Electrical accidents can cause serious injuries or even fatalities to Texas workers, which is one reason why a standard has been developed to help enhance workplace safety for employees dealing with electricity. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), charged with regulating safety on a federal level, requested industry itself develop a standard for electrical safety on the job. The result has become known as NFPA 70E and provides a framework for safer dealings with electricity at work.
NFPA 70E can provide guidelines for workplace safety around electricity as well as a series of rules and procedures that also make the job more efficient. Even those employers who begin with the premise of safety find that following these rules can enhance productivity. Most importantly, following these safety guidelines can prevent the most severe impacts to productivity on the job: serious workplace injuries and deaths related to electricity.
Before engaging in electrical work, it is important to understand the specific situation being dealt with at an electrical level and in terms of how it will interact with other areas of work. This set of guidelines requires workers and management to organize a job before beginning work, including gathering information and developing a plan for a completed job. It includes an advance walk-through that could highlight potential problem areas before workers are engaged with live electricity. Following safety rules can also help to ensure that the work is done right the first time and will not need to be repaired or redone.
However, many work sites are more concerned with fast work, even at the expense of workers’ safety and a reliable product. Electrical accidents can lead to severe, costly injuries. Workers who have been hurt on the job might consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer about their options to seek the benefits they need.