Running a small business is a lot of work regardless of what field you're working in. As a small business owner you're responsible for the safety of your employees and you need to make sure your workplace is as safe as possible for them. Electricity is a safety hazard if it's not handled properly, and as many small businesses are dependent on electrical equipment, this is an area where you need to know how to prevent accidents from happening. In order to do so, there are a few things you should think about.
Main breaker
Make sure that all of your employees know where the main breaker is located in your building. Also make sure they know where all individual breaker switches lead. Turning on the wrong circuit breaker when trying to fix a power outage can be dangerous, as it turns the electricity on in your building where it should be turned off for the electrical fix. Turn off any electricity that is not being used or that leads to an area that contains dangerous substances that can catch on fire if exposed to electricity.
Water
You also need to create rules against using electrical equipment near water. Most of your employees will be able to understand not to use a computer or power tool in environments that are soaked in water, but this rule should also apply to smaller amounts of water. Don't let your employees keep beverages on their desks while working with their computers, for example, as spilling the beverage can lead to many different accidents from malfunctioning equipment to electrocution. Instead, make a rule to only drink beverages in your break room or by an assigned table in your work space that doesn't have any electrical equipment nearby. If any of the electrical equipment in your work place were to be subjected to water, you need to call commercial electrical contractors of your choice immediately to repair the equipment.
Overhead wires
If you have overhead wires nearby your building and your employees spend some of their days outside, you need to make sure that nobody comes in contact with them. Overhead wires should always be treated like they're dangerous even if they aren't. If the overhead wires are close to the roof of your business, or if your employees need to pass close underneath them when coming to work, you should talk to your local council and commercial electrical contractors about having the wires elevated for your safety. You should also contact them if you notice that the wires have been damaged by falling debris or if they start to sink down towards the ground.
Contact a company like Aardvark Electrics for help with any electrical questions you may have.
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