More than 90% of electrical fatalities among U.S. workers are due to electrical shock, and tens of thousands of electrical shock incidents over the years have resulted in injuries that required time away from work, according to Littelfuse, Inc.
A new technical paper from the industrial technology manufacturing company details the hazards of electrical shock and shares the best prevention methods and products to help keep workers safe from serious injuries and death caused by electrical shock.
The paper focuses on GFCIs for commercial and industrial applications, and addresses:
- How electrical shock affects the human body
- How GFCIs work
- Different GFCIs and special-purpose GFCI (SPGFCI) classes and their respective applications
- How GFCI protection is different than equipment ground-fault protection
- National Electrical Code (NEC) GFCI standards and applications where GFCIs are required
- Additional applications where GFCIs are essential due to potential electrical shock hazards
“Electrical shock causes numerous fatalities every year, and even minor shocks can result in long-term injuries involving psychological and or physical symptoms,” said Mark Pollock, global product manager, Littelfuse Industrial Business Unit. “GFCIs are one of the most effective preventative measures against electrical shock because they actively react to irregular electrical conditions by cutting off power which can help assure the safety of workers.”
The paper, “Prevention Through Design with Special-Purpose Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs),” is available for download here.
