The electrical system within a warehouse is designed to handle a large assortment of power demands. These include industrial lighting systems, operating machinery, internet networks, security systems, and even electrically-charged vehicles and equipment.
By having the appropriate components and safety devices in place, you are taking a proactive step in preventing workplace injuries, meeting electrical regulations, and ensuring that the productivity levels of your business are optimized. In this brief article, we will share some measures that you may take to properly protect your warehouse from electrical hazards.
The Most Common Electrical Hazards
The following outlines the most common electrical hazards present within a warehouse:
- Overloaded Circuits
- Inadequate Grounding
- Wires That are Torn or Frayed
- Lack of Safety Components
- Failure to Install Special Lockout Devices
- Outlets Near Conductors
- Failure to Regularly Maintain Equipment
- Human Error
- Carelessness
- Failure to Replace Malfunctioning Components
Steps to Prevent Electrical Hazards Within the Warehouse
The following outlines certain steps that must be taken in order to prevent electrical hazards from occurring within a warehouse:
- You should make certain that all of the employees within your warehouse are properly trained to ensure that no electrical-based accident occurs. An investment into a comprehensive program that covers safety is a wise investment for warehouse owners and/or operators.
- Employees should be provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment. This includes – but is not limited to – clothing that is flame-resistant, safety goggles or glasses, gloves, and items that are similar in nature. Additionally, each employee should be trained in the proper utilization of personal protective equipment and policies must be in place that ensures that the employees are required to use their PPE.
- Employees should be provided with the proper equipment for any type of electrical work and that equipment must be in good working order at all times. One example of such equipment is an electrical meter.
- Safety devices should be installed throughout the warehouse. These include Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters or GFCIs. Once installed, these devices should be tested on a regular basis. When installing AFCIs and the circuit breakers for your facility, make sure that they are selected based on the environment of your warehouse and the load that is required within that environment.
- A qualified commercial electrician should be scheduled to thoroughly test and carefully inspect all of the electrical components in your warehouse on a regular basis. Should repairs need to be done, they should be done immediately. If replacements are necessary, they should be taken care of as quickly as possible.
- All lockout devices, outlets, and wires should be evaluated on a regular basis. Worn or damaged components should be repaired or replaced quickly.
- Safety audits should be performed at regular intervals. Most would agree that once a year is sufficient; however, to truly stay on top of that which is going on in your warehouse, we recommend these audits be done at least once every six months.
- You should put in a plan for your warehouse that prepares the facility for severe weather issues – such as lightning strikes. This may mean additional grounding or spreading out the electrical load throughout the entire facility rather than just pushing all electrical loads together.
- Fire inspections should be performed on a regular basis. Not only do electrical components need to be checked, but also you should ensure that if a fire were to occur, your employees could vacate the premises quickly and in a safe manner. Fire inspections will help you achieve success in both of these endeavors.
- Make certain that all of the electrical system’s components are installed and running in such a way that meets the design and overall maintenance standards as put together by OSHA. Remember, any sub-standard installations and faulty electrical components would lead to electrocution and fire.
Contact Us Today
If you have a warehouse, you need a commercial and/or industrial electrician to regularly inspect and maintain your electrical system. We here at Hardcore Electric specialize in both. We offer a wide range of services that will keep your business running safely and optimally at all times. Examples include machine wiring, machine repairs, lighting design retrofits, electrical testing and troubleshooting, security systems, networking wiring, data wiring, and more! We are a UL Listed Panel shop, we specialize in industrial control cabinets, and we offer 24/7 services to our clients. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, contact us now by calling: 720-841-3897
