Electrical Engineering Safety Guide and Glossary of Terms

professional technician engineer with safety hard hat

Working with electricity can be extremely dangerous, which is why it's so important to follow proper safety procedures. Whether you're an electrician handling overhead lines and circuit assemblies or someone in an office using electrical equipment, you can be exposed to electrical hazards in the workplace.

Risks like electric shock, electrocution, fires and explosions are serious, and that's why safety standards, such as those set by OSHA, exist to protect you and your coworkers. By understanding the risks and following safety guidelines, you can help prevent accidents and keep your workplace safe for everyone.

Safety Tips for Electrical Engineers

Electrical engineers face unique risks every day, from direct exposure to high-voltage systems and live circuits to working with complex electrical equipment. To protect yourself, always wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), such as insulated gloves, flame-resistant clothing and safety goggles.

Before starting any task, make sure the power is turned off and follow lockout/tag out procedures to keep circuits de-energized. Use the right tools, like insulated screwdrivers and voltage testers, and regularly inspect them for damage.

You should also try to stay aware of your surroundings at all times, avoid water when working and, when possible, work with a partner on live systems. By sticking to these safety practices, you can protect yourself, reduce risks and work efficiently with confidence.

40 Common Electrical Engineering Terms

Active Filter: An electronic circuit that uses active components like amplifiers to selectively filter and amplify specific frequency ranges.

Arcing: The flow of electric current through air or another non-conductive medium, producing a visible and potentially hazardous electric spark.

Attenuation: The gradual reduction in signal strength or amplitude as electricity travels through a medium or system.

Binary Code: A system of representing data or instructions using only two symbols, typically 0 and 1.

Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT): A semiconductor device with three terminals (emitter, base and collector) used for amplification and switching applications.

Capacitance: The ability of a capacitor to store electric charge, measured in farads (F).

Cathode: The electrode in an electrical device where reduction (gain of electrons) occurs or current flows out in a conventional circuit.

Coaxial Cable: A type of electrical cable with a central conductor, insulating layer and outer shield, designed for high-frequency signal transmission.

Collector: The terminal of a bipolar junction transistor where current flows out of or into the device.

Combinational Logic: A type of digital circuit where the output depends solely on the current input values, with no memory of past states.

Comparator: An electronic device that compares two input voltages and outputs a signal based on which is greater.

Cutoff Frequency: The frequency at which a filter begins to attenuate a signal.

Data Acquisition: The process of collecting and measuring electrical signals from real-world sources for analysis and processing.

Differential Amplifier: A circuit that amplifies the voltage difference between two input signals while rejecting common-mode signals.

Electric Potential: The work needed to move a unit charge from one point to another within an electric field, measured in volts (V).

Electrical Resistance: A material's opposition to the flow of electric current, measured in ohms (Ω).

Electromagnetic Induction: The process of generating voltage or current in a conductor using a changing magnetic field.

Electromotive Force (EMF): The energy provided by a power source per unit charge, driving current through a circuit, measured in volts (V).

Farad (F): The unit of capacitance, defined as one coulomb of charge per volt.

Frequency: The number of cycles of a periodic signal or waveform that occur in one second, measured in hertz (Hz).

Fuse: A safety device designed to break an electrical circuit when excessive current flows, preventing damage or fire.

Gain: The ratio of the output signal to the input signal in an amplifier or system, indicating amplification strength.

Ground: The reference point in an electrical circuit with zero voltage, providing a return path for current.

Harmonics: Multiples of a fundamental frequency that distort waveforms, often causing interference in electrical systems.

Heat Sink: A device that absorbs and dissipates heat from electronic components to prevent overheating.

Henry (H): The unit of inductance, where one henry produces one volt when current changes at one ampere per second.

Impedance: The total opposition to alternating current in a circuit, combining resistance and reactance, measured in ohms (Ω).

Inductance: The property of a circuit or coil that opposes changes in current, creating a magnetic field, measured in henries (H).

Inductor: A passive electrical component that stores energy in a magnetic field when current flows through it.

Integrated Circuit (IC): A compact electronic circuit made up of numerous miniaturized components, like transistors and resistors, on a semiconductor chip.

Joule (J): The unit of energy, defined as the work done when one newton of force moves an object one meter.

Kirchhoff's Laws: Two fundamental laws governing current and voltage in circuits: current entering a junction equals current leaving, and voltage around a loop sums to zero.

LED: Light-emitting diode, a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current flows through it.

Logic Gate: A building block of digital circuits that performs logical operations such as AND, OR and NOT.

Magnetic Flux: The total magnetic field passing through a surface, measured in webers (Wb).

Magnetization: The process of aligning magnetic domains in a material to produce a net magnetic field.

MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor): A type of transistor used for switching and amplification in electronic circuits, controlled by voltage.

Ohm's Law: The relationship between voltage, current and resistance in a circuit, defined as V = IR.

Polarization: The separation of electric charges within a material or system, leading to the formation of positive and negative poles.

Sine Wave: A smooth, periodic oscillation of a signal with an S-shaped curve.