As someone living and breathing the field of electrical work, you’ll understand that managing the risks that may present themselves is significantly important, not only for the safety of you and your team/colleagues but for clients, too. In fact, aside from company and client safety, the successful completion of work conducted by electricians is affected by risk management. No matter the project at hand, be it a small installation or a large overhaul, each and every job you tackle comes with its own set of hazards. Identifying, understanding, assessing and mitigating these effectively is and should be a priority.
So, you understand that risk management is paramount in business, but do you understand why and how to implement it? This is a comprehensive guide tailored towards electricians, exploring the key strategies and best practices to minimise risk and maximise safety in the workplace for their team and future clients. Let’s ensure your upcoming projects are safe, successful and satisfactory.
Identifying Hazards
Circuit Breaker Failure: As an electrician, you should guarantee that your installations are efficient through ongoing maintenance and testing. This is no different for circuit breakers to maintain their efficiency and effectiveness. Having a faulty circuit breaker that fails to trip during an overload ultimately fails to protect. This results in electrical systems becoming vulnerable to fires.
Insufficient Insulation: Exposure to moisture, wear and tear, and other natural environmental factors can lead to a determination in electrical insulation. Continuous inspections, maintenance and replacements (when required) will ensure you prevent exposure to wires. If wires become exposed, this increases the chance of short circuits and electrical shocks.
Extension Cord Misuse: Daisy chaining extension cords or overloading an extension cord poses a risk to those using them. The misuse can result in overheating or, worse, an electrical fire. To prevent this from taking place, ensuring your team and clients are educated on the correct actions to take when using these is key. If you wish to avoid this altogether, you may recommend the installation of additional outlets.
Damaged Appliances: It is the responsibility of both electricians and their clients to conduct checks of devices and appliances for any faults, damages or wear and tear. In the case that something like this is present, it should be promptly addressed and fixed to prevent further issues or hazards. This could be frayed wiring, damaged circuits or loose connections.
Ongoing Maintenance: an electrician will be tasked with conducting ongoing inspections and upkeep. This is to mitigate potential risks, address damage and comply with safety codes in a timely manner. As an electrician, ignoring warnings, bypassing inspections and dismissing safety procedures can lead to electrical hazards. For your safety and the safety of your clients, you must put routine checks in place. To streamline this process and ensure timely inspections, both the electrician and the client can benefit from using trusted job management software that automates reminders for routine checks, thereby enhancing safety measures and maintaining compliance with regulations.
Tips For Future Safety
Electricians & Businesses:
- Investing in a quality electrical equipment supplier, protective clothing and top-of-the-range tools to conduct your work is key. This improves your work output and enhances safety in the long term.
- Safety protocols are there for a reason, so you must ensure your team and colleagues follow them adequately. Having training, ongoing practices and insurance for trade put in place will enable your business to remain compliant and safe. You should always approach business with a safety-first mindset.
- The trade industry has many developments, regulations, and best practices that are updated year on year. Having protocols in place to remain compliant and safe in your field of work is essential. This can be done through a trade management app like Powered Now.
For Clients:
- When approaching a trade business about future work, it is essential to openly communicate, discussing concerns and expectations. These electricians can then put the correct protocols in place, tailoring their work to meet your needs appropriately and safely.
- It will become your responsibility to maintain and upkeep your electricity. To do so, you must implement and book ongoing inspections, certifications and maintenance. This allows your electricians to mitigate risks and identify potential hazards.
- When work or issues first arise, you’ll need to seek help from qualified professionals. It is your responsibility to do thorough research into local providers, ensuring they have the correct licences, services and certification to conduct your work in a safe and compliant manner.
To conclude, risk management is essential, be that as a customer, employee or business manager - this is especially true when working in trade. Electrical work comes with risks and hazards. Implementing preventive measures through open communication, effective management, and training and compliance is key. Remember, no matter how big or small a job may seem, when it comes to handling electricity, safety should always come first.