How to Stay Safe When Working with Solar Energy

If you are someone who installs solar panels, or you’re thinking of becoming someone who doe, you should know all the risks that are involved and how to keep yourself safe. From the weight of the panels, to working on rooftops, to the risk of heat-related injuries from the panels, installing solar panels isn’t the safest job in the world. But by following this safety advice, you can learn how to limit the dangers and reduce the possibility of getting a serious injury while trying to install clean energy.

Check Out the Site Beforehand

To ensure you know exactly what you need to prepare for when going to install a solar panel system, it’s a good idea to take a long look at the site of the installation. Make sure you identify every safety risk on the building so that, if presented with having to overcome one of those hazards on the job, you’ll be fully prepared. Make sure you bring the correct equipment for the job, including equipment for lifting the panels and equipment specifically for your own safety. Do a check of how tall the building is so you can plan appropriately for any ladders or scaffolding you’ll bring. Also, make sure you have fully examined your equipment before even bringing it to the site.

Be Sure to Handle the Panels Correctly

The panels themselves pose a risk to your safety because of how large and heavy they are. When lifting them, at least two people should be helping. Vehicles like forklifts should be used for the transportation of the panels around the site. Never carry panels up a ladder. Instead, use a safe system like a crane meant to transport heavy objects. To avoid burning yourself on the panels, shield them with an opaque sheet. In addition, gloves should be worn, not only to avoid burns, but also to avoid injuries of the fingers from things like hammers and falling panels.

Be Careful When Working on a Roof

When installing solar panels, your space will decrease more and more as you get closer to finishing the job. To avoid falling, make sure you don’t leave anything lying around that you could possibly trip on. Also be sure the space you are working on is dry, which will also prevent a slip. If the work site is high up, you’ll want to take additional precautions. Some things that could help you are guardrails or nets, which will keep you from falling over the edge. Additionally, you should make sure you wear a body harness at all times so that even if you do fall, the danger will dramatically decrease. If there are any holes on the site, make sure to cover them up, as well.

Avoiding the Risk of Electrical Injury

Solar panels contain multiple areas where you are in danger of getting electrocuted. The solar array, the inverter, and the exterior wiring can all harm you. Additionally, they are powered by the sun, so the risk of being injured is greater than it would be when working with traditional energy. Even if the power company is not sending energy to the home, the system itself still conducts it. This means extra precautions must be taken for this type of installation. As stated before, covering it with an opaque sheet is the first step, which will help block out the sunlight. Avoid coming into contact with any of the wiring. There are also devices that can test if they are currently being energized that you can use if you need to touch them.

All in all, remember safety comes before anything else, and that you should never rush a job and put yourself in danger.

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