Best Practices in Electrical Hazard Identification

Electrical hazards are among the most serious threats in industrial, commercial, and even residential environments. From arc flash incidents to electric shock hazards and equipment failures, the consequences can be severe – for example fatality/injury, fire, downtime, regulatory penalties and reputational damage.

As a Principal Electrical Consultant, I’ve seen firsthand how proactive hazard identification can dramatically reduce risk. In this article, I’ll outline best practices that every organization should adopt to strengthen their electrical safety culture.

1. Start with a Thorough Risk Assessment

The foundation of any electrical safety program is a comprehensive risk assessment. This involves:

• Identifying all energized equipment and systems, including hidden or legacy installations.
• Evaluating the condition of electrical infrastructure – age, cleanliness, damage, corrosion, exposed live conductive parts, incorrectly or unblanked enclosure openings, maintenance history, electrical building integrity, incident energy levels and load conditions.
• Assessing exposure: Who interacts with the system and how? Are they competent? What activities are being carried out and how often? What PPE is used?

2. Use a Layered Approach to Hazard Identification

Electrical hazards are not always obvious. A layered approach helps uncover risks that might otherwise be missed:

• Visual inspections: Look for signs of wear, damage, missing shrouding/insulation, compromised ingress protection, corrosion, overheating, or poor workmanship.
• Thermal imaging: Detects hotspots in low voltage panels, cables, and terminations.
• Ultrasound and partial discharge testing: Useful for identifying insulation breakdown or arcing in high-voltage systems.
• Power quality analysis: Reveals harmonics, voltage sags, and transients that can stress equipment.

Each layer adds depth to your understanding and helps prioritize corrective actions.

3. Keep Documentation Current and Accessible

Outdated or missing documentation is a common root cause of electrical incidents. Best practices include:

• Maintaining single-line diagrams and panel schedules.
• Keeping arc flash studies and short-circuit calculations up to date.
• Documenting equipment specific isolation procedures.

Digital tools and cloud-based platforms can make this easier and more collaborative.

4. Train Continuously and Competently

Even the best hazard identification program fails without competent personnel. Training should be:

• Role-specific: Electricians, Technicians, Engineers, Authorised Persons and Senior Authorised Persons need different levels of knowledge.
• Scenario-based: Use real-world case studies and simulations.
• Ongoing: Regulations, standards, technologies, and risks evolve – so should your training.

Encourage a culture where workers feel empowered to report hazards and near-misses without fear of blame.

5. Integrate Hazard Identification into Design and Maintenance

Safety isn’t just a maintenance issue—it starts at the design stage. Apply principles like:

• Minimise incident energy levels: to mitigate the arc flash hazard.
• Designing for de-energisation: Make it easy to isolate equipment safely.
• Clear labelling and signage: Use standardised, durable labels for voltage levels, arc flash boundaries, and isolation points.
• Maintenance-friendly layouts: Ensure gangways and access walkways are sufficiently wide enough to make access and egress easier. Fit emergency exit push bar openers to switch room and substation doors. Avoid putting distribution equipment above floor level.

During isolations, always verify de-energisation with an appropriate voltage tester and proving unit.

6. Leverage Technology and Data

Modern tools can enhance hazard identification:

• IoT sensors for real-time monitoring of temperature, vibration, and current.
• Digital twins to simulate electrical behaviour and predict failures.
• AI-driven analytics to detect patterns in maintenance logs or incident reports.

These technologies don’t replace human judgment – but they can significantly augment it.

Final Thoughts

Electrical hazard identification is not a one-time task – it’s a continuous process that evolves with your systems, workforce, and technology. Educating your people and monitoring your performance are key aspects of your electrical safety management system. By embedding these best practices into your operations, you not only protect people and assets but also build a resilient, safety-first culture.

If you’re looking to strengthen your electrical safety program or need support with risk assessments, feel free to connect or reach out. Let’s make electrical safety smarter, not harder.