Incident
An employee was instructed to carry out work on an electrical control panel. He was tasked with reversing the phases in turn reversing the conveyor that had blocked. The panel was still live and electrical shorting resulted in arcing and caused severe burns to his face and arms. The employee had not received any prior training in electrical work.
Action
The employer was prosecuted under The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (No 16) and fined.
Comment
Employee’s who are responsible for work on electrical equipment or installation must be competent to do the tasks required of them. Competence can normally be demonstrated by an individual who has successfully completed a suitable training course, has experience in the area of work, and is able to appreciate how to reduce the risks posed by the work activity.
Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/maintenance/.htm
What would we advise?
To prevent accidents in the workplace it is vital that employees receive adequate training to become competent in their role. To start out an employees electrical competence training we advise taking our S9 – Practical Introduction to the Safe Operation of High & Low Voltage Switchgear. This course covers units such as Operational Procedures and Electrical Safety Documents alongside intense practical training ensuring candidates becoming familiar with the procedures they will be using on a daily basis. Following this course candidates could attend our S4 – The Safe Operation of High Voltage Power Systems. This course prepares candidates for full HV authorisation in accordance with their companies safety rules/regulations. These courses combined make up our TP1 training package.
