Islamabad, August 4, 2012: Linemen in Pakistan are working in high risk situatio n as an average more than 100 linemen

become victim of fatal accidents every yea r. The United States Government through the United States Agency for Internation al Development (USAID) Quick Impact Lineman Training Program will help in save tho usands of linemen in Pakistan. USAID s Power Distribution Program has already tra ined more than 600 linemen of DISCOs and has already started handing over of lin emen safety training tools to the Regional Training Centers (RTC).

USAID has already provided safety trainings to over 600 linemen of Hyderabad Ele ctric Power Company (HESCO), Multan Electric Power Company (MEPCO) and Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO). Trainings will continue for thousands more in the coming months besides equipping DISCOs Regional Training Centers with the lat est and modern safety Equipment.

As professional craftsmen, linemen often work in hazardous situations requiring s pecific tools and equipment to complete their tasks safely and correctly. We ar e committed to developing the right resources for Pakistani linemen to help dras tically improve their safety and facilitate their work. Robert Dalton, Linemen Tr aining Expert of USAID Power Distribution Program Said.

The USAID Power Distribution Program is a four and a half year, USAID-funded pro gram aimed at working jointly with government-owned DISCOs in Pakistan to improv e their performance in terms of a reduction in losses, and improvement in both r evenues and customer services, to bring them to the level of well-run utilities in other progressive countries. Through this program, the United States Governme nt provides assistance and support to the Government of Pakistan in its efforts to reform the power sector to end the current energy crisis. http://www.ehs.okstate.edu/modules/electric/index.htm Electricity is an integral part of today's modern world, and sometimes it is eas y to forget just how dangerous it can be. Given the correct circumstances, it c an kill. But it can also shock you painfully, damage sensitive equipment, and i gnite combustible materials What Are The Leading Causes of Electrical Accidents? Unsafe Acts There are 2 reasons for unsafe acts... There are 2 reasons for unsafe acts: 1.We know better but intentionally do something unsafe. 2.We don't know better.

Avoid the following unsafe acts: Failure to de-energize, lockout & tagout hazards during maintenance, repair or in spections. Use of defective and unsafe tools. Use of tools or equipment too close to energized parts.

Not draining off stored energy in capacitors. Using 3-wire cord with a 2-wire plug. Removing the third prong (ground pin) to make a 3-prong plug fit a 2-prong outlet . Overloading outlets with too many appliances. Using the attached electrical cord to raise or lower equipment. Not verifying power is off when making repair (drilling into a 110 Volt a.c. line can kill). Working in an elevated position near overhead lines Unsafe Equipment Unsafe Equipment Some common causes of unsafe equipment: Loose connections Faulty insulation Improper grounding (removal of 3rd prong) Use of "homemade" extension cords Defective parts Unguarded live parts--for example: Bare conductors or exposed terminals Metal parts of equipment may become energeized when connected by cord or plug. C apacitance may cause up to 55% of line voltage to be stored on the casing of met al tools. Use special precautions when working in potentially hazardous environments and s ituations. Even an accidental static discharge can cause a fire or explosion in areas where the following are present: Flammable vapors, liquids and gasses Combustible dusts Corrosive atmospheres Explosive environments Poor housekeeping: blocked electrical boxes, flammable materials stored in equip ment rooms, lack of proper hazard signs, excess clutter. Special care is also need in wet or damp locations - water and electricity are a bad combination. If the wire is frayed or damaged, a fatal electrical shock can result. What Can You Do To Help Protect Yourself? Know about electricity and how it can harm you and your colleagues. Basics of electricity Basics of Electricity: Electrical current will not flow unl ess it has a complete path (circuit) that returns to its source (battery, transf ormer). Current flows through you and other conductors, such as metals, earth and concret e. Current can harm you when it flows through your body (electric shock). Insulators resist the flow of electricity. Insulating materials are used to coat copper conducting wires and are used to make electrical work gloves. Insulator s help to protect humans from coming into contact with electricity flowing throu gh conductors. Just as there is pressure in a water pipe, even with no water flowing, there is v oltage at a receptacle, even if current is not flowing. Another word for voltag e is "Potential." How Electricity Can Harm You Current passing through your body can cause electric shock, resulting in 3 types of potential injuries: 1.Burns (arcs burn with heat & radiation) 2.

Physical injuries (broken bones, falls, & muscle damage) At 10 mA, the muscles clamp on to whatever the person is holding. 3. Nervous system effects (stop breathing at 30 to 75 mA alternating current at 60H z, fibrillation at 75 to 100 mA at 60Hz) Fibrillation = heart is "twitching" and there is no blood flow to the body.

The heart can be damaged because it is in the path of the most common routes ele ctricity will take through the body: Hand-to-hand Hand-to-foot -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Know about static electricity and how it can do harm. Minimize your exposure to static shocks Minimize your exposure to static shocks. Never clean the glass face of your computer monitor while the computer is on. During normal operation, the glass surface of a monitor's CRT accumulates an ele ctrostatic charge. When you touch the screen with a finger, the charge is from the portion of the screen you touched and it discharges through your finger wit h a tiny spark. Electric current does not normally flow through glass, so only the part of the screen that your finger touches is discharged. However, when you clean a monitor the entire glass is wet and the charge on the entire screen will discharge to your finger or hand, causing a much more painful shock. You can be injured by the reaction to the shock even though such shocks in thems elves are not hazardous Use OSHA Safe Work practices. Use OSHA Safe Work practices Control hazards though safe work practices: Plan you r work and plan for safety Avoid wet working conditions and other dangers Use Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters. GFCI's are electrical devices that are de signed to detect ground faults (when current is "leaking" somewhere outside its intended pathway). If your body provides the path to ground for the leaking cur rent, you could receive a shock or be electrocuted. GFCI's should be used in all wet locations and on outside outlets. Avoid overhead power lines: Position yourself so that the longest conductive obj ect you are using (saws, poles, tools, brooms, etc.) cannot come closer than at least 10 feet to any unguarded, energized overhead line. Use proper wiring and connectors Use extension cords properly and temporarily: Cords must be UL listed and have 3 prongs Power bars must have a fuse or breaker Do not use 2-prong, ungrounded cords in a lab Do not run cords through walls, doors, under rugs, or across aisles Do not repair cords--buy new ones Make sure the total number of watts connected to the cord does not exceed the rat ing of the cord. Use and maintain tools properly Avoid wearing items such as jewelry, watch bands, bracelets, rings, key chains, n ecklaces, etc. that might come into contact with exposed, energized parts.

Wear correct PPE: Hard hats rated "Class E" ANSI-approved footwear coded "EH" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow the Administrative Controls Follow the Administrative Controls Safe work procedures Lockout and Tagout Proscribed work practices Signs warning of electrical hazards -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Use safe equipment Use safe equipment Do not use equipment that has been damaged or improperly modif ied. Always use equipment according to the manufacturer's specifications. "Live" parts (greater than 50 volts) must be guarded by one or more of the follow ing: An enclosure that requires a tool for access. A locked enclosure. An interlocked access door. A substantial insulating guard to prevent contact. Check cords--they should: Be completely free of damage and deterioration. Should always have an appropriate strain relief device where they enter the enclo sure.