May is Electrical Safety Month: Stay Safe on the Job

By: Mike Enright

“Disproportionally fatal and costly.” These words, used by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) to explain the risk of injury or death from electricity ring true as those in the industry are in Electrical Safety Month.

Electrical injuries are preventable—nearly all injuries are. Whether it’s by deenergizing equipment, employing administrative controls, raising awareness, or using personal protective equipment (PPE) to mitigate damage, we would today like to share important information about trends and share advice from ESFI on how to protect workers.

ESFI and Electrical Safety Month 2019

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home, school, and workplace.  To commemorate National Electrical Safety Month, ESFI spearheads an annual campaign to educate key audiences about the steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of electrically-related fires, fatalities, injuries, and property loss.

According to the ESFI, 135 workers died of electrical injuries in the workplace in 2017. And although that was an 11.6 percent decrease in deaths from the previous year, there was a 35 percent increase in overall electrical injuries. Each year, the ESFI and National Safety Council use Electrical Safety Month to reiterate the importance of employing best practices. 

ESFI Releases Updated Statistics and Resources

Electrical safety should be a top priority. More than 21,000 workers in the U.S. have been injured and 1,500 have died in workplace electrical accidents since 2008, with 64 percent of these fatalities occurring in jobs that receive little to no training, according to ESFI president Brett Brenner.

Contact with electricity is a leading cause of workplace injuries and fatalities and there are many ways to prevent such injuries from occurring. Qualified electrical workers ensure that work is completed properly and safely. Trained electrical workers know and understand the requirements of the National Electrical Code and are experienced at compliance with NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.

Infographic: Do You Know When to Say ‘When’?

In addition to infographics and videos on avoiding accidental contact with power lines on the job and limits of approach, ESFI shared an important guide on understanding and avoiding on the job hazards. Titled “Know when to say when—know when to stop work,” the infographic explores nine questions you should ask before completing work to determine whether you need to take additional steps to protect yourself or unqualified workers.

Enespro PPE: Your Partner in Arc Flash PPE

There is a lot more information available from ESFI on National Electrical Safety Month, and as we work through this month, we look forward to sharing some of this information on our social profiles. At Enespro, we set out to change the way people look at PPE, engineering products that workers don’t hate wearing (in fact, one worker asked if he could wear it home), providing the last line of defense in the event that a worker does have to complete energized work. Offering USA-made arc flash kits in 8, 12, 20, 40, 55, and 65 CAL Enespro products have been described by end users as “game changing” PPE for comfort, breathability and mobility.

We are excited to announce that we are putting the finishing touches on our new guide on developing a culture of electrical safety.