It is commonly believed that only copper wires have safety challenges, mainly because copper is a good conductor of electricity and there is a high risk of an electric shock. This is one of the reasons why several safety measures are adopted to protect technicians from safety challenges.
However, not many people know or pay attention to the security challenges of fiber optic cables. Fiber optic cables include several thin fibers that are usually made with glass or plastic. FTTH networks use light technology to transmit data from one end to the other. Significant safety challenges during FTTX installation include:
• Eye Protection from Fiber Radiation Light
Light radiations present in fiber optic fibers can cause serious harm to eye and eyesight in the longer run. With the naked eye, you might not be able to see whether or not any light is present in fibers or not. This increases the risk because uninformed people might risk their eye and eye site because they do not “visibly” see any light passing through fiber-optic cables.
To ensure that light radiations are not harming your eye, in no case scenarios you should look directly into the end of the fiber. During the installation and repair process, technicians are highly advised to protect themselves from any level of exposure to light radiation carried in the fibers of the fiber-optic cables.
It is highly advised to take safety measures and avoid looking directly into the end of the fiber. If it is essential to look, then make sure that you are wearing safety glasses that are specifically designed to protect the eyes from the harmful light radiations of fiber-optic.
During the installation process, technicians are highly advised to protect themselves from any level of exposure to light radiation carried in the fibers of the fiber-optic cables.
• Hydrovac Process Safety
Although, safety measures are taken to safeguard technicians during hydrovac process for fiber-optic installation. However, it is essential to discuss the hydrovac process safety measures to remind the workers about the importance of following the safety measures and also to ensure that companies do not ignore the significance of their worker’s safety during the hydrovac process.
• Protection from Harmful Chemicals and Correct Disposal of Fiber Scraps
Apart from the dangerous light radiations, protection from harmful chemicals used in fibreoptics splicing, termination and cleaning is also essential. It is also important to ensure all the fiber scraps are correctly disposed of. The wastes should be disposed of according to the regulations to ensure they do not cause any safety hazards to humans, animals, plants or the environment.
· Protecting the Fiber Optic Cables
Protecting yourself is undeniably essential. But, you cannot overlook the importance of protecting the fiber optic cables. It is crucial to ensure that the fiber optic protected from:
- Dust particles and moisture entering the sealer connectors and fiber optic splicing.
- Any surface damages and flaws that can cause micro-cracks and splitting, which can affect the efficiency of the fiber-optic network.
- Fiber strain or stress during the installation process and afterward. Pulling, over-stretching and/or putting too much weight or pressure on FTTH cables can cause degradation and may cause the fibers to deteriorate quickly.
