| The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has laid down certain standards for regulating electrical hazards in various industries. OSHA also considers electrical hazards as one of the focus four hazards in the construction industry. As per the OSHA web site, all these standards are based on the National Fire Protection Association. The electrical safety programs need not be identical to the federal regulations, but should be equally effective.
Electricity basically travels through a closed circuit via a conductor. Many a times, it happens that a person’s body becomes a part of the closed circuit and acts as a conductor. This results in a electric shock. Shocks are one of the main accidents that occur with electricity. An electric shock is received by the body when it makes contact with the ground and one wire of an activated circuit or another current carrying conductor. Also, if a body is in contact with both the wires of an electric circuit, it will receive a shock. When the body is receiving an electric shock, the electricity flows through the body to the earth, thus completing the circuit.
Different situations govern the severity of the body's reaction to electrical shocks. The path of the electric current through your body and the frequency of the current are the two major factors that determine this reaction. The other factors can be the intensity of the current and perhaps the amount of time your body is a part of the electric circuit. When the contact is less than one milliampere, the reaction is minimal. One milliampere will be detected as a very faint tingle. A shock of five milliamperes will most likely result in the reaction of a slight shock, which isn't very painful. In women, a shock of six to twenty five milliamperes usually results in loss of muscular control and pain. When a shock of nine to thirty milliamperes is received, men experience a freezing current. When 50 to 150 milliamperes is involved, serious muscle contraction and death can also occur. As said above, electrical accidents are regarded as one of the focus four hazards.
Burns are another effect of electrical hazards. These occur depending on the intensity and type of exposure to electricity. Electric burns happen when an electric current flows through the bones or the body tissues. The heat that is generated causes damage. Burns caused due to electricity require immediate treatment. Electric circuits and conductors that are overheated cause burs due to thermal contact.
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