Electrical Safety in the Laboratory

There is always a potential danger of electric shock or fire wherever there are outlets, plugs, wiring or connections, as there are in all labs. In addition to the usual electrical hazards, some labs have high voltage electrical equipment which poses an even greater potential problem. Students should be extra careful with this equipment, and should learn how to disable the power source in an emergency.

The following are some do's and don'ts for working with and around electricity.

1. Don't work with electricity if your hands, feet, or other body parts are wet or when standing on a wet floor.
2. Inspect electrical equipment (with power off and unplugged) for frayed cords and damaged connections -- if any are found, do not use the equipment -- report it to the appropriate person for repairs.
3. Never attempt to repair electrical equipment yourself - it must be done by qualified staff.
4. If you receive even a mild shock from a piece of equipment, turn it in for repair immediately.
5. Don't use or store highly flammable liquids near electrical equipment -- some materials, such as ether, can be ignited by sparks from electrical equipment.
6. Use 3-prong plugs for 3-prong receptacles -- never break off or alter a 3-prong plug to fit into an outlet.
7. Extension cords should not be used in place of permanent wiring -- their use should be temporary and they should not be run under doors, across walkways, through windows or holes in the wall, around pipes or near sinks.
8. Don't overload circuits by using power strips or multiple outlets on regular sockets.
9. Don't remove or alter safety features of high voltage equipment -- it is there to protect you.
10. Low Voltage Labs (DC 0 to 50V, AC 120V)
• Make sure the power is off when wiring or making changes to circuit.
• Make sure instrumentation is set on proper range for the desired type of measurement, BEFORE ENERGIZING CIRCUIT.
• Make sure components used are of a rating that will withstand applied current and voltage.
• Replace blown fuses with the proper ones specified by type and rating.
11. High Voltage Labs (DC 0 to 2000V, AC 1 Phase 120V, 3 Phase 208-600V)
• High Voltage is found in rooms EPH120, ENG308, ENG309, ENG310, ENG327.
• Lab benches in ENG308, ENG309 can supply 3 Phase 208 Volts at 15 Amps. As long as the Lab. power is on, the bench outlets are live.
• To turn main power on and off in labs locate the mains panel and appropriate circuit breakers in each lab before starting any work.
• When making connections to benches or panels a circuit breaker of suitable rating and type must be used between power outlet and your circuit.
• Make sure the power is off when wiring or making changes to circuit.
• Make sure instrumentation is set on proper range for the desired type of measurement, BEFORE ENERGIZING CIRCUIT.
• Make sure components used are of a rating that will withstand applied current and voltage.
• Replace blown fuses with the proper ones specified by type and rating.
12. In the event of electrical shock:
• ACT FAST. CALL SECURITY BY DIALLING: "80". They can repond faster than calling 911; they will direct 911 services.
• Do not touch the victim until the power has been shut off. See safety devices below.
• Do not remove the victim from the electric source until the power has been shut off.
• If you cannot shut off the power, use an insulator such as a dry rope, cloth or broom handle to drag the person away from the live wire.
• If there is no heartbeat and no breathing, do CPR. Get Emergency Care (CPR to be performed by qualified personal only).
• If there is a heartbeat, but no breathing, immediately start rescue breathing. Get Emergency Care.
• Check for burns and treat as third degree burns. Get Emergency Care.
• If the person is breathing, put them in the recovery position. Get Emergency Care.
• In the event of a mild shock, and the following symptoms are observed, see a doctor: Heart skipping beats, fever or coughing up sputum.
13. Safety devices in labs/building:
• RED Emergency Power Shut Off (EPO) buttons, know the location of these buttons before starting work.
• Blue Destress Pulls, know the location of the these Pulls.
• Pay phones with RED emergency button, know the location.

Last Modified: Wednesday, 07-Sep-2005 11:45:56 EDT