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HVACR317 – Refrigeration. Safety and Hazard Prevention. Safety and Hazard Prevention. Current is the killing factor in electrical shock. The human body has resistance; if voltage is applied, current will flow through the human body.
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HVACR317 – Refrigeration Safety and Hazard Prevention
Safety and Hazard Prevention • Current is the killing factor in electrical shock. • The human body has resistance; if voltage is applied, current will flow through the human body. • If one tenth of the current required to operate a 10 watt light bulb passed through your chest, the result could be lethal.
Effects of Current on the Body • A current of 2 to 3 mA (milliamps) will cause a tingling sensation. • Milliamps is 1/1000th of an amp. • The tingling sensation increases and becomes very painful at about 20 mA. • Currents between 20 – 30 mA will cause muscle contraction. • At this voltage, you may not even be able to release the wire you are holding.
Effects of Current on the Body • Currents between 30 – 60 mA will cause muscle paralysis and difficulty breathing. • Currents at 100 – 200 mA will generally cause death.
Lockout / Tagout Procedures • One of the best ways to prevent electric shock is to follow safety precautions such as Lockout/Tagout procedures. • Equipment that is being worked on should be disconnected from the power source and locked. • See the following slide for equipment used in the lockout/tagout procedure.
Lockout / Tagout Procedures • The person working on the equipment should be the one to carry the only key. • This will prevent accidental activation of the equipment. • The power supply should be tagged with: • the name of the person working on it. • what service is being performed. • the reason for the service. • the date and time of the service.
Basic Safety Tips • Never work alone. • Learn first aid. • Do not wear jewelry at work. • Be careful using screwdrivers on electrical panels.
Tips Regarding Portable Electrical Tools • Electric tools with metal frames should have a grounding cord. • The grounding wire will protect the operator from electric shock by carrying the current to ground. • This lets the breaker or fuse trip the circuit. • NOTE: The grounding adapter must be connected to a ‘good’ ground.
Non-Conducting Ladders • Metal or aluminum ladders are conducting ladders; they can be hazardous when working near electricity. • Non-conducting ladders are those made of fiberglass or wood. • These will protect technicians from a shock to ground.
The Safety Ground Wire • The equipment grounding wire is added for safety purposes; it is called the safety ground. • The safety ground is required by the National Electric Code (NEC) on all systems. • The color code for this wire is green or bare copper.
The Safety Ground Wire • The safety ground (aka Chassis Ground) connects to the same terminal as the neutral wire at the service panel. • The safety ground only carries current in the event of a short circuit. • The safety ground wire is connected to the frame of a motor or appliance. • This provides an alternate pathway for electrons to go to ground and not through a technician.
The Neutral Wire • The earth is always at zero potential (no voltage). • The earth can be used to complete an electrical circuit.
The Neutral Wire • Many electrical devices operate with just one ‘hot’ wire and another one called neutral. • This is also known as “single-phase.” • A potential difference exists because the hot wire has voltage and polarity. • The “neutral” wire is connected to earth (grounded), which is zero voltage.
The Neutral Wire • The hot wire usually has black insulation. • The hot wire can be another color except white or green, for ease of identification. • The neutral wire has white insulation for ease of identification. • The neutral wire is connected to a solid copper rod (driven 8 feet into the ground). • The copper rod is called a “grounding electrode.”
The Neutral Wire • The grounded neutral wire has zero voltage. • A zero volt reading will be found from the white wire to ground. • A 120V reading will be found from the hot wire to neutral or ground.