NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, requires that we identify hazards, assess the associated risks and implement risk control. Use of the terms “risk” and “risk assessment” is not limited to the application of electrical safe work practices. In many workplaces, a job safety analysis or job hazard analysis is required before work begins each day, if the task changes or there are changes in scope.
What is risk?
Risk is the likelihood of occurrence of injury or damage to health in combination with the severity of injury or damage to health that results from a hazard. Risk will vary based on the hazard and the task.
Examples of risk:
- Using a box cutter to open cardboard boxes is a task that comes with the risk of an individual potentially cutting themselves with the box cutter. The severity of this potential injury could result in stitches.
- Removing the dead front from an 800A, 480/277V panelboard that is service supplied to add circuit breakers comes with the risk of a potential shock or arc flash. The severity of this potential incident could result in significant injury or death.
What is risk assessment?
Risk assessment is an overall process that identifies hazards, estimates the likelihood of injury or damage to health as well as the potential severity of injury or damage to health and determines if protective measures are required.
When was the last time you did a risk assessment? You do them all the time, you just don’t realize it.
Examples of risk assessment
- Distracted driving claimed over 3,160 lives in 2017 alone. Yet many drivers reach for their phone when they receive a text or call. Let’s do a risk assessment on driving 60 mph while also focusing on your phone.
- First, identify hazards. In this case, distracted driving is a very serious hazard.
- Next, determine the likelihood of occurrence. Will we get into an accident, hit another vehicle or a pedestrian? Most drivers perform this part of a risk assessment subconsciously and instantly. In their mind, they determine there is no likelihood of occurrence because they drive distracted all the time.
- This is similar to what happens to electricians who have grown accustomed to working energized without performing shock and arc flash risk assessments or even using PPE—they believe their experience is their shield and there is no likelihood that a shock or arc flash injury will occur. Experience is a poor shield against current flowing through the body and temperatures exceeding 35,000°F at the arc source.
Questions
- Before starting work every day, do you identify potential hazards?
- Where hazards are identified, do you consider the risk involved with your task? Do you determine whether there is a likelihood of injury? Do you determine the potential severity of that injury?
- What are the two types of risk assessments that must be performed when justified energized work is permitted?
stock.adobe.com / Brian Jackson
