A Guide to Electrical Safety in the Lab

What is one of the everyday equipment mentioned in the document that requires electricity in laboratories?

• Autoclaves

• Computers

• Centrifuges

• Microscopes

What is the main risk when electricity comes into contact with flammable liquids?

• Electrocution

• Fire spreading quickly

• Cardiac arrest

• Tissue damage

What can larger amounts of flammable liquid cause when in contact with electricity?

• Electrocution

• Cardiac arrest

• Explosions

• Burns

Why is it important to routinely test electrical equipment?

• To ensure they remain in full working order

• To prevent electric shocks

• To avoid electrocution

• All of the above

What must be installed properly to prevent shocks?

• Transformers

• GFCIs

• Resistors

• Capacitors

What should be done to equipment with potential arc flash hazards?

• Left unguarded

• Guarded or isolated to prevent hazards

• Used by anyone

• Disconnected permanently

What should we do with electrical equipment before we use it?

• Check with other members of staff

• Perform a PAT test

• Check the equipment for damage

• Nothing, just use the item

What should you do if you find a faulty electrical item?

• Nothing, just leave it

• Put away in a cupboard

• Label the item clearly as faulty and not to be used

• Label the item clearly as faulty and not t be used, then report to senior member of staff

Which of the following is a way that an electrical shock will NOT occur?

• Contact with one wire of the electrical circuit

• • Contact with one wire of an energised circuit and the ground

• Contact with both wires of the electrical circuit

• • A metallic part that has become “hot” through contact with an energised conductor

The severity of an electrical shock depends on the following three factors:

• Path, appliance damage, current

• Path, Current, Contact time

• Type of shoes worn, contact time, current

• type of appliance, current, contact time