Common Electrical Emergencies That Could Indicate A Serious Workplace Hazard
Electrical emergencies can occur at any time and cause damage to your commercial electrical system. Not only can it be dangerous to your employees and customers, but it could also lead to severe financial impacts on your business.
It's important to recognize the signs of an electrical emergency and tackle them immediately. This post outlines some common electrical emergencies that demand immediate attention to avoid any impactful issues.
Electric Shock
Electric shock occurs when a person comes in contact with exposed live wires, electrical outlets, or any other electrical equipment. Faulty wiring, water damage, or any other form of electrical hazard can also lead to electric shock. The severity of the shock can range from a mild tingling sensation to severe burns, or it could even be fatal.
In most cases, the shock might be from an outlet or a light switch that wasn't properly installed, or it could be due to an appliance malfunction. If you notice any sparking coming from your outlets, you should immediately unplug them and call an emergency electrician to inspect the wiring.
In the event of a severe electric shock to anyone in your workplace, you should first turn off the power source immediately. Call for medical help immediately as an emergency electrician figures out the root cause of the issue.
Power Outage
Power outages could result from adverse weather conditions, overloaded circuits, or faulty transformers. Usually, an outage occurs suddenly without any warning, especially after a power surge. Power surges occur when electrical current increases rapidly beyond normal levels and can be caused by lightning strikes, faulty wiring, fallen power poles, or any other external factors.
Faulty transformers can also cause an outage due to issues like corrosion or mechanical failure. For example, if a transformer overheats and cannot regulate the current, it can cause an outage if the excess current is not diverted elsewhere.
Whenever you experience an outage, it's important to take the necessary precautions to prevent any further damage and electrocution risk. Power outages can cause severe damage to the delicate components of your electrical system as well.
If the power outage is due to a weather-related issue, then you should wait until the storm has passed before attempting to restore any power. Make sure to disconnect any appliances or sensitive equipment that may have been damaged due to the surge. Assess your electrical equipment for any damage before attempting to use them once power is restored.
To help prevent any financial losses, you should have an emergency electrician inspect and repair any damaged system components instead. This way, you can ensure that the electrical system continues to operate efficiently long after the power outage issue has been fixed.