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Electrical Sign Safety

Handling or working close to electricity is highly hazardous and requires workers to use extreme caution. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, electrical safety standards, such as warning signs, can protect workers against electrocution, shock, burns, fires and explosions.

  1. Identification

    • Workers must know how to identify electrical safety signs. Safety signs often contain an image of a lightning bolt symbol with words such as "hazard," "high voltage" or "danger." Some signs will just contain the amount of voltage, such as "205 volts." Employers must train workers on what various safety signs mean, and it is the responsibility of the worker to always check for electrical warnings.

    Regulation

    • OSHA requires electrical equipment to be marked with descriptions, including the equipment's current, wattage and voltage. Additionally, OSHA's rule states that if electrical equipment does not possess descriptive safety markings, then the equipment may not be used.

    Warning

    • Compliance with safety signs gives workers a better chance of avoiding electrical incidents. However, if workers disregard safety signs, they expose themselves to the potential of injuries at their own risk. Employers may enforce compliance and penalize workers who do not adhere to electrical safety signs.

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