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SAFETY MOMENT, JANUARY 23

Keep water and metal away from live parts

See today's safety momentHow to give a safety moment

Safety moment, January 23

Keep water and metal away from live parts

A live wire looks exactly like a dead one, and your body can become part of the circuit. Electrical contact can cause shock, burns and electrocution, and even a small shock can make you fall from a ladder. How badly you are hurt depends on how much current flows, the path it takes through your body and how long the contact lasts.

SAFETY MOMENT

January 23

The hazard

A live wire looks exactly like a dead one, and your body can become part of the circuit. Electrical contact can cause shock, burns and electrocution, and even a small shock can make you fall from a ladder. How badly you are hurt depends on how much current flows, the path it takes through your body and how long the contact lasts.

The action

Do not plug in or unplug energized equipment with wet hands. Keep cords and connections out of puddles, and use cords and tools approved for wet locations when the work is wet. Take off rings, watches and metal chains when you could contact exposed live parts. (29 CFR 1910.334(a)(5)(i))

ASK THE CREW

What do you look for on a cord or tool before you plug it in?

From the talk: Electrical safety. Read it in full, free, with the questions and the sign-in sheet.

HOW TO USE IT

How to give a safety moment

  1. Gather the crew where they work, before the shift or the meeting starts. Read the hazard out loud.
  2. Ask the question and let two or three people answer. What they say about their own work counts for more than what you read.
  3. Name the action and point to one place on today's job where it applies, so everyone knows what to do differently.
  4. Write the date and the names on a sign-in sheet.

A safety moment is short and does not replace the full talk. When you want to go through a topic with the crew, pick a free toolbox talk.

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