Electrical Safety

CONSTRUCTION SITE

ALLAN SOLDEVILLA BITON, REE

2019 – IIEE-Iloilo Chapter VP- Internal
2018 – IIEE-Iloilo Chapter VP-Technical
2016-2017 – IIEE-Iloilo Chapter Treasurer
2009-2015 – IIEE-Iloilo Chapter Board of Director
2006-2008 – IIEE-Iloilo PIO
Member : WVHOSNET, Inc.
PCAPI VI
INTRODUCTION
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

• Working with electricity in any environment can

be highly dangerous but particularly so on a
construction site where the hazards have the
potential to be on a much bigger scale.

• It’s often a lack of awareness that causes the most

damage so it’s essential that anyone required to
work on a construction site understands the risks
and knows how to act to avoid themselves, or
anyone else, coming to harm as a result of
electricity.
Things to Consider
Before Working on
a Construction Site
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

1. Risk assessments :
• Before work on a construction site begins the
person in charge, by law, must carry out a risk
assessment. The aim of this is to identify all of the
potential electrical hazards and ensure that suitable
control measures are in place to prevent them from
causing harm to workers. If you are an employee
about to start work on a construction site then
make sure you familiarise yourself with the results
of the risk assessment so you understand which
hazards you need to look out for.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

2. Electrical services maps :

• As part of the risk assessment process your site
operator should have obtained up-to-date maps
from the local council that detail where any
potentially hazardous wires, cables or electrical
equipment are located within (or near to) the
construction site. Again, ensure you have
familiarised yourself with these maps (if any) before
beginning work.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

3. Safe systems of work :

• If your role on the construction site requires
working directly with (or near) live electricity then
it’s important that you’re fully trained and
competent to carry out the work safely. Your
employer will have set out a safe system of work
(SSoW) which specifies the competence, skills and
knowledge required to do this task. Before
beginning work, ensure that you’ve read the SSoW
document carefully and have taken on board all
information and/or training provided by your
employer.
Common Electrical
Safety Hazards on
Construction Sites
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Introduction :
• Your employer’s risk assessment will have identified
the potential electrical hazards on the construction
site so make sure you’re familiar with what has been
learned and what controls are in place that you
must follow. Each construction site is likely to have
different hazards that are unique to them so it’s
important that you pay attention to each individual
risk assessment. However, some hazards are
common on all construction sites, such as:
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

1. Overhead power lines :

• The Health and Safety Executive estimates that over
50% of fatal electrical accidents are caused by
contact with overhead electric power lines. Often
this is due to lack of awareness because a risk
assessment hasn’t been conducted or workers
haven’t educated themselves about the hazards. If
machinery or vehicles get too close to power lines
then electricity will be conducted through them – as
well as through anyone using or touching the
equipment at the time.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Continuation….. :
• If you need to carry out work near overhead power
lines then it’s vital to take precautions to prevent
accidents happening. This includes consulting the
local electricity company about how to proceed
safely; asking the local electricity company if power
lines can be switched off before work begins and
always assuming that power lines pose a risk, never
being complacent.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

2. Underground power cables :

• Underground power cables can be more hazardous
than overhead ones as they are hidden from view
and you may not know about them until it’s too
late. It’s also impossible to tell by sight whether
these cables are live when they are uncovered. Care
needs to be taken when carrying out digging tasks
on all construction sites, particularly if working on
streets, pavements or near buildings..
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Continuation….. :
• If you need to carry out work near underground
power cables then you’ll need to take appropriate
precautions. This includes consulting the local
electricity company, highways authority and council
for up-to-date maps of buried services; using
suitable cable-avoidance tools; following safe
digging practices and always assuming that cables
will be present before beginning any sort of digging
work.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

3. Electrical equipment and/or machinery :

• It’s guaranteed that your role on a construction site
will involve some sort of electrical equipment,
whether it’s a hand-held portable tool, something
bigger that’s plugged into the mains or a large
piece of machinery. If you are required to use
electrical equipment of any type then it’s important
that you’re trained and competent to operate it
(this is a requirement under the Provision and Use
of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, or PUWER).
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Continuation….. :
• To use electrical equipment safely: carry out a quick
visual inspection before use; use residual current
devices where appropriate; ensure that isolation
devices work correctly; reduce the supply voltage
where possible; always turn the equipment off when
not in use and never use electrical equipment that
is showing signs of damage.
Personal
Protective
Equipment (PPE)
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Introduction :
• Specialist protective clothing and equipment should
only be used as a last resort when working with
electricity. You should not rely on PPE to keep you
safe. Instead, PPE can be used as a further
precaution alongside other control measures (such
as the safe use of equipment and good working
practices).
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Continuation….. :
• Employers are responsible for providing workers
with PPE – you should never have to purchase it
yourself. If you’re provided with protective clothing
then make sure it fits correctly, is worn properly and
at all times and is kept in good condition. Consult
your employer or the SSoW to learn more about
when and where PPE is required on the construction
site.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Examples of PPE that can be used around

electricity include:

• Safety glasses or a face shield.

• Insulating gloves.
• Insulating or anti-static boots.
• A helmet with or without a face shield.
• A flash protection kit.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Examples of PPE that can be used around

electricity include:

• Safety glasses or a face shield.

 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Examples of PPE that can be used around

electricity include:

• Insulating gloves.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Examples of PPE that can be used around

electricity include:

• Insulating or anti-static boots.

 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Examples of PPE that can be used around

electricity include:

• A helmet with or without a face shield.

 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Examples of PPE that can be used around

electricity include:

• A flash protection kit.

Electrical Safety
Signs on
Construction Sites
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

Introduction :
• Electrical safety signs are used to alert you of any
potentially high voltages, overhead power lines or
other electrical hazards that you need to be aware
of whilst on-site. If you see any warning signs on a
construction site it’s imperative that you pay
attention to them: these signs are there to protect
your safety and should never be ignored.
 Engr. Allan Soldevilla Biton REE 7164

The following electrical safety signs are common

ones that you may see around the site :