The electrical industry established May as National Electrical Safety Month many years ago, and, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), May is the time to begin year-round electrical safety awareness efforts. This year, the Department of Energy (DOE), through the efforts of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG), is planning to participate by focusing on “Look Alike Equipment” throughout the month.
In 2010, a sharp increase in electrical safety events beginning in 2009 caught the interest of the EFCOG Electrical Safety Subgroup (EFCOG ESSG), so the subgroup chartered a Hazardous Energy Control (HEC) subcommittee to analyze the events. The subcommittee’s efforts ultimately resulted in the May 2011 Electrical Safety Month campaign for the DOE Complex. The subcommittee continues this year with another effort focused on look alike equipment. Use the links below for this year’s materials. We encourage you to disseminate this information among your fellow workers.
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| Summary of DOE Complex Electrical Events Involving Look Alike – 2016 | The Dangers of Look Alike Equipment – 2016 | |
| Posters (Click to download) | ||
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Additional Information Available
This year’s ESFI campaign features Electrical Safety Illustrated magazine, which discusses timely electrical safety issues and equips consumers with the knowledge to protect their homes, families, and communities from electrical hazards.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates 47,700 home structure fires reported to U.S. fire departments each year involve some type of electrical failure or malfunction as a factor contributing to ignition. These fires result in 418 civilian deaths, 1,570 civilian injuries, and $1.4 billion in direct property damage. Awareness and education are critical to reduce the incidence of electrical fires, and ESFI sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May to educate the public in order to reduce the number of electrically related fires, fatalities, injuries and property loss.
Many electrocutions and home fires can be prevented by understanding basic electrical safety principles and by taking simple precautions. This year’s campaign features a collection of easily sharable safety resources that provide a fundamental understanding of electrical safety to encourage everyone to use electricity and electrical equipment safely.
Electrical Safety Illustrated features content which includes resources that provide an illustrated guide that break downs the importance of arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs), extension cord safety, Test Before Touch, and Lockout/Tagout.
Help champion the cause of minimizing electrically-related deaths and injuries by sharing this information with co-workers, friends and family, and by checking both your home and workplace for electrical hazards!