipment for purposes or under conditions other than
intended.

OSHA 29 C.F.R. 1910.147 – procedures for controlling hazardous

energy known as lockout/tagout
Electrical Safety
 Electrical Safety
Take Electricity Seriously:
 Electricity is the second leading cause of death in construction.

 Electrocutions make up 12% of construction fatalities annually.

 Over 30,000 non-fatal shocks occur each year.

 Over 600 deaths occur annually due to

electrocution
 Fundamentals of Electricity
Like Water In A Garden Hose

Resistance = Diameter of Hose o f Water

F l o w
Example – Larger hose (less resistance),
more water flows

Voltage = Water Pressure

Example – 45 PSI
 Fundamentals of Electricity
 Electrical current is the flow of electrons
through a conductor.
 A conductor is a material that allows
electrons to flow through it.
 An insulator resists the flow
of electrons.
 Resistance opposes electron
flow.
 Electrical Accidents
 Leading Causes of Electrical Accidents:
 Drilling and cutting through cables
 Using defective tools, cables and equipment
 Failure to maintain clearance distance of 10 feet
 Failure to de-energize circuits and follow Lockout/Tag out procedures
 Failure to guard live parts from accidental worker contact
 Unqualified employees working with electricity
 Improper installation/use of temporary electrical systems and equipment
 By-passing electrical protective devices
 Not using GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupters) devices
 Missing ground prongs on extension cords
 Hazards of Electricity
 Shock – Most common and can cause electrocution
or muscle contraction leading to secondary injury
which includes falls
 Fires – Enough heat or sparks can ignite combustible
materials
 Explosions – Electrical spark can ignite vapors in the
air
 Arc Flash - can cause burns ranging from 14,000
degrees f. to 35,000 degrees f
 Arc Blast – In a short circuit event copper can expand
67,000 times. The expansion causes a pressure wave.
Air also expands adding to the pressure wave
 How Shocks Occur
 Current travels in closed circuits through
conductors (water, metal, the human body).
 Shock occurs when the body
becomes a part of the circuit.
 Current enters at one
point & leaves at another.
Controlling Electrical Hazards
WE CAN CONTROL ELECTICAL HAZARDS BY THESE FOR WAYS:
 Electrical Isolation
 Equipment Grounding

 Circuit Interruption

 Safe Work Practices

Electrical Isolation :
We can be safe by keeping electricity away from us.
We can Insulate the conductors.
Example: The insulation on extension cords.
Elevate the conductors.
Example: Overhead power lines.
Guard the conductors by enclosing them.
Example: Receptacle covers, boxes, & conduit.
One of damaged isolation accident:
 Worker attempted to

climb scaffold with

electric drill.
 Drill’s cord was

damaged with bare

wires showing.
 The bare wire

contacted the
scaffolding.
 The worker died!
Elevating the Conductors
 The second way to safeguard workers from electrically
energized wires is by elevating them.
 Wires are often elevated by
the power company.
 It is always necessary to check
the location of overhead lines
before you begin work each day.
 Remember, never allow yourself,
your tools, or the materials you are
working with to be within 10 feet
of energized lines!
Overhead Line Incident
 A worker was attempting to move mobile
scaffold.
 Scaffold made
contact with
7200 volt line.
 The worker died.
Guarding the Conductors
 The third way to safeguard workers from
electrically energized wires is by guarding
them.
 Covers, boxes, and enclosures are often put
around conductors to prevent worker contact.
 It is always necessary to check that electrical
boxes and panels are covered and free from
missing “knock-outs”.
 Remember, electric equipment operating at 50
volts or more must be guarded!
Guarding the Conductors
 Equipment Grounding
 We can be safe by providing a separate, low
resistance pathway for electricity when it does
not follow normal flow (ground prong).

 Grounding gives the stray current somewhere

to go and keeps you from becoming part of the
circuit.
 Grounding will not work if the
electricity can flow through
you more easily than the
ground. This can happen
when:
– Your tool doesn’t have a ground
pin.
– You’re working in wet locations.
– You’re touching a metal object.
?What Must be Grounded
 All circuits and extension cords.
 All noncurrent carrying metal parts.
 Portable & semi-portable tools and
equipment unless
double insulated.
Do Not Eliminate the Ground!

You become the next-best path for current!

 Circuit Interruption
 We can be safer by automatically shutting off
the flow of electricity in the event of leakage,
overload, or short circuit.
 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) are
circuit protection (or “overcurrent”) devices
that protect you, the worker.
 Circuit breakers & fuses protect equipment, not
you, because they take too much current & too
much time to trip.
 Circuit Breakers and
Fuses
– Only protect the building,
equipment, and tools from
heat build-up!
– Never depend on circuit
breakers or fuses to
prevent shocks!
 Ground Fault Circuit
Interrupter (GFCI)
– Is the only device which will
protect the worker from
shock and electrocution!
Checking for Ground Continuity
Safe Work Practices
 Before work begins, the employer must
determine where exposed and concealed
electrical circuits are located.
 Once found, warning signs/labels must be
posted.
 Workers need to know the
location, hazards, and
protective measures.
Safe Work Practices
 Competent Person determines if performance of
work could bring contact with energy.
– Distance of the worker to the energy source should
be considered first.
– Tools, materials, and processes should also be
considered to see if they could potentially shorten
the safe separation distance.
• Examples: Metal Ladders, Re-bar, Forklift, Scaffold Frames,
etc.
Safe Work Practices
 Must not permit work near electric circuits
unless the worker is protected by:
– De-energizing the circuit and
grounding it.
– Guarding it effectively by insulation.
– Other means (maintaining safe
separation)
 De-energized circuits and
equipment must be
locked/tagged out.
Safe Work Practices
 No metal ladders for or near electrical work.
 No wet hands when plugging or unplugging
cords/equipment.
 No raising or lowering
tools by the cord.
 Unless equipment is
designed for it, cannot
be used in damp and
wet locations.
ELECTRICAL SAFETY

 Maintain plugs, cords, and equipment in good

condition
 Get repaired immediately if needed
 Look for cracked cords, bare insulation
 Electrical tape is not acceptable
 Extension cords are for temporary use only
 Use power strips if necessary
 Do not cascade power strips and extension
cords
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Do not block electric power panels 
Need to maintain clearance and have ready access to 
breakers

Ensure all missing breakers are reported to 

building coordinator
Missing breakers need breaker caps installed 

Emergency cut off switches and breakers must 

be labeled
Contact building coordinator for assistance 
ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Do not store oxidizers or flammables around 

power panels or other ignition sources

Be aware when using electrical devices around 

sinks and other sources of water

Use a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) 

around wet areas

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Do not alter or repair fixed wiring in 

buildings
Contact building coordinator for assistance 

All electrical devices or equipment must be 

third party tested

Underwriters Laboratories – UL listed 