Electric shock incidents surge

People are being reminded to take care with electricity following a surge in the number of electric shock incidents reported in South Australian workplaces.

The causes of the electric shocks were commonly due to frayed cords, damaged switches and electrical appliances being used in and near water.

“If not for the presence of residual current devices or safety switches at each work site, we would be seeing some very serious injuries,” said SafeWork SA Acting Executive Director Marie Boland.

SafeWork SA recommends the following six tips to reduce common dangers associated with electrical items:

1. Check the electricity supply at the socket outlet is switched off before connecting or disconnecting an electrical appliance, tool, power cord or extension cord.
2. Check electrical plugs are fully inserted before turning on the power — for a three-phase connector, make sure it is fully screwed in.
3. Do not run any part of an electrical cord or extension cable through water.
4. Do not operate electrical appliances/tools in wet environments.
5. Check your hands are dry when handling electrical equipment, appliances and tools.
6. Always inspect electrical appliances/tools for physical damage, cracks or an exposed live conductor before using them.

SafeWork SA has received more than 300 incident notifications of electric shocks in workplaces in the financial year 2014-2015 compared with 284 in the year.

The Office of the Technical Regulator advises using a licensed electrician for any electrical work since unlicensed work is illegal and extremely dangerous.

People are also advised to stop using an appliance if they experience nuisance tripping of circuit breakers and contact a licensed electrician.

Dimming of lights when appliances are turned on and shocks/tingles from electrical appliances or water pipes can also be an indicator of a serious electrical fault that needs to be reported to the power company.