What are electrical safety audits?

Electrical safety audits must be performed on a regular basis for all electrical safety related programs within a workplace. More specifically, fieldwork audits must happen yearly, and electrical program reviews must occur every three years or less. The three-year review gives the employer a chance to find outdated aspects of the safety program that need to be addressed.

There are five primary goals when it comes to performing an electrical safety audit. Those are:

  • To identify any and all electrical hazards.
  • To make sure the facility is in compliance with the National Electric Code, NFPA 70E, NFPA 70B, and OSHA 1910.331 – 1910.335.
  • To review all electrical safety work practices and determine if there need to be any changes made.
  • To inspect all electrical maintenance tools and determine if there need to be any replacements.
  • To go over potential electrical system modifications and determine if there are any savings to be had.

The safety audit can take as little as a day or up to several depending on how large the company is and how many electricians they employ. During that period of time, the following subjects will most certainly be considered:

  • Site interviews that test employee knowledge on PPE, procedure training, shock and arc flash hazard awareness, boundary determination, and setup, and the proper use of electrical safety tools.
  • The use of an electrical qualification process.
  • The evaluation of compliant danger and warning labels.
  • Whether or not the right safety tools are being used.
  • Whether or not the employer is providing the right safety equipment.

These are only a handful of the subjects that an audit will cover. Depending on the standards and regulations that the facility is required to follow, there may be other subjects that the auditor(s) goes over. For that reason, it is important to be familiar with all the relevant standards for your unique situation to make sure your audit goes as smoothly as possible.

 

View all Electrical Safety Q&A

Free E-Book

Wire Marking

Learn how to manage wires and cables to improve electrical safety.

 
 
Other FREE Resources:

Helpful Resources