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 without a doubt the most important thing about any electrical work. And just like anything in life, fear derives from the unknown. Picture what you could accomplish if you can perform electrical wiring confidently and safely. Imagine saving thousands of dollars and being able to help friends and family with their projects. Only if you can do it yourself.
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 if it is an insulator. When you need to turn off the breaker, be sure to tape it off. OSHA requires contractors to lock it off and tag it out with a process called lock out/tag out. It involves devices and red tag that will lock the breaker off to prevent it from being turned on.
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.
If you are working with fuse panels instead of breaker panels; when you remove a fuse, use only one hand to remove it. Put your other hand either in your pocket or behind your back; it's a good practice to develop anyway. What that does is keeps you from grabbing a circuit with two hands and providing a path for the electricity to flow through your heart. Now, electricity can still flow through one hand and one foot and pass through your heart, but if you've taken the other precautions I mentioned above, you will minimize your exposure to that hazard.
Another important aspect of safety that frequently goes unmentioned is tool use. It is well worth spending a little extra money to purchase quality hand tools like your lineman pliers, screwdrivers, wire strippers, and other hand tools that 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. You get my point; good tools not only improve the quality of your workmanship, but improve your confidence as well. So don't skimp on tools. You can stock your tool pouch with good quality tools for $100 or less.
In summary; When we talk about safety we're talking about good, old-fashioned common sense, and taking personal responsibility for your own safety.
Electrical safety is without a doubt the most important thing about any electrical work. And just like anything in life, fear derives from the unknown. Picture what you could accomplish if you can perform electrical wiring confidently and safely. Imagine saving thousands of dollars and being able to help friends and family with their projects. Only if you can do it yourself.
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 if it is an insulator. When you need to turn off the breaker, be sure to tape it off. OSHA requires contractors to lock it off and tag it out with a process called lock out/tag out. It involves devices and red tag that will lock the breaker off to prevent it from being turned on.
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.
If you are working with fuse panels instead of breaker panels; when you remove a fuse, use only one hand to remove it. Put your other hand either in your pocket or behind your back; it's a good practice to develop anyway. What that does is keeps you from grabbing a circuit with two hands and providing a path for the electricity to flow through your heart. Now, electricity can still flow through one hand and one foot and pass through your heart, but if you've taken the other precautions I mentioned above, you will minimize your exposure to that hazard.
Another important aspect of safety that frequently goes unmentioned is tool use. It is well worth spending a little extra money to purchase quality hand tools like your lineman pliers, screwdrivers, wire strippers, and other hand tools that 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. You get my point; good tools not only improve the quality of your workmanship, but improve your confidence as well. So don't skimp on tools. You can stock your tool pouch with good quality tools for $100 or less.
In summary; When we talk about safety we're talking about good, old-fashioned common sense, and taking personal responsibility for your own safety.
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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.
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