Electrical hazards

Electrical hazards can harm the health of people and animals. Furthermore electricity can cause fires and explosions. In this chapter only those electrical hazards are considered which can endanger people.

Electrical hazards due to electric shock or electric arcs can arise when electricity is used at the workplace (for example with the use of electrical equipment) or when non-electrical work is being carried out near live equipment. If an electric arc arises unintentionally owing to a defect or a switching operation, one speaks of an accidental arc.

Both hazards can either arise at the same time or the nature of the hazard is determined by the level of voltage. In the range of voltages up to 1000 V AC the hazard of electric shock is predominant and with voltages above 1000 V AC the hazard due to accident arcing is the dominant one. For this reason the assessment criteria and the occupational safety and health measures to be applied are difficult to separate out. They are therefore dealt with together for electric shock and for accident arc.

Further information is only available in German.