By zedcoalam 
Every electrician is known to work in all kinds of weather conditions. Since this is so, he is expected to prepare for the unanticipated like downed electrical wiring or falling objects. An electrician does not just deal with electricity but also with the harshest weather conditions. There are many times in his career when he is expected to go high up a pole and even use metal tools while handling electricity! With this in mind, it becomes a must for every electrician to work with cautiousness.
The Safety Gears and Equipment
An electrician must begin his job by wearing safety clothing. Any clothing that can protect him from the hazards of electricity while not sacrificing comfort is the perfect clothing that he should wear to work.
An electrician is expected to wear clothing that should help him accomplish his job and not hinder him from doing his tasks. He must also be careful about any type of jewelry that he wears prior to reporting to work. Any kind of metallic jewelry (gold, silver, platinum or whatnot) is a good electric conductor so an electrician must refrain from wearing a metallic necklace, bracelet or even a wristwatch when working with electricity. Keep in mind that it is not worth your life to still look fashionable while doing a risky job.
An electrician is also expected to work with heavy machineries, bulky equipment and other heavy objects. These heavy machineries could accidentally fall towards him so in order to protect himself from any injury, an electrician must always wear his hard hat while working.
For him to see clearly, this hardworking professional must also wear goggles. Goggles protect his eyes from any object that might hit them. An electrician who risks not wearing goggles takes a chance at flying objects that could directly hit and blind his eye. Such an accident can cause permanent damage.
Most of the time, working with electrical machines also requires that you are subjected to the loudest sounds. This is why an electrician who values his hearing must use ear plugs when at work.
Shoes and the right kind of clothing should be invested in from the onset because electrocution and electrical burns can cause serious injuries and death. Just think about this – the regular household current usage of a 100-watt bulb (1,000 milliamperes) can already cause a serious problem. Based on the body tolerance of a well-built human being, 1-5 milliamperes would make an electrician feel a tingling sensation. Upping the current at 5-10 milliamperes results in an electrician who will no longer be able to let go of the wire that he is holding on to. Upping this further to 10-50 milliamperes could result in breathing difficulty. The last level which is at 50-100 milliamperes is probably fatal.
Just to reiterate the dangers of electricity, here are some recorded numbers of medical conditions that resulted from electrical injury –
- Loss of consciousness or coma- 9%
- Convulsions – 11%
- Seizure – 12%
- Paralysis – 8%
- Ataxia – 3%
- Deafness – 12%
- Dry eyes – 23%
- Heart problems – 24%
- Elevated heart rate – 6%
- Hypertension – 5%
- Amputation – 6%
- Pinched nerves – 18%
- Bladder concerns – 18%
- Kidney problems – 11%
- Skin problems – 18%
- Random fears – 17%
- Suicidal thoughts – 11%
- No known effects – 0%
These percentages are based on the neurologic, cardiovascular, and other medical issues that electric shock survivors experienced. Even the smallest protective gear can help save an electrician’s life. His work clothing is doubly important because it can keep electricity at bay. An electrician is also advised to cut his hair so that it will not become an obstruction to his view when he is busy doing his tasks. Either his hair should be pulled back or he simply has to cut it short.
Cloe Matheson 
Louis Hanley