May is Electrical Safety Month: Are You Powering Up the Right Way?

Each May, National Electrical Safety Month serves as a powerful reminder of how essential electrical safety is—not just at home, but in workplaces across every industry. From arc flash hazards to improper lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures, electrical incidents are consistently among the top causes of workplace injuries and fatalities. Yet many of these incidents are preventable through proactive assessment, employee training, and program development.

Why Electrical Safety Demands Attention

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), electrical hazards cause more than 300 fatalities and 4,000 injuries each year in the workplace. These aren’t just statistics—they represent lives changed and operations disrupted. Whether it’s a manufacturing facility, a construction site, or a laboratory, electrical safety should be built into the very foundation of your health and safety culture.

Workplace environments often involve complex electrical systems and equipment that evolve over time. Without a structured program in place, hazards can go unnoticed—until it’s too late.

OSHA and NFPA 70E: The Compliance Foundation

At the core of electrical safety are key regulatory and consensus standards:

• OSHA’s General Industry Electrical Standards (29 CFR 1910 Subpart S) and Construction Standards (29 CFR 1926 Subpart K) provide baseline requirements for electrical installations, grounding, personal protective equipment (PPE), and safe work practices.
  •  National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, complements OSHA by providing detailed guidance on electrical risk assessments, arc flash analysis, shock protection boundaries, and the selection of appropriate PPE.
  • Lockout/Tagout (29 CFR 1910.147) remains one of the most cited OSHA standards every year. Improper control of hazardous energy leads to countless preventable injuries and fatalities—not just electrical shock or arc flash, but crushing, cutting, or mechanical movement from unexpected startup.

LOTO procedures are foundational for assuring that equipment is properly isolated before maintenance or servicing work is performed. This includes verifying zero energy state, proper application of locks and tags, and employee training on roles and responsibilities.

Key Pillars of a Strong Electrical Safety Program

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your program or simply reassess existing practices, consider these core focus areas:

1. Assessment

• Conduct arc flash and shock risk assessments to identify where hazards exist.
  • Review electrical system labeling, single-line diagrams, and panel access.
  • Evaluate work practices, maintenance procedures, non-routine task processes, and LOTO programs to identify compliance gaps.

2. Training

• Provide role-based electrical safety training for both qualified and unqualified workers, also referred to as ‘Authorized’ and ‘Affected’ personnel.
  • Train employees on hazard recognition, energized work permits, PPE use, and proper LOTO steps.
  • Reinforce training through refresher courses, real-world scenarios, and toolbox talks.

3. Program Development

• Develop or update written electrical safety and LOTO programs that align with OSHA and NFPA 70E.
  • Include procedures for equipment-specific energy control, periodic inspections, and authorization of employees.
  • Establish internal auditing processes to monitor both LOTO implementation and electrical safety practices overall.

A Proactive Approach = A Safer Workplace

Electrical safety is more than compliance—it’s about building a culture where workers are empowered to speak up, identify hazards, and take safe actions every day. The most effective programs are proactive, sustainable, and continuously improving.

This Electrical Safety Month, it’s a great time to ask:

• Are your employees trained and confident in their roles?
• When was your last risk assessment or program review?
• Are your LOTO procedures accurate and actively used?
• When was your last evaluation of authorized personnel and periodic equipment inspection?

If you’re thinking about strengthening your electrical safety foundation, consider working with a trusted partner who understands the regulatory requirements and practical realities of your operations. Whether it’s performing a gap assessment, developing documentation, or facilitating training, ALL4 is available to help you build and sustain a safer workplace.  For more information and to see how ALL4 can assist you, contact Brian Godfrey, Managing Consultant at bgodfrey@all4inc.com.