Introduction to Health and Safety at Work

Identify TWO
advantages and 
TWO
possible 
disadvantages of a fi xed machine guard.

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12.1 
Introduction
Electricity is a widely used, effi cient and convenient, but 
potentially hazardous method of transmitting and using 
energy. It is in use in every factory, workshop, laboratory 
and offi ce in the country. Any use of electricity has the 
potential to be very hazardous with possible fatal results. 
Legislation has been in place for many years to control 
and regulate the use of electrical energy and the activ-
ities associated with its use. Such legislation provides 
a framework for the standards required in the design, 
installation, maintenance and use of electrical equip-
ment and systems and the supervision of these activities 
to minimize the risk of injury. Electrical work from the 
largest to the smallest installation must be carried out by 
people known to be competent to undertake such work. 
New installations always require expert advice at all 
appropriate levels to cover both design aspects of the 
system and its associated equipment. Electrical systems 
and equipment must be properly selected, installed, 
used and maintained.
Approximately 8% of all fatalities at work are 
caused by electric shock. Over the last few years, there 
have been between 12 and 16 employee deaths due 
to electricity, between 210 and 258 major accidents 
and about 500 over three-day accidents each year. The 
majority of the fatalities occur in the agriculture, extract-
ive and utility supply and service industries, while the 
majority of the major accidents happen in the manufac-
turing, construction and service industries.
Only voltages up to and including 
mains voltage
(220/240 V) will be considered in detail in this chapter 
and the three principal electrical hazards – electric 
shock, electric burns and electrical fi res and explosions.