Set Up an Electrical Safety Program

Protecting your team from electrical hazards is your focus every day, and that's why the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), through its NFPE 70 standard, recommends the establishment of an Electrical Safety Program to safeguard yourself and your coworkers. Here are some questions and answers to help you set up an effective program to protect your people. 

An Electrical Safety Program is a written document that guides and directs employee activity when they're working around electricity. According to NFPA guidelines, the plan must be appropriate for the workplace's voltage, energy level, and circuit conditions.

Your program should protect your employees against electrical shock and burns, arc flash burns, arc-blast impacts, falls, and other potential electrical safety hazards.

The NFPA recommends that the following components should be part of any effective electrical safety program: 

 • Your organization's electrical safety program principles

 • Electrical safety program controls

 • Electrical safety program procedures

 • Procedures for conducting a hazard/risk evaluation 

 • Procedures for conducting job briefings about existing risks 

You can find step-by-step guidance on how to implement these elements by following reputable safety resources such as NFPA or OSHA. 

Ensure that your team knows and follows the program. The best way to make that happen is to: 

 • Appoint a point person to manage the program

 • Give each employee a copy of the program

 • Train (and retrain!) your team on the program 

 • Be a role model — ensure you follow all the safety guidelines, no shortcuts, no excuses!

There is no better time than right now to review your safety procedures and develop an electrical safety program if you still need to.