Within the prevention of occupational risks, electrical risk is one of the most complex. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) indicates that working with electricity has many risks and hazards. The handling of power lines, cables and circuits can cause accidents associated with electric shocks, electrocution, fires and explosions. Engineers, electricians and other professionals who work with electricity directly, are exposed to various electrical risks that can cause burns, electric shocks and electrocution (death).

Many workers are not aware of the potential electrical hazards present in their work environment and the importance of training to reduce or eliminate the risk of injury associated with electrical work.

In the exposure of electrical hazards, OSHA offers procedures or recommendations that effectively help reduce accidents related to electricity:

• Use personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Use the proper ground connection.
• Use the correct size for the fuse circuits.
• Be careful with live electrical parts.
• Use the appropriate flexible extensions.
• Inspect tools, wiring and electrical systems before starting work. Use them only if they are in good condition.
• Use circuit breakers with ground loss (GFCI).
• Request the energy company to deactivate overhead and underground power lines.
• Interrupting energy, placing labels and padlocks.
• Close the electrical panels.

Among the personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended to minimize and prevent electrical accidents are the safety helmets of certified plastic for electrical use, rubber gloves or with insulation for the electrical risk capacity, insulation clothing and electric safety footwear.

The National Institute for Safety and Hygiene at Work (INSHT) indicates that the types of electrical safety footwear (extract UNE EN ISO 20345/6/7) depend on their properties against associated risks:

• Conductive footwear: Protects against accumulations of load, in a time and with an energy, sufficient to produce an inflammation or explosion in explosive atmospheres.
• Antistatic footwear: Protects against the risks mentioned for the conductive footwear and also provides a small protection against the passage of electric current (electric shock for voltages below 250 Vac).
• Electrically insulating footwear: protects against the passage of an electric current through the human body (for voltages below 1000 Vac).

All Sicura safety footwear are electrically insulating. They are designed and certified against electrical risk supporting up to 20 kV / DC to 200 milliAmp of leakage current, except some models that have a greater capacity when isolating up to 30 kV / DC to 50 microAmp of leakage current.

We invite you to know our Sicura footwear models in the Products section.

Source: Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)

National Institute for Safety and Hygiene at Work (INSHT)