Protective Measures for an Electrical Shock

Protective Measures for an Arc Flash

• When an electrical system is not grounded properly, a hazard exists. This is because the parts of an electrical wiring system that a person normally touches may be energized, or live, relative to ground. Parts like switch plates, wiring boxes, conduit, cabinets, and lights need to be at 0 volts relative to ground. If the system is grounded improperly, these parts may be energized. The metal housings of equipment plugged into an outlet need to be grounded through the plug. Grounding is connecting an electrical system to the earth with a wire. Excess or stray current travels through this wire to a grounding device (commonly called a “ground”) deep in the earth. Grounding prevents unwanted voltage on electrical components.
• Grounding creates a path for currents produced by unintended voltages on exposed parts. These currents follow the grounding path, rather than passing through the body of someone who touches the energized equipment. Grounding does not guarantee you will not receive a shock, be injured, or killed from defective equipment. However, it greatly reduces the possibility.
• The use of GFCIs has lowered the number of electrocutions dramatically.  A GFCI is a fast-acting switch that detects any difference in current between two circuit conductors. If either conductor comes in contact—either directly or through part of your body—with a ground (a situation known as a ground fault), the GFCI opens the circuit in a fraction of a second. If a current as small as 4 to 6 mA does not pass through both wires properly, but instead leaks to the ground, the GFCI is tripped. The current is shut off.
• Use proper warning labels!
• Equipment operating at 50 volts or more and not put into a de-energized state must be evaluated for arc flash and shock protection.
• Evaluation determines: Actual boundaries &  PE
• After evaluation –  Arc Flash Hazard warning label must be affixed to equipment and readily accessible