5 Electrical Safety Tips Every Maintenance Team Must Know

You might think only electricians have to worry about electrical safety, but whether you’re a property manager overseeing multiple tenants or you’re a maintenance manager trying to fix equipment at a small manufacturing plant, there are tons of situations where electrical safety matters. 

In short, electrical safety is the practices and products chosen to try to minimize risk of electrical hazards, like fires from faulty wiring or power outages from overloaded circuits. Prioritizing electrical safety isn’t just about reducing the odds of a rare but catastrophic event. It can also save you time and money in the long run, such as by reducing electricity bills and extending the life of equipment. 

Leaving a copy machine plugged in overnight, for example, can continue to draw power and rack up electricity costs, while also increasing the risk of the machine overheating and starting a fire. Even if nothing bad happens, reducing the amount of standby time could make the device last longer. In other words, electrical safety often makes business sense, not just workplace safety sense. With that in mind, consider the following five electrical safety tips that all maintenance teams should know.

Top 5 Electrical Safety Tips

Essentially all businesses should consider the following five electrical safety tips to reduce risk in work environments and improve efficiency:

1. Unplug Unused Equipment 

Leaving equipment plugged in often means that these devices still continue to draw some electricity. These so-called energy vampires can waste money and increase the risk of electrical safety hazards like fires or blown fuses. If that happens, you could face extra costs and challenges like repairing electrical wiring or replacing equipment altogether.

So, a good tip is to unplug unused equipment, especially during slow or non-work hours. This equipment can range from treadmills at a gym to to entire electrical systems that aren’t being used at the moment.

2. Regularly Inspect Cords 

Regularly inspecting electrical cords is a great way to be proactive about electrical safety. In doing so, you can spot potential hazards, like frayed cords that could cause a short or overheated cords that could start a fire.

The inspection schedule depends on factors like electrical equipment and risk tolerance, but one idea is to give a basic inspection anytime you’re unplugging unused equipment. In addition, setting up a routine maintenance schedule — such as weekly or monthly — could help you spot issues, especially for devices that don’t get unplugged.

3. Avoid Outlet Overloads 

Another basic but critical electrical power safety tip is to avoid overloading outlets. A qualified person can tell you more specifically what that means for your situation, but some general guidelines include:

• Not plugging multiple high-power devices into the same outlet or power strip. When it comes to appliances like heaters or refrigerators, consider going a step further and ensuring that these are connected to their own electrical circuits, rather than sharing power with other devices.
• Plugging appliances directly into wall outlets instead of using extension cords, as the U.S. Fire Administration notes. Use extension cords only for temporary purposes and for low-voltage devices.
• Being mindful of surge protector limitations. While using surge protectors can be a good electrical safety tip for certain devices like TVs or computers, some devices like appliances should still be plugged directly into outlets. Also, surge protectors expand the number of outlets available but do so by distributing available power from the outlet rather than adding more total power supply. So, you still have to be mindful of maximum watts or amps limitations.

4. Install Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters 

Having a qualified electrician install ground fault circuit interruptors (GFCIs) helps improve electrical safety by quickly shutting off power whenever a ground fault is detected. A ground fault occurs when electricity takes an unexpected path, such as when traveling through water, which can increase the risk of an electrical fire or shock. 

For example, GFCI receptacles are commonly used in water-prone areas like bathrooms and kitchens, so if there’s a spill, there’s less likelihood that anyone will get hurt if they’re using a device plugged into an outlet where there’s a ground fault.

5. Disconnect Equipment From Power Source 

Disconnecting equipment from its power source when cleaning, inspecting or repairing the equipment can reduce the risk of electrical accidents. Also, during extended downtime, like if your warehouse is closed over the weekend, you might fully disconnect equipment from power sources.

This may sound the same as unplugging, but it’s different. While unplugging unused devices is important, sometimes devices like large appliances or industrial machinery need to be fully disconnected from the power source. For example, a device might have a battery backup that needs to be removed, beyond just unplugging. Or equipment might be hardwired, and thus, power needs to be cut off at the circuit breaker.

Other Practical Electrical Safety Tips 

In addition to these five electrical safety tips, there are many other ways to reduce occupational safety risks. Some best practices vary based on your business and the equipment you’re using, but a few other general safe work practices include:

• Keep electrical equipment away from water or other liquids: Although GFCI outlets can provide some protection, you still want to keep electrical equipment away from water or other liquids in case the ground fault is not detected or if the liquid causes other issues like a deterioration in the power cord’s protective casing.  
  
• Wear protective clothing: Wearing protective clothing in high-risk areas, like when repairing an oven or furnace, can help protect yourself and possibly the broader area from dangers like your clothes catching fire and then spreading to other electrical equipment. You also might need personal protective equipment like specialized gloves when doing certain kinds of electrical work to reduce the risk of electrical shock.
  
• Beware of power lines: Knowing power line best practices is also important, even if your business has nothing to do with utilities. For example, never touch a downed power line, which can be live and highly dangerous. You might think you need to remove it to keep your sidewalk clear for customers, but you should never do so. Call 911, and warn others to stay away if possible.

5 Electrical Hazards to Avoid 

The point of these electrical safety tips is to avoid potential electrical hazards such as:

• Electric shock: Electrical shocks occur when electricity passes through the human body rather than going through its normal path through a wire. Although some shocks are relatively harmless, others are deadly. Since you never know what exactly will happen, electrical shocks are never something you should take lightly.
  
• Static electricity: Static electricity is something that can be relatively harmless at times, like if you get a light zap from a blanket in winter. Other times, however, static electricity can ignite flammable items, so it’s still something to take seriously. If you’re in an environment where static electricity is high and there are flammable items, it’s important to take precautions that minimize the risk of widespread fires, such as by disconnecting equipment from power sources and wearing protective items like antistatic clothing.
  
• Overloaded circuits: Overloaded circuits can directly lead to problems like blown fuses, which can damage equipment, cause shocks and start fires. Even when the overlaid causes the circuit to trip, meaning it shuts off as a preventive measure, that can still cause problems, like disrupting production schedules. It’s better to be on the safe side and not test the limits of circuits by running too many devices that draw too much power from the same circuit.
  
• Fires: Fires are one of the biggest types of electrical hazards, because once they start, they can be difficult to contain. Electrical fires can be extremely dangerous, as wiring inside walls and ceilings can rapidly ignite and spread smoke and flames throughout an entire building. Plus, you can’t use water to put out an electrical fire, as that can create deadly electrocution risks. Instead, you need specialized fire extinguishers.
  
• Explosions: Electrical sparks and blown fuses also lead to larger problems like explosions, such as when heat and embers interact with flammable gas in a confined space. When that happens, there can be grave risks like flying debris, toxic fumes and the spread of fires throughout a building.

How to Use a CMMS to Help With Electrical Safety 

Using computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software might not seem like it has much to do with electrical safety at first glance, but consistent, organized electrical maintenance is a key part of managing electrical risk.

With CMMS software, there’s one central location for everything from storing equipment data to assigning electrical installation tasks to managing standard operating procedures on how to fix specific pieces of equipment. That way, everyone is on the same page about what needs to be inspected and when, along with best practices for inspecting, operating and repairing electrical equipment and devices. 

See for yourself how Coast’s CMMS can help you get a handle on electrical safety practices. Sign up for a free account today.