National Electrical Safety Month Under Way
"The NEC is updated every three years to include the latest in proven safety technology, and ESFI is committed to educating the public about the importance of staying up to code," said ESFI President Brett Brenner. "This year's resources focus on common hazards including overhead power lines and lesser-known dangers such as electric shock drowning."
May is National Electrical Safety Month, prompting the Electrical Safety Foundation International to start its annual effort to help reduce electrical fatalities, injuries, and property loss. This year's campaign theme is "Understanding the Code that Keeps us Safe," with resources focused on the importance of the National Electrical Code and its three-year cycle.
"The NEC is updated every three years to include the latest in proven safety technology, and ESFI is committed to educating the public about the importance of staying up to code," said ESFI President Brett Brenner. "This year's resources focus on common hazards including overhead power lines and lesser-known dangers such as electric shock drowning."
ESFI reports that an estimated annual average of 70 electrocution fatalities are associated with consumer products, and in 2016, 53 percent of all fatal electrical injuries occurred in the construction industry. Electric shock drownings occur each year in marinas and swimming pools.
Featured at this National Electrical Safety Month page are infographics titled "National Electrical Code: Understanding the Code that Keeps Us Safe," which explains the importance of the code and prompt adoption; "Electric Shock Drowning – Water and Electricity Don't Mix," about the dangers of electrified water in pools and marinas; "Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories – Certifying Safety," which explains the role of NRTLs in the electrical safety cycle; "Overhead Power Line Safety," which lists eight steps for working safely around power lines; and "Workplace Fatalities and Injuries 2003 - 2016," which includes the most recent data on workplace deaths and injuries and demonstrates how accidents involving electricity compare.