• Keeping electricity out of reach is keeping people safe.electrical pole image by Dumitrescu Ciprian from Fotolia.com
  
  Common electrical symbols take complex electrical information and condense it into icons that convey meaning to anyone trained to interpret them. Simply put, the symbols comprise a language that allows electricians to inspect the expected results before doing the work, do the work more quickly and cross-check or alter that work should an issue arise. Education, machinery and building all use electrical symbols to expedite tasks.
  
  

Education

• Symbols can convey meaning regardless of native language.electrical danger image by JCVStock from Fotolia.com
  
  If electrical symbols are a separate language, then education is the first place to look for them. From basic science classes that have students making a simple circuit to master electrician courses that delve deeply into how the symbols work together, the symbols are taught as a way of communicating complex ideas in shorthand. Students learn the meaning behind the symbols and then learn how to use those symbols themselves to convey meaning.
  
  

Machines

• Symbols help to simplify the complex.electrical panel switch image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com
  
  We use a remarkable array of electrical and electronic devices these days, which makes common electrical symbols important to meeting demand. On the assembly line, machines and human workers follow the symbols to properly build everything from computers to radios. If a machine malfunctions, technicians can again refer to the symbols to dismantle, fix and rebuild our machines. Anyone directly involved in how components work together understands the common language of the symbols, making everyone's job easier.
  
  

Blueprints

• Wall plug in the raw.electric outlet image by Dawn Williams from Fotolia.com
  
  While our machines are certainly complex, they generally are not on the same scale as whole buildings. Symbols take up far less room on a blueprint than lengthy explanations of cable paths, and they allow an electrician to make necessary changes on paper before putting holes in the walls or running wires. Symbols on blueprints are a way of stepping back to see the whole picture, reducing final costs and expediting the final results. It's also a way for electricians to work with architects and other experts involved in the project simultaneously without requiring the same depth of understanding from each person.