Electrical safety in the workplace: the OSHA compliance guide

Last updated 2026-07-10

Why does electrical safety matter more than most employers realize?

Electrical hazards sit in OSHA's top ten most cited violations year after year, yet most small business owners treat them as an electrician's problem. That's a mistake.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, electrical incidents cause roughly 150 worker fatalities per year in private industry and more than 1,000 nonfatal injuries serious enough to require days away from work ^[1]. Those numbers are almost certainly low, because many electrical burns get coded under other injury categories.

There are four main electrical hazards. Electrocution kills. Electric shock sends current through the body without killing. Arc flash is the explosive release of energy from a fault. Arc blast is the pressure wave that follows. A fifth hazard, electrical fire, kills even more people than direct shock, since faulty wiring is one of the leading causes of workplace structure fires.

Here's what makes electrical risk different from a slip-and-fall: the injury happens faster than any reflex can stop it, and 'low' voltages kill. Current through the heart can cause ventricular fibrillation at roughly 100 milliamps, and a standard 120-volt outlet can push that through a body with a wet hand. OSHA's own training materials put it plainly: "it is the amount of current flowing through the body, not the voltage, that determines severity of shock" ^[2].

You do not need high-voltage switchgear to have serious exposure. Overloaded extension cords in an office, a missing knockout plug on a panel in a storage room, or a GFCI-less outdoor receptacle where a landscaping crew plugs in can all draw an OSHA citation and put your people in the hospital.

Which OSHA standards cover electrical safety?

OSHA's electrical rules live in two places, depending on your industry. General industry follows 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S. Construction follows 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K.

For general industry (retail, manufacturing, warehousing, healthcare, offices, restaurants, most small businesses), Subpart S runs from 29 CFR 1910.301 through 1910.399 ^[9]. It splits into design safety standards (1910.303-308) that cover how equipment gets installed, and safety-related work practices (1910.331-335) that govern how workers actually touch electrical equipment.

For construction, the standard is 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K, covering 29 CFR 1926.400 through 1926.449 ^[3].

The sections that draw the most citations across both:

Standard	Topic	Common Violation
29 CFR 1910.303(b)(2)	Electrical equipment listings	Using unlisted/uncertified equipment
29 CFR 1910.305(a)(2)	Electrical enclosures	Open knockouts in panels, missing covers
29 CFR 1910.305(j)(4)	Flexible cords	Using extension cords as permanent wiring
29 CFR 1910.333(b)	Lockout/Tagout during electrical work	Working on energized circuits without LOTO
29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)	PPE for electrical work	No insulating gloves or face shields
29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)	GFCIs at construction sites	Missing GFCI protection on temporary wiring

Electrical safety also runs into OSHA's lockout/tagout standard at 29 CFR 1910.147, which is mandatory any time workers service or maintain electrically energized equipment. That one standard generates thousands of citations a year and deserves its own read.

One more thing. OSHA's General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act) lets inspectors cite employers for electrical hazards no specific standard covers. Subpart S is the floor, not the ceiling.

What are the most dangerous electrical hazards in a typical workplace?

Most workplace electrical incidents trace back to a short list of repeat offenders. Learn them and your hazard walks get far more useful.

Exposed live parts. Any energized conductor a person can touch by accident is a serious hazard. OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.303(g) requires live parts at 50 volts or more to be guarded by location (inside a cabinet or behind a panel), by barriers, or by isolation. Open panels, missing outlet cover plates, and temporary wiring run without conduit all land here.

Improper use of extension cords. This is probably the single most common violation in small business general industry. Cords are for temporary use only. Running one through a wall, under a rug, or through a doorway year-round, or daisy-chaining several together, violates 29 CFR 1910.305(g). Cords fail quietly too: the insulation cracks, a staple punctures the jacket, the ground pin snaps off.

Missing or defeated GFCI protection. A ground fault circuit interrupter cuts power in about 1/40th of a second when it senses a leak to ground. OSHA requires GFCI protection at all construction sites on 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles, and in damp or wet locations in general industry ^[4]. Inspectors check for this first.

Overloaded circuits and improper wiring. Common in older buildings where electrical capacity never caught up with equipment loads. Watch for breakers that trip over and over, warm outlet covers, and flickering lights.

Working on or near energized equipment without lockout/tagout. Inadequate lockout/tagout procedures cause an estimated 50,000 injuries and 120 fatalities per year across all energy types, with electrical energy the most common source ^[11]. A few seconds of contact with an energized 480-volt system during maintenance can kill.

Overhead power lines. For outdoor crews, uninsulated overhead lines are among the deadliest hazards. OSHA's 1910.333(c)(3) and 1926.1408 set minimum approach distances, and the rule is simple: if you don't know the voltage, stay at least 10 feet away.

What does OSHA require for a written electrical safety program?

OSHA has no single rule that says "you must have a written electrical safety program" in those words. But the requirements scattered across Subpart S and 1910.147 add up to one if you want to stay compliant and defend yourself in an inspection.

A solid written program covers these elements:

1. Scope and authority. Who owns the program, how it gets reviewed, and which operations it covers.

2. Hazard identification and risk assessment. A documented process for spotting electrical hazards before work starts, plus a list of your facility's known hazards.

3. Qualified vs. unqualified worker definitions. OSHA at 29 CFR 1910.399 defines a "qualified person" as one "who has received training in and has demonstrated skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to recognize and avoid the electrical hazards that might be present with respect to that equipment or those installations" ^[6]. Your program has to say who is qualified for which tasks.

4. Safe work practices. When and how to de-energize equipment before work, how to use test instruments, approach distances to energized parts, and the narrow conditions under which energized work is allowed (it should be rare).

5. PPE requirements. What gear each task category needs, tied to arc flash hazard analysis where it applies.

6. Lockout/tagout procedures. Either a separate LOTO program or an integrated one. Required by 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(1).

7. Inspection and maintenance schedule. Periodic checks of cords, panels, GFCIs, grounding, and portable tools.

8. Incident reporting procedures. What workers do after a shock, arc flash, or near-miss. This ties to your incident report obligations under 29 CFR 1904.

9. Training records. Who was trained, on what, by whom, and when.

If writing all this from scratch sounds like a lost weekend, tools like SafetyFolio's safety program generator can build a compliant starting framework in about 15 minutes, which you then customize to your facility and equipment. Writing the document is the easy part. The hazard assessment and the enforcement culture are the hard parts, and no software does those for you.

Who counts as a "qualified" electrical worker under OSHA rules?

A qualified worker is trained and has demonstrated the skills to work safely on specific electrical equipment at a specific voltage. The line between qualified and unqualified is one of the most practical distinctions in all of OSHA's electrical rules, and plenty of employers draw it in the wrong place.

OSHA's definition at 29 CFR 1910.399 makes qualified status task-specific and equipment-specific. An electrician qualified to work on a 480-volt motor control center is not automatically qualified to work on 15kV switchgear. The definition hangs on demonstrated skills and recognized hazards for the specific equipment in front of the worker.

Unqualified workers have to keep a minimum approach distance from exposed energized parts. They need enough training to understand the hazards of electricity and how to stay away from them, but they are not trained to work on or near energized equipment.

Qualified workers need training that covers:

• Telling exposed live parts from the rest of the equipment
• Determining the nominal voltage of exposed live parts
• Clearance distances and the voltages involved
• Using PPE and test equipment for the task

OSHA 1910.332(b)(2) adds that qualified employees must also be trained in the methods to release someone from contact with live parts.

Inspectors look hard for one thing: a worker assigned a task that required qualified status without the training to match. It shows up constantly in small shops where the owner or a general laborer resets a breaker, swaps a light fixture, or changes an outlet without realizing those tasks carry electrical exposure.

For construction, the rules are comparable under 29 CFR 1926.403(i) and 1926.416. Anyone working inside the limited approach boundary of an energized conductor has to be qualified for that voltage.

What PPE is required for electrical work?

Electrical PPE covers two related but separate hazards: shock and arc flash. Shock protection insulates the worker from live parts. Arc flash protection shields against heat and blast. You size each to the actual task.

Shock protection keeps workers insulated from contact with live parts. The main items:

• Insulating rubber gloves rated for the voltage class, tested and certified to ASTM standards
• Insulating sleeves (used with gloves)
• Dielectric footwear
• Insulating mats and blankets when working near energized equipment

Glove classes run from Class 00 (500 volts max use) to Class 4 (36,000 volts max use). Using a lower-rated glove at a higher voltage is a fatality waiting to happen, not a paperwork detail.

Arc flash protection guards against the intense heat and blast of an arc flash event. The framework comes from NFPA 70E, which OSHA references as an accepted industry standard for electrical safe work practices. An arc flash hazard analysis (also called an arc flash study) sets the incident energy in cal/cm2 at a given working distance, which in turn sets the arc rating of the required PPE.

As a rough guide, work on panels under 240 volts with limited fault current may fall in NFPA 70E's PPE category 1 (minimum arc rating 4 cal/cm2). Work on higher-voltage equipment in categories 3-4 calls for arc-rated face shields, balaclavas, and arc-rated suits rated 25 to 40+ cal/cm2 ^[7].

For most small businesses running below 480 volts, any qualified electrical work needs safety glasses or a face shield, insulating rubber gloves with the right voltage rating and leather protectors over them, flame-resistant clothing, and a hard hat. Unqualified workers should never be close enough to energized parts to need arc flash PPE. If they are, you have a bigger program problem.

PPE selection has to be documented in your written program and tied to your hazard assessment, per 29 CFR 1910.335(a). Buying the gear is not enough. It has to match the task hazard. See OSHA's PPE guidance for how hazard assessments drive PPE decisions.

How does lockout/tagout connect to electrical safety?

Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is the primary way to make sure electrical equipment is de-energized and stays that way while someone works on it. It's governed by 29 CFR 1910.147 for general industry, and it's one of OSHA's most consistently cited standards.

The core sequence: notify affected employees, shut off the energy source, apply lockout or tagout devices to the energy-isolating device, release or restrain stored energy (capacitors, coils, charged lines), then verify a zero energy state before touching anything.

A tagout-only system (a tag, no physical lock) is allowed only where the equipment design won't accept a lock. OSHA's standard makes lockout the preferred method every time, because a tag can be removed or ignored while a lock physically stops re-energization ^[11].

Small employers routinely underestimate LOTO's scope. If a worker reaches into a machine to clear a jam, unclogs a conveyor, cleans around moving parts, or makes any adjustment that means bypassing a guard, LOTO applies. This reaches far past dedicated electricians.

Group lockout procedures (where several workers each apply their own lock) are required when more than one person works on the same equipment. Each worker's personal lock stays on until that worker's task is done. 29 CFR 1910.147(f)(3) covers group lockout/tagout specifically.

For the full build, the lockout/tagout guide covers written program requirements, device specifications, and inspection requirements in detail.

What training do workers need for electrical safety, and how do you document it?

Training under Subpart S splits along the qualified/unqualified line. Unqualified workers get hazard-awareness training. Qualified workers get the deeper skills training. Both have to be documented.

29 CFR 1910.332(a) says training applies to "employees who face a risk of electric shock that is not reduced to a safe level by the electrical installation requirements" of the standard ^[10]. In plain terms: if a worker might contact an energized part during their normal job, they need training.

For unqualified workers, 1910.332(b)(1) requires training on the hazards of electric shock, why not to approach live parts, and how to report electrical hazards.

For qualified workers, the requirements go much deeper and cover all the elements in the qualified worker section above.

OSHA does not set a minimum number of training hours, which trips people up. The standard measures outcomes (can the worker recognize and avoid hazards) rather than seat time. NFPA 70E training is widely accepted as meeting OSHA's qualified worker standard, and many employers use it as the benchmark.

Refresher training is required when an inspection turns up deficiencies, when there's reason to believe a worker's skills have slipped, or when new equipment or procedures come in.

Documentation has to include at least:

• Employee name
• Date of training
• Topic covered
• Name of trainer
• For qualified workers: evidence of demonstrated skill, more than attendance

OSHA inspectors will ask to see training records. "We told them" with no paper trail counts as no training in an enforcement setting.

For how these rules stack up against other topics, the OSHA training overview is a useful companion.

What are the OSHA penalties for electrical safety violations?

OSHA adjusts penalty amounts every year for inflation. As of 2024, the maximum for a serious violation is $16,131 per violation, and willful or repeated violations can reach $161,323 per violation ^[8].

Electrical violations get cited as serious when there's a substantial probability that death or serious harm could result. Given how electricity works, inspectors can almost always make that case. A missing GFCI, an open panel knockout, a cord run through a doorway as permanent wiring: all cited as serious.

A willful violation is one where the employer knew about the hazard and did nothing. A prior citation for the same condition, a complaint record, or workers testifying that they told management can each support a willful finding. At $161,323 apiece, a handful of them in one inspection adds up fast.

OSHA can also issue a Failure to Abate notice if you don't fix a cited violation by the deadline. Those penalties accrue daily, up to $16,131 per day, for every day past the abatement date.

Inspectors look for one thing in your favor: a written electrical safety program and training records. Show both during an inspection and you have a real defense for violations you genuinely didn't know about, plus proof of a good-faith effort to comply. Without them, every violation reads worse.

How do you conduct an electrical hazard assessment for your workplace?

A hazard assessment does not need a licensed engineer in most small business settings. For high-voltage systems above 600 volts or complex distribution equipment, a qualified electrical consultant is money well spent. For everything else, you can do a lot of it yourself.

Here's a practical framework for most general industry workplaces:

Step 1: Walk every panel and distribution point. Look for missing knockouts, missing covers, unlabeled breakers, crowded conductors, and signs of heat damage (discolored breakers, melted insulation). Check the panel schedule against what's actually connected.

Step 2: Audit all flexible cords and extension cords. Document every cord in use. Flag any running through walls, under carpets, or through doorways, and any standing in for permanent wiring. Check each for a damaged jacket, a missing ground pin, or the wrong ampacity for its load.

Step 3: Check GFCI protection in required locations. Those include bathrooms, kitchens, rooftops, outdoors, unfinished basements, garages, boathouses, and construction sites. Use a GFCI tester (under $15) to confirm receptacles actually trip.

Step 4: Identify every piece of energized equipment workers maintain or work near. For each one, document whether LOTO procedures exist, whether they're machine-specific, and whether workers are trained on them.

Step 5: Assess overhead line hazards. If any work happens outdoors or in large open structures, find the overhead lines, estimate clearances, and document required minimum approach distances.

Step 6: Document everything. Your assessment is both a management tool and an OSHA compliance record. Date it, sign it, and revisit it whenever you add equipment or change the space.

For a structured template that ties your assessment to your written program, SafetyFolio's program generator includes an electrical hazard assessment section built around your industry.

For how hazard assessments connect to your broader OSHA duties, the hazard communication framework covers the chemical side of the same process.

What are the most common OSHA electrical citations and how do you fix them?

OSHA's citation data makes the common violations easy to predict. Here are the ones that recur most in general industry inspections, and what to do about each.

Open knockout holes in electrical panels (1910.305(b)(1)). Every unused opening in an enclosure has to be closed. Fix: buy the right knockout seal plugs (under $5 each) and install them. Twenty minutes, near zero cost.

Extension cords used as permanent wiring (1910.305(g)(1)). If a cord has been in place so long nobody thinks of it as temporary, it's permanent wiring and it's a violation. Fix: install a proper outlet where the load actually sits, or reroute with conduit and permanent wiring.

Missing GFCI protection (1910.304(b)(3) for damp locations; 1926.404(b)(1) for construction). Fix: swap the receptacles for GFCI receptacles or install a GFCI breaker on the circuit. GFCI receptacles run $15 to $30 each, and a licensed electrician installs one in about 30 minutes.

Electrical panels blocked or inaccessible (1910.303(g)(1)). OSHA requires at least 3 feet of clear workspace in front of panels and switchboards, with 6.5 feet of headroom. Storage stacked in front of a panel is a classic violation. Fix: enforce a no-storage zone around every panel.

Damaged flexible cords (1910.305(g)(2)(iii)). Cords with cracked, frayed, or damaged insulation come out of service. Tape is not a repair for the outer jacket. Replace the cord.

No lockout/tagout program or improper LOTO procedures (1910.147). This is a program-level gap, not a quick fix. You need a written program, machine-specific procedures for each piece of equipment, hardware (locks, hasps, tags), and documented training.

No electrical safety training records (1910.332). Fix: run documented training and keep the records. Building the record after a citation gets viewed with suspicion. The time to build it is before the inspector shows up.

Are there special electrical safety rules for specific industries?

Several industries carry elevated electrical hazards and face specific OSHA expectations layered on top of Subpart S. Which extra rules apply depends on the work you're doing.

Construction (29 CFR 1926 Subpart K). Temporary wiring, portable tools, and proximity to overhead lines dominate the hazard list. OSHA's 1926.416 bars unqualified workers from working near any part of an electric power circuit, and the GFCI-or-assured-equipment-grounding-conductor program at 1926.404(b)(1) is non-negotiable on every jobsite.

Agriculture. Farm workers face real overhead line hazards while moving grain augers, irrigation pipe, and tall equipment. OSHA's 1928.21 pulls several general industry electrical standards into agricultural operations.

Healthcare. Hospitals and clinics operate under NFPA 99 (referenced by OSHA) for patient care areas, with special requirements for isolated power systems, ground fault protection, and equipment testing to guard against microshock hazards.

Manufacturing and metalworking. Wet processes, metal chips and shavings that conduct, high-current welding gear, and large motor-driven machinery all raise the hazard level. Arc flash risk usually runs higher in manufacturing than in an office because fault currents are larger.

Warehousing. Forklift certification requirements and electrical safety cross paths at powered industrial truck charging stations, where battery charging gives off hydrogen gas and calls for ventilation, spark-resistant fixtures, and specific charging procedures under 29 CFR 1910.178(g).

If your business spans several sectors, the applicable standard is whichever is more specific to the activity you're doing. An electrician in a hospital works under construction standards for new installation and general industry standards for maintenance.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common cause of electrical fatalities in the workplace?

Contact with overhead power lines accounts for the largest share of electrical fatalities, especially in construction, agriculture, and utility work. Within general industry, contact with energized equipment during maintenance (a failure to use lockout/tagout) leads. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries tracks these each year; electrical fatalities average around 150 per year in private industry ^[1].

Does OSHA require a written electrical safety program?

OSHA has no single rule using those exact words, but the combination of 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, 1910.147 (lockout/tagout), and 1910.132 (PPE hazard assessment) effectively requires documented procedures, hazard assessments, and training records. Any employer with qualified electrical workers and any service or maintenance tasks needs one in writing to show compliance during an inspection.

What voltage is considered dangerous under OSHA rules?

OSHA's Subpart S requires guarding of live parts operating at 50 volts or more (29 CFR 1910.303(g)). But as OSHA's training materials note, current, not voltage, determines injury severity. About 50 milliamps across the heart is lethal regardless of source voltage. Even 120-volt circuits push enough current through a body to kill under the right conditions.

How far do workers need to stay from overhead power lines?

For unqualified workers, OSHA's 1910.333(c)(3) requires staying at least 10 feet from any overhead line unless the voltage is known and a greater distance applies. For construction equipment near overhead lines, OSHA's 1926.1408 sets approach distances by voltage range, from 10 feet for lines up to 50kV to 45 feet for lines over 1,000kV. When in doubt, treat every line as energized at the highest voltage.

Can employees use extension cords as permanent wiring?

No. OSHA at 29 CFR 1910.305(g)(1)(iv) prohibits using flexible cords and cables as a substitute for fixed wiring. An extension cord is for temporary use only. Running one through a wall opening, securing it with staples, running it under rugs or through doorways long-term, or threading it through holes in ceilings or floors are all violations. The fix is a proper circuit and outlet.

What PPE is required for working on electrical panels?

At minimum, qualified workers need insulating rubber gloves rated for the circuit's voltage class, leather protectors over the gloves, safety glasses or a face shield, and flame-resistant or arc-rated clothing. For panels above 240 volts or where fault current is high, an arc flash hazard analysis sets the specific PPE category per NFPA 70E. Unqualified workers should not be opening energized panels at all.

How often does OSHA require electrical safety training?

OSHA sets no specific refresher interval for general electrical safety training under 1910.332. Training is required initially when a worker faces electrical hazards, and retraining is required when an inspection or incident reveals inadequate knowledge, when new equipment arrives, or when work practices change. NFPA 70E recommends retraining at intervals not exceeding three years for qualified workers, and many employers use that as their benchmark.

What is an arc flash and does my workplace need an arc flash study?

An arc flash is an explosive release of energy from an electrical fault, with intense heat (potentially over 35,000°F at the arc), pressure waves, and a spray of molten metal. NFPA 70E requires an arc flash risk assessment before a qualified worker approaches exposed energized conductors. Under 240 volts with limited fault current, the risk may be low enough to document without a full study. Above 240 volts or with high fault current, a formal study by a qualified electrical engineer is the defensible move.

Are GFCI outlets required everywhere in a business?

No, but the required locations are broader than most employers think. Under 29 CFR 1910.304(b)(3), GFCI protection is required for all temporary wiring and for receptacles in bathrooms, on rooftops, in employee kitchens, outdoors, and in construction or similar work areas. Construction sites require GFCI on all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-amp receptacles under 1926.404(b)(1). Office interiors away from water generally don't need GFCI unless the circuit was installed or updated under recent NEC editions.

What is the difference between lockout and tagout?

Lockout means physically applying a lock to an energy-isolating device (a breaker, disconnect, or valve) so it can't be operated. Tagout uses only a warning tag on the device, with no lock. OSHA's 1910.147 requires lockout whenever the equipment can be locked out. Tagout alone is allowed only when the equipment design prevents lockout, and even then extra safety measures are required because a tag gives less protection than a lock.

What should I do after a workplace electrical shock incident?

First, make sure the scene is safe before anyone touches the worker; the hazard may still be live. Call 911 even for shocks that seem minor, because cardiac arrhythmia can be delayed. Once the medical situation is handled, preserve the scene, document the incident, and check whether OSHA recordkeeping or reporting applies under 29 CFR 1904. Any incident causing hospitalization must be reported to OSHA within 24 hours. Then investigate root causes to stop a repeat.

Do office workers need electrical safety training?

Yes, at a basic level. OSHA's 1910.332(b)(1) requires training for workers who face a risk of electric shock. Office workers usually count as unqualified and need to know not to use damaged cords, not to overload circuits, how to spot electrical hazards, and whom to tell. They should not be resetting tripped breakers, replacing outlets, or doing any work on electrical equipment. The training can be short, but it has to be documented.

Can a small business owner do their own electrical safety inspections?

Yes, for basic visual inspections: cord condition, panel access clearances, GFCI function testing, and obvious physical hazards. You don't need a license to spot a missing knockout cover or a frayed cord. For anything that means opening panels to inspect wiring, testing circuits under load, or assessing arc flash levels, call a licensed electrician or qualified safety professional. A professional inspection usually runs a few hundred dollars, far cheaper than a citation or an injury.

Sources

1. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI): Electrical incidents cause approximately 150 worker fatalities per year in private industry and more than 1,000 nonfatal injuries serious enough to require days away from work.
2. OSHA, Electrical Hazards (Safety and Health Topics): OSHA training materials state that it is the amount of current flowing through the body, not the voltage, that determines severity of shock.
3. OSHA, 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K, Electrical (Construction): Construction electrical safety is governed by 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K, covering 29 CFR 1926.400 through 1926.449.
4. OSHA, 29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1), Ground-Fault Protection: OSHA requires GFCI protection on all 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles at construction sites.
5. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.399, Definitions: OSHA defines a qualified person as someone who has received training in and has demonstrated skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of electrical equipment and installations.
6. NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (2021 edition): NFPA 70E PPE categories range from category 1 (minimum arc rating 4 cal/cm2) to category 4 (minimum arc rating 40 cal/cm2) based on incident energy at the working distance.
7. OSHA, Penalties (OSHA.gov): As of 2024, the maximum penalty for a serious violation is $16,131 per violation and willful or repeated violations can reach $161,323 per violation.
8. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, Electrical (General Industry): General industry electrical safety is regulated under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, from 29 CFR 1910.301 through 1910.399.
9. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.332, Training: Training requirements under Subpart S apply to employees who face a risk of electric shock not reduced to a safe level by the electrical installation requirements of the standard.
10. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.147, Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout): Lockout is always the preferred method; tagout alone is only permitted when equipment design prevents lockout, and additional safety measures must be taken. OSHA estimates lockout/tagout compliance prevents roughly 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries per year.
11. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.305, Wiring Methods, Components, and Equipment for General Use: Flexible cords and cables cannot be used as a substitute for fixed wiring, and all unused openings in electrical enclosures must be closed.
12. OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.333, Selection and Use of Work Practices: Unqualified workers must maintain a minimum approach distance from exposed energized parts; for overhead lines of unknown voltage, workers must stay at least 10 feet away.