Fair warning

This work discusses the fair warning system and prevention of electrical accidents through communication using material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and labeling in familiar formats adapted from training for chemical safety. Most employees work on, near or with electricity everyday, so occupational safety and health administration training awareness is required. Electrical hazard characterization remains a challenge to advancing mitigation based on regulations, design, engineering, procedures, task planning and personal protection. The toxicity of electricity is described using terms familiar from MSDS formats common to hazardous materials notices, including, for electricity, the threshold limit, permissible exposure limit, short-term exposure limit, lethal dose, flash point, and explosiveness. Hazard control is similarly addressed, with special attention to skin, respiratory, and organ system effects. A labeling strategy can be used to warn people about the hazards of electricity when working on, near, or with power frequency electrical energy.