Electrical Safety

How much voltage does it

take to kill a person?
Its not the volts that get
you.Its the AMPS!!!!!!
Human Response
Perception (feel it)
Let-Go (cant)
Burns (physical
damage)
Fibrillation
(electrocution)

Perception Level

Level humans can

start to perceive that
the electricity is
there.
0.001 amp or 1
milliamp.
Tingling sensation

1
 Let-Go Level

Level where you start

to lose control of your
muscles.
0.015 amp or 15
milliamps.
Electrons over-ride
signals from your
brain through your
nervous system.

Electrical Burns

Level where the heat starts

to burn human skin and
flesh.
0.05 amp or 50 milliamps.
Characterized by entry & exit
wounds with burning on the
inside of the body.

2
 Electrocution/Fibrillation

Level where your

heart goes into
fibrillation.
0.1 amp or 100
milliamps.
If CPR is not
performed or if the
heart was damaged
badly, death may
result.

How Safe is 120 Volts?

What would happen if you

walked up and put a finger
from each hand into each
side of a 120 volt outlet?
(How much current would
flow?)
Pathway is hand to hand
through your chest.
Could also be hand to earth
through your feet.

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 Human Resistance

Human Resistance Varies

Best Case = 10,000 ohms
Dry
No knicks, scrapes or cuts
Thick skin
Worst Case = 1,000 ohms
Wet
Knicks, cuts and scrapes
Thin skin

Ohms Law

Best Case Condition

I = 120 volts/10,000 ohms
I = 0.012 amps
Slightly below the Let-Go
level.
Worst Case Condition
I = 120 volts/1,000 ohms
I = 0.12 amps
Above the electrocution
level.

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 What Protects Us?

Insulation
Insulation can fail.
Common Sense????
(I Dont Think So)
Grounding
Backup for when
insulation fails.
Personal Protective
Practices
Lockout/Tagout

Grounded vs Grounding
Electrical Systems are
grounded by
intentionally connecting a
circuit wire to earth.
Commonly called the
grounded neutral wire or
neutral.
Electrical Equipment is
grounded by
intentionally connecting a
safety wire to earth.
Commonly called the
equipment ground or case
ground.

5
 Grounded Outlets & Devices

Hot Wire (black)

to brass screws
Neutral Wire
(white) to silver
screws
Grounding wire
(bare copper or
green) to green
grounding screw

L1
N

20 Amp Breaker

15 Amp Time Delay Fuse

3/4 Hp Motor

Service Ground Rod

10 Ohm Ground Rod

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 What about 2 Prong Equipment?
Appliances and tools
with 2 prong plugs are
Double Insulated
They have two levels of
insulating materials
between the electrical
components and anything
the user can touch.
Plastic Case
Commercial equipment
with a metal enclosure
will typically have a 3
prong plug.

Replacement of 2 Prong Outlets

Cant replace a 2 prong

with a 3 prong since the
grounding wire isnt
there.
Options
Replace with another 2
prong
Replace with a GFCI
(doesnt rely on grounding)

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 Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters
(GFCIs)

Used in wet or damp

locations
Trip & Reset buttons.
Trip at leakage levels
exceeding 0.005 amp (5
milliamps).
Do not rely on grounding

GFCI Types
Available as an
outlet or circuit
breaker
Required today:
bathrooms, kitchens,
bars, patios/decks,
swimming pools,
garage, basement,
rooftop HVAC

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 Protect Downstream Outlets

GFCI receptacles
when installed
upstream, will
protect the
equipment plugged
into outlets
downstream from
the location.

Lockout/Tagout

Personal Protection Practice

required by OSHA
Remove energy source from
equipment before performing
repair or maintenance.
Lock or tag the energy source
off so conductors are de-
energized and equipment cant
come back on un-expectedly.

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 Terminal/Wire Nut
Hot Wires
Neutral Wires
Grounding Wires

Tools
Screwdrivers
3 Straight (No Phillips)
Sidecutting Pliers
Needlenose Pliers
Linemans Pliers
Wire Stripping Pliers
Romex Cable Ripper

10
 Helpful Hints
Use the Cable Ripper to get the outer plastic
covering off the romex..expose about 6-8 inches
of the individual insulated conductors.
Use the Wire Strippers to take NO MORE THAN
3/4 inch of the wires insulation off the end.
Use the needlenose pliers to make a loop (1/2
circle) out of the maximum inch bare wire.
Wrap this loop CLOCKWISE around any terminal
screw it attaches to.

Roughing In

Install the appropriate

lengths of romex from
box to box and leave
about 8 inches sticking
out the front to work
with.

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 Receptacles

Polarity
Black Wire to Brass
White Wire to Silver
Bare Wire to Green
2 Sets of Brass &
Silver for incoming
and outgoing

Switches
Simple Switch
On or Off
2 Brass terminals and a
green grounding
terminal
Three Way Switch
Can be on or off
depending on position
of other 3-way
2 brass terminals and a
darker terminal plus a
green grounding
terminal

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 Connecting Switches
Switch the Hot wire
Neutrals get connected
under a wire nut.
Grounding wires
connect to each other
and the green
grounding screw on
the switch.

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