Electrical Safety Program

An Electrical Safety Program is crucial because it helps protect individuals from potential electrical hazards like shock, burns, and arc flashes, by providing guidelines and training on proper handling of electrical equipment, ultimately minimizing the risk of workplace accidents and injuries related to electricity.  

Changes to CSA Z462 occur every three years, but you don’t have to wait for new changes to revisit your electrical safety program. Anytime changes occur with what types of electrical equipment or tools your employees may use or come in contact with, you should look at updating your electrical safety program to align with those changes. 

Developing an ESP is not complicated if you review and interpret information reasonably, and create a plan to develop, implement and maintain your ESP. Ultimately an ESP needs to be a full or comprehensive “toolbox” for management, safety, engineering, supervision, qualified persons and unqualified persons when they need to know how arc flash and electric shock hazards will be managed at the employer’s worksite, related to assigned jobs and the related work task(s) to execute the requirements of the job.

 An ESP provides the best due diligence to comply with OSHA requirements in the U.S. and OH&S regulations in Canada. It ensures the employer has in place required policies, practices, processes and procedures that can be enforced. It also provides specific direction to your workers, and it provides documented proof in the field that your company is applying NFPA 70E or CSA Z462, and that your workers are applying the arc flash and electric shock training they receive. It will also help you control the related costs of preventive and protective risk control methods implemented.