What are the hazards of installing photovoltaic panels

What are the risks of installing solar panels?

Workers must pay attention to overhead power lines and stay at least 10 feet away from them because they carry extremely high voltage. Fatal electrocution is the main hazard, but burns and falls from elevations can occur while installing solar panels. Another hazard is from using tools and equipment that can contact power lines.

How dangerous is a photovoltaic installation?

Safety risks and mitigation measures Falls from elevated surfaces are the most significant contributing occupational hazard to fatalities in the construction industry (Dong et al., 2019, U.S. Department of Labor, 1990). Photovoltaic installations performed on elevated working surfaces expose installers to the risk of falling from dangerous heights.

Are solar panels a hazard?

Fatal electrocution is the main hazard, but burns and falls from elevations can occur while installing solar panels. Another hazard is from using tools and equipment that can contact power lines. Some resources on electrical hazards and information on the standards and practices that address electrical hazards are provided below:

Are there occupational safety risks associated with solar PV installation?

An obstacle to solar PV growth is the severity of the occupational safety risks associated with their installation. Although PV installers are known to experience some of the most significant and widespread construction-related occupational safety risks, PV installer accident investigation research, reporting, and verification are limited.

Which safety risks are associated with PV installations?

Through reviewing these articles, four major safety risk categories were identified as being associated with PV installations: (1) electrical and fire risks, (2) heat stress, (3) manual handling risks, and (4) fall risks.

What are the risks of working in the solar energy industry?

Workers in the solar energy industry are potentially exposed to a variety of serious hazards, such as arc flashes (which include arc flash burn and blast hazards), electric shock, falls, and thermal burn hazards that can cause injury and death.