ESC Electrical Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which condition creates the greatest risk of electric shock when working near energized equipment?
- Wearing insulated gloves
- Standing on a dry rubber mat
- Working in wet or damp conditions (Correct answer)
- Using a fiberglass ladder
Correct answer: Working in wet or damp conditions
Moisture dramatically lowers the body's resistance, greatly increasing the risk and severity of electric shock.
Question 2: What does the term 'flash protection boundary' refer to in arc flash risk assessment?
- The distance beyond which PPE is not required to protect against arc flash burns (Correct answer)
- The voltage rating of switchgear
- The maximum distance an arc flash can travel
- The boundary where all electrical work must stop
Correct answer: The distance beyond which PPE is not required to protect against arc flash burns
The flash protection boundary is the distance at which a worker could receive a second-degree burn from an arc flash event without appropriate PPE.
Question 3: A risk matrix is used in electrical safety to:
- Map the location of all electrical panels
- Combine the likelihood of an event with its potential severity (Correct answer)
- List all OSHA-required PPE
- Determine the voltage of a circuit
Correct answer: Combine the likelihood of an event with its potential severity
A risk matrix evaluates both the probability of an incident occurring and the severity of its outcome to prioritize hazard controls.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of an administrative control for electrical hazards?
- Installing a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI)
- Adding insulation to exposed conductors
- Requiring two-person buddy systems for energized work (Correct answer)
- Installing a physical barrier around equipment
Correct answer: Requiring two-person buddy systems for energized work
Administrative controls are procedural or policy-based measures, such as requiring a buddy system, rather than physical modifications.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) before electrical work begins?
- To schedule maintenance downtime
- To identify potential hazards and determine safe work procedures (Correct answer)
- To calculate the cost of PPE
- To assign electrical work to qualified workers
Correct answer: To identify potential hazards and determine safe work procedures
A JHA systematically identifies hazards associated with each task step so that appropriate protective measures can be implemented before work starts.
Question 6: An 'unqualified person' working near electrical hazards must maintain which distance from exposed energized conductors operating at 50 volts or more?
- The limited approach boundary (Correct answer)
- The restricted approach boundary
- The arc flash boundary
- The prohibited approach boundary
Correct answer: The limited approach boundary
NFPA 70E defines the limited approach boundary as the closest distance an unqualified person may approach without special training or supervision.
Question 7: Which hazard is MOST likely to be overlooked during a visual inspection of overhead electrical lines at a construction site?
- Properly insulated cables near a transformer
- De-energized lines that appear live
- Lines that have sagged closer to the ground than required clearances (Correct answer)
- Underground conduit locations
Correct answer: Lines that have sagged closer to the ground than required clearances
Sagging overhead lines may not be immediately obvious but can violate safe clearance distances and pose a severe electrocution risk to equipment operators and workers.
ESC Electrical Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment 2
Which condition creates the greatest risk of electric shock when working near energized equipment?