MCR Safety is dedicated to keeping workers safe, protected, and informed! With that focus, we work hard to keep users aware of both the PPE we manufacture and how it is used across specific industries. When you have an important purpose like ours, protecting workers, there is no other choice. At MCR Safety, we are driven by our motto: We Protect People!
Einstein once said, "Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think." We want you to think about your safety at work, not just remember product facts like cut scores, yarn gauge, or ARC ratings! To help with this, we've created a central place for all things safety-related that pertain to the Electrical industry.
You may opt to continue reading to learn more about electrical contractors, electrical occupations, and the electrician's daily work activities; or, you can simply click the hazard warning icon and be taken directly to the safety section for this industry, its suggested PPE, and potential hazards.
Click to jump directly to the Safety, Hazards and PPE section.
Electricians get power into our homes.
Electricity is essential to our modern way of life. Let’s face it, we all get nervous if we have to go any amount of time without electricity. If you doubt that statement, just remember a time the power went out at the house, the A/C was off for an extended period of time, or you couldn’t find a place to charge your phone. There is essentially nothing that takes place in our modern world that electricity doesn’t touch or influence – iPhones, work computers, microwaves, washing machines, etc.
Even on our worst days, we have access to luxurious amenities that make life more comfortable. From watching movies at in climate-controlled theaters to keeping the lights on at the stadium while you take in a game to vegging on the couch while you channel surf, electricity is essential to our modern life.
When our homes blow fuses or our electric gadgets require more power, we will likely call a professional to fix or upgrade the wiring. Electricians keep our homes flowing with energy! It is this highly skilled tradesman who installs, maintains, and repairs electrical wiring and equipment.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), electrician jobs numbered about 666,900 in 2016. The good news is, that number is expected to grow by 14% over the next 7 years.
The BLS Handbook is an excellent resource for electricians
Virtually every commercial and residential building has electrical power installed during construction. With interest rates remaining low over the past decade, construction projects have increased, and the installation of electrical power is in high demand. This ultimately means there is no shortage of work for skilled electricians who can fill this need.
New construction activity has soared over the past decade, which means electricians are staying busy. IBIS World reported that the Electricians industry would likely generate $179 billion in 2018 and it shows no signs of slowing down. New construction activity has soared over the past decade, which means electricians are staying busy.
Electrical Wire
Beyond construction, electricians work in a multitude of industries. Hospitals, electric power companies, factories, schools, and businesses are all wired for electricity to power A/C, appliances, computers, lights, TVs, and equipment.
The BLS reports that electrical contractors make up the largest segment of electricians. After that, you find most electricians working in manufacturing or for the government.
Manufacturing and production facilities have power needs to keep machines operating. As we highlight on our Automotive Manufacturing page , there are a lot of machines and robots that must be maintained. The electrician is the one keeping the automotive plant operating!
Here is a breakdown of where electricians are most commonly found:
| Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors | 65% |
| Self-employed workers | 8% |
| Manufacturing | 8% |
| Government | 4% |
| Employment Services | 2% |
| Other | 13% |
For the most part, the path to becoming an electrician starts with an apprenticeship . Apprentices learn from the current masters of the trade and spend 4-5 years in classroom study. Once a person has completed all the requirements to become an electrician, he or she may select a specialization within the field.
As shown in this image, many trades start off as apprenticeships
Hoovers reports that 80% of electrical contracting firms have fewer than 10 employees. The employees working can be categorized into one of these five occupations:
Commercial Electrical Panel
These electricians work in commercial buildings, on construction sites, and on mechanical electrical systems. Offices, restaurants, and shopping malls are examples of commercial buildings. Commercial electricians can be found performing electrical repairs or installing equipment, security systems, and electronic key systems.
These electricians work with lighting installations, mechanical systems, security systems, and power supplies in both residential and commercial buildings. Many journeymen electricians are found working in construction.
Industrial settings, like mines, require electricity to power machines and provide lighting
These electricians are different from commercial electricians because they work in industrial operations such as factories, plants, and mines. They install, maintain, and repair industrial electrical equipment and electronic controls.
These electricians are highly skilled electricians. Most are in a supervisory role over a staff of laborers, apprentices, and journeymen. They typically own a contracting business. To even be considered as a mater electrician, a minimum of seven years of experience is required in most states.
These electricians work in apartments and houses. They install, maintain, and upgrade electrical equipment in residential spaces.
From repairing and servicing existing electrical systems to retrofitting and installing new systems, electricians carry out many activities. For the most part, though, electrical work revolves around new construction, both residential and nonresidential. While there are similar tasks required with both the installation of new electrical systems and the maintenance of existing systems, there are some important differences between the two.
Installing electrical systems in new construction is considered less complicated when compared to ongoing electrical maintenance of existing systems. Installing new electrical systems in residential construction can be broken down into 5 steps:
Maintaining electrical equipment is a little more complicated. Electricians must identify the source of electrical problems and repair broken equipment. This may include replacing parts, light fixtures, or motors.
An electrician's toolkit carries a wide assortment of tools. Electrical contractors require a handful of specialized tools, including the correct safety equipment.
Here are the tools electricians utilize to carry out the activities listed above:
Here are some events and situations where electrical hazards exist when completing the above activities:
The hazards classified as arc flash hazards may exist even when equipment is in an enclosed condition. Most of the tools electricians utilize can easily make contact with power lines, increasing the likelihood of electrical shock. From cranes and metal ladders, workers on a construction site must always be on guard against electrical injuries.
In 2018, over 10,000 attendees visited the NECA convention, which is considered the largest electrical construction trade show in the U.S. Guess what product and service over 40% of them said they were interested in learning more about during their visit? Answer: Safety Equipment and Apparel.
It makes sense that so many attendees answered the way they did. When you’re working around electricity and energy sources, there is no off day. Working safely is an every day requirement, otherwise you’re going home injured, if you’re lucky enough to go home at all.
Working without the right PPE greatly increases the likelihood of possibly catastrophic injury, doing it right every day is a must, otherwise, injuries are not far behind.
Potential injuries to electricians include electrical shocks, burns, and cuts. With over 2,000 people admitted to hospital burn centers yearly with severe arc-flash burns, electricians count on MCR Safety to provide PPE to keep them safe. Within the construction industry, the overall rate of injuries per 100 electricians is less than the average across all industries. See the table below:
| Industry | Occupation | NAICS | Incidents per 100 Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building equipment contractors | Electrical contractors and other wiring installation contractors | 23821 | 2.7 |
Keep in mind, however, when there is an injury, the consequences are severe. In order to stay safe at work, electricians must wear the proper PPE to protect themselves from hazardous working conditions. Protection includes wearing ARC-rated safety vests, FR coveralls, FR shirts, and high-quality cut protection.
Working safely is an everyday requirement if you want to escape going home injured. You have the POWER to protect yourself! At MCR Safety, we perform one function every day for a multitude of industries: Protecting People! Let us help you protect yourself on the job the right way and keep you protected for years to come.
Find the right MCR Safety product that protects you against these common hazards.
Temperatures reach as high as 35,000°F during arc blasts. We now manufacture vests, gloves, and rain suits that are ARC-rated.
Learn More About Arc Flash Protection
We know many electrical activities require all three. We now manufacture several styles with cut-protection, abrasion-protection, and arc-protection wrapped up into one glove solution!
Tremendous hand dexterity is required when splicing and pulling wire, placing conduit, wiring electrical boxes, or working around metal junction boxes. Our 18-gauge featherweight gloves are an excellent choice for wiring.
Learn More About Cut and Sense of Touch Protection
Electricians work indoors and outdoors. Safety glasses that are dielectric, made with no metal parts and made for I/O, come in handy when on a job site.
Learn More About Dielectric and Indoor Outdoor Protection
Keeping glasses easily wrapped around your hard hat can create hazards in itself, in addition to causing discomfort. Our DM3 eyewear styles have wire adjustable temples, designed to put limited pressure on your ears.
Learn More About Eyewear Adjustability Protection
Body heat raises the likelihood that glasses will become fogged. Were you aware that MCR Safety makes our 6X greater fog-resistant glasses in a polarized version?
Learn More About Fogging Protection
Electricians work in confined areas, which means bumping up against equipment is always a concern.
Learn More About Impact Protection
For electricians working around live energy, coming into contact with electric arc and arc flashes is a definite risk. In addition, there is also blowing debris, flying chips, and projectiles present when using an electrician's drill.
Learn More About Impaired Vision Protection
Electricians are always moving materials from point A to point B. Our ARC-rated leather gloves, double-stitched with DuPont™ Kevlar®, are the ideal choice for electricians.
MCR Safety’s lineup of grabbers and glove clips will keep one of the most forgotten pieces of PPE, your gloves, close by when needed.
Electricians rely on precision while working. We manufacture some of the lightest weight gloves, with high abrasion-resistance and excellent sense of touch.
Learn More About Sense of Touch Protection
It's always smart to keep a pair of cut-resistant gloves on-hand when installing lighting systems, fastening metal boxes to walls, cleaning up the work site, or replacing receptacles and ballasts.
Learn More About Sharp Objects Protection
Electricians work outside and are regularly exposed to the sun. Our FR shirts are designed to keep your arms covered and protected. Having some polarized glasses nearby also makes sense.
Coming into contact with overheated electric equipment is always a concern. Read up on Heat-Resistant Gloves and know how our ITC lab reports heat ratings.
Learn More About Thermal Burns Protection
Staying seen on a construction site is a must. For electricians, we’ve got ARC-rated safety vests available to keep you seen and protected from arc blasts.
It is not uncommon to find some electricians wearing non-FR clothing, which can easily ignite and provide an additional fuel source, increasing burn injuries. MCR Safety ensures its FR clothing is ARC-rated.
Why MCR Safety Products? MCR Safety manufactures and supplies Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Simply put, WE PROTECT PEOPLE! We are known world-wide for our extensive product line depth surrounding gloves, glasses, and garments spanning across numerous industries. We offer the total package of safety gear encompassing industrial gloves, safety glasses, protective garments, welding gear, industrial boots, Flame Resistant (FR) gear, face shields, and much more. From a glove standpoint alone, MCR Safety manufacturers and supplies over 1,000 different style gloves. Here are some of the many reasons MCR Safety is your go to source for PPE:
MCR Safety is recognized as a global manufacturer stretching across six countries, with both distribution and manufacturing facilities. Our core competency and specialty is manufacturing and supplying protective gloves, glasses, and garments. The information shown and provided on MCR Safety’s website, its safety articles, industry resource pages, highlighted hazards and safety equipment should be used only as a general reference tool and guide. The end user is solely responsible for determining the suitability of any product selection for a particular application. MCR Safety makes no guarantee or warranty (expressed or implied) of our products’ performance or protection for particular applications.
