International Hazard Datasheets on Occupation

Repair person, electrical appliance

What is a Hazard Datasheet on Occupation?

[Hazards] [Preventive Measures] [Specialized Information] [List of Datasheets]

This datasheet is one of the International Datasheets on Occupations. It is intended for those professionally concerned with health and safety at work: occupational physicians and nurses, safety engineers, hygienists, education and Information specialists, inspectors, employers ' representatives, workers' representatives, safety officers and other competent persons.

This datasheet lists, in a standard format, different hazards to which repair person, electrical appliances may be exposed in the course of their normal work. This datasheet is a source of information rather than advice. With the knowledge of what causes injuries and diseases, is easier to design and implement suitable measures towards prevention.

This datasheet consists of four pages:

• Page 1: Information on the most relevant hazards related to the occupation.
• Page 2: A more detailed and systematized presentation on the different hazards related to the job with indicators for preventive measures (marked as and explained on the third page).
• Page 3: Suggestions for preventive measures for selected hazards.
• Page 4: Specialized information, relevant primarily to occupational safety and health professionals and including information such as a brief job description, a list of tasks, notes and references.

Who is an electrical appliance repair person?

A worker who repairs electrical home appliances - toasters, cookers, lamps, irons, etc.

What is dangerous about this job?

• Electrical appliance repairperson may accidentally come into contact with live wires or defective instruments receiving an electric shock.
• Electrical appliance repairperson often work long hours in seated postures, do many repetitive movements, and sometimes have to handle heavy and bulky appliances. All these may cause back, leg, arm and hand pain.

Hazards related to this job

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Specific preventive measures can be seen by clicking on the respective in the third column of the table.

Accident hazards	Falls from height while installing or repairing hanging lamps, buzzers, outdoor units of "split" air conditioners, ceiling fans, etc.
	Slips, trips and falls on the level, esp. on wet, slippery and greasy floors, while moving heavy appliances
	Electric shocks caused by contact with live wires or defective instruments
	Mechanical injuries caused by exposed rotating parts of appliances under repair (e.g., fans)
	Acute poisoning and/or chemical burns as a result of using solvents, adhesives and other chemicals
	Fire risk due to use of flammable solvents, adhesives, etc.
	Burns caused by contact with hot elements of appliances under repair (e.g., irons), molten metals (while soldering or brazing), or as a result of sudden release of vapors from appliances under repair (e.g., from coffee makers)
	Cuts and punctures caused by working tools, sharp edges of parts of appliances under repair, puncture wounds from metal wires, etc.
	Risk of road accidents, while driving to/from customer premises
Physical hazards	Exposure to radiation while repairing microwave ovens
	Increased exposure to very low frequency (VLF) and extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields (EMF) [See Note]
Chemical hazards	Chronic toxicological effects associated with welding and soldering operations and materials such as lead
	Chronic poisoning as a result of exposure to fluorohydrocarbons, methyl chloride and other substances used in refrigerators, air conditioners, etc.
Biological hazards	Biological hazards may be encountered while repairing appliances that were used by sick persons (e.g., hair dryers, electric tooth-brushes, electrical shavers, etc.), or were operated in a contaminated atmosphere (e.g., vacuum cleaners)
Ergonomic, psychosocial and organizational factors	Acute musculoskeletal injuries caused by physical overexertion and awkward posture while moving and installing heavy appliances
	Cumulative trauma disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by long-time repetitive work involving primarily hand, arm, and finger movement (in appliance repairers engaged in repair work on assembly line, or in repetitive workbench operations)
	Visual discomfort and eye strain as a result of viewing small parts of appliances under poor illumination conditions (e.g., inside an appliance)
	Psychological stress as a result of work under time pressure and dealing with unsatisfied customers

Preventive measures

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	Inspect ladder before climbing. Never climb on a shaky ladder or a ladder with slippery rungs
	Wear safety shoes with non-skid soles
	Substitute non-flammable solvents, glues, cleaners etc., for flammable ones
	Use heat-insulating gloves to handle hot parts
	Use metal-mesh or other cut- or stab-resistant gloves in all work with sharp knives or other sharp tools
	Wear a respirator when emptying dust from vacuum cleaners
	Learn and use safe lifting and moving techniques for heavy or awkward loads; use mechanical aids to assist in lifting
	Install effective general and local illumination; consult a lighting expert

Specialized information

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Synonyms	Appliance-service representative; small-appliance repairer
Definitions and/or description	Repairs electrical appliances, such as toasters, cookers, percolators, lamps, and irons, using handtools and electrical testing instruments. Examines appliance for mechanical defects and disassembles appliance. Tests wiring for broken or short circuits, using voltmeters, ohmmeters, and other circuit testers. Replaces defective wiring and parts, such as toaster elements and percolator coils, using handtools, soldering iron, and spot-welding equipment. May compute charges for labor and materials. May assist electrical-appliance servicer (any industry) in repairing such appliance as refrigerators and stoves [electrical-appliance repairer (any industry)] [DOT]
Related and specific occupations	Appliance repairer [and occupations according to specific appliances, e.g.: food-mixer repairer; heating-element repairer; toaster-element repairer; vacuum-cleaner repairer; etc.]; assembler (household appliances); electrical-appliance preparer [and occupations according to specific appliances, e.g.: coffee-maker preparer; electric-refrigerator preparer; washing-machine preparer; etc.]; electrical-appliance servicer [and occupations according to specific appliances]; fixer; household-appliance installer; maintenance man; mender; repairman; serviceman; troubleshooter; uncrater
Tasks	Adjusting; advising (customers); aligning; applying; assembling, disassembling and reassembling; assisting; bending; bolting; boring; brazing; calculating (costs, wiring parameters, etc.); calibrating; checking; cleaning; computing (charges, etc.); connecting; cutting; demonstrating (appliances in operation); determining (repair requirements); drilling; driving; earthing; estimating (costs); examining (appliances); fastening; filing; fitting; fixing; gluing; hammering; handling; identifying (defects); installing; inserting; insulating; joining; keeping (records); lifting; loading and unloading; locating (shorts and grounds, etc.); lubricating; maintaining (stock of parts); marking; measuring (dimensions, electric parameters); mend-ing; mounting; moving (heavy appliances); observing (appliance in operation, instrument readings); operating (appliances, equipment); painting; placing; polishing; preparing; recording (details of repair); removing; repairing; replacing; screwing and unscrewing; sealing; selecting; servicing; setting; soldering; splicing (cables); stripping (wires); testing; touching up (paint defects); tracing (electrical circuits); transporting; troubleshooting; uncrating; using (tools, skills, etc.); washing; welding; wiring; wrapping (wires with tape)
Primary equipment used	Drills; electrical spare parts and accessories (e.g. capacitors, coils, resistors, fans, cables, wires, heating-elements, etc.); handtools (e.g. cutters, pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc.); ohmmeters, oscilloscope and other circuit testers; pulse generator; soldering irons; spot-welding equipment; etc.
Workplaces where the occupation is common	Electrical appliance repair shops; electrical appliance preparation, service and repair departments (at factories, companies/agents repair and service shops, etc.); electromechanical workshops or departments of hospitals, technical schools, big companies, etc.
Notes	There exist conflicting opinions as to whether exposure to VLF and ELF EMF is hazardous to health. So far, no convincing proof of such hazard has been obtained
References	Encyclopaedia of Occupational Health and Safety, 3rd Ed., ILO, Geneva, 1983, Vol. 1, various chapters. McPartland, J.F. et al : National Electric Code Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1981. Electricity at Work: Safe Working Practices. HS(G) 85, HSE (UK), 1993. Schram, P.J. (Ed.): The National Electrical Code Handbook, NFPA, USA, 1986.

This information has been compiled by the Israel Institute for Occupational Safety and Hygiene jointly with the BIA (Germany).