Monday, November 17, 2008
Cutting Costs With Energy Auditing
This articles comes from Reliable Plant magazine. Paul Twite of 24-7 Power, an electrical consulting and engineering service company, describes how he helps companies become more energy efficient."Twite uses a three-step approach to help a company lower its energy bills. With the right tools and knowledge, your company can follow the same process using your own personnel. Here’s how it works:"
Step 1: Energy accounting
Step 2: Analysis and identifying problems
Step 3: Proposing and prioritizing solutions
This is how Twite describes step 1: "This step consists of three parts: 1) reviewing utility bills, 2) using thermal imagers to scan the electrical, mechanical, process and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) systems as well as the building envelope (everything that separates the interior of a building from the outdoor environment) and 3) monitoring for power consumption, power quality, power factor and other relevant aspects of energy use."
You can read the complete article online in Reliable Plant Magazine.
Labels: Electrical Information, General Electrical
posted by Steve H.
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Revised NFPA 70E Clarifies electrical Safety
An article by Jim White in Plant Service magazine discusses the new NFPA 70E requirements. Mr. White is a member of two of the task groups (Words and Phrases Task Group and the Tables Task Group) that are working on the new NFPA 70E code.Here is the introductory paragraph:
"During the June 2008 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) World Safety Conference and Exposition, the final content of the 70E standard began to take shape. Until then, nothing was firm because the NFPA Standards Council has the final say on 70E, as it does on any NFPA-derived documents. This structure is in place to administer the rules and regulations and to act as an appeals body for any disagreements to the codes and standards."
The article provides a brief history of NFPA 70E and then discusses thirteen changes to the code.
- Made more consistent and accessible
- No More Jargon
- Article 110.6(A) added new training requirements:
- Article 110.7(A) changed
- Chapter 4 is eliminated completely:
- Major wording changes in the tables
- Switchgear:
- Predictive maintenance
- Some hazard/risk categories have been changed:
- New category
- Ease of use:
- Hazard risk table changes
- Fine Print Note
Labels: Electrical Safety, NFPA 70E
posted by Steve H.
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
OSHA Reopens Record On Proposed Rule On Electric Power Generation, Transmission And Distribution
OSHA announced in the Federal Register that it is reopening the record on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on electric power generation, transmission and distribution work and for electrical protective equipment. This limited reopening seeks to obtain comments related to how close an employee (or a conductive object that an employee is contacting) may get to an energized circuit part."We want to use the most accurate data available to ensure that employees are maintaining safe distances from dangerous electrical sources," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "Extending this rulemaking process will provide us with the information we need to provide the best possible protection for working men and women on the job."
On June 15, 2005, OSHA published a proposed rule to revise the general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution work and for electrical protective equipment. This proposal included revised minimum approach distances (MADs), including MAD tables that can be used to determine how close an employee or a conductive object, which he or she is contacting, can get to an energized part. After the rulemaking record on the proposal closed, the technical committee responsible for developing the tables in the consensus standards on which the proposal was based discovered an error in their calculation of minimum approach distances for certain voltages. OSHA is reopening the record on this proposal only to obtain comments related to the affected minimum approach distances.
The agency will accept public comments on the proposed rule about the affected minimum approach distances until Nov. 21, 2008. Interested parties may submit comments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal; by sending two copies to the OSHA Docket Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-2625, Washington, DC 20210; or by FAX at 202-693-1648 if the comments and attachments do not exceed 10 pages. Comments must include the Agency name and Docket Number (Docket No. OSHA-S215-2006-0063) for this rulemaking.
Labels: Electrical Hazards, Electrical Safety
posted by Steve H.
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OSHA To Issue Workplace Electrical Product Safety Request for Information
OSHA announced that a proposed Request for Information (RFI) related to its Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) program will be published in the Federal Register on Oct. 20, 2008. A copy of the proposed RFI currently is available on OSHA's Web site. The public comment period on the RFI will begin only after it has been formally published and will close on Jan. 20, 2009.The RFI requests comment on a proposal submitted to the United States by the European Commission (EC) to permit the use of a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) as an alternative to OSHA's NRTL product-approval process for certain electrical and other products used in the workplace. The EC made its proposal through the Transatlantic Economic Council, which was established by an agreement between the U.S. and the EU signed in April 2007.
"This RFI will allow all stakeholders the opportunity to provide evidence to help OSHA better evaluate the EU's SDoC system and determine whether or not an SDoC system meets the safety requirements for the Occupational Safety and Health Act," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr.
NRTLs are independent laboratories that have met OSHA's requirements for performing safety testing and certification of electrical and other products used in the workplace. NRTLs test and certify these products to determine whether they conform to appropriate U.S. product-safety testing standards. In contrast, an SDoC is a written statement, produced by an equipment manufacturer or supplier, that a product meets or conforms to a specified test standard or a set of requirements.
Labels: Electrical Safety, General Electrical
posted by Steve H.
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Thursday, October 16, 2008
Understanding OSHA Arc Flash Regulations
Here is a video from the Industrial Training University that provides a basic overview of what is required to address arc flash hazards. It covers labeling, arc flash analysis and PPE. It is just under eight minutes in length.Labels: Arc Flash Training, OSHA Standards, Work Place Safety
posted by Steve H.
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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Daredevil Electricians of Pakistan
A post on the "All Things Pakistan" blog caught my attention. It has a lot of pictures, as well as commentary, about the lack of safety during utility wire maintenance and repairs. One of the introductory paragraphs states:"The daredevil mentality persists where Electricians over look safety measures thinking they know it all. They think if nothing has happened to them in all these years, then nothing will happen to them in the future because of their experience. Sometimes they even think it is below their macho image to wear protective equipment. It is true that these electricians may have knowledge of basic rules of electricity and physics but mistakes and accidents do happen and in such circumstances, I believe these guys and our utility companies (WAPDA and KESC) are very ill prepared."
Take a look. Here is the link: Daredevil Electricians
Labels: Electrical Injuries, Electrical Safety, Electrical Safety Training
posted by Steve H.
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Friday, September 26, 2008
Eaton Announces Their Participation In Arc Flash Research
Plant Engineeering Live announced that Eaton is a platinum sponsor of the multi-year Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project. The article states:"Eaton is a platinum sponsor of the multi-year Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project that will go a long way toward understanding arc flash events worldwide. The $6 million to $7 million initiative will involve more than 2,000 test protocols that measure the thermal, pressure, sound, shrapnel, toxicity and radiative phenomena generated in arc flashes, and will explore how enclosures affect the energy released."
The article starts with an overview of arc flash and a summary of what the research project will be looking at. It concludes with this summary of some of the anticipated benefits of the study:
"The Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project will give companies the same degree of information about protecting workers exposed to electrical safety hazards that the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations provide for the handling of hazardous chemicals and maintaining safe working conditions, respectively. If OSHA or Congress chooses to implement workplace electrical safety regulations or legislation, project content can serve as the basis for public policy, or may be used verbatim. The same holds true if state agencies or legislatures choose to strengthen on-the-job safety requirements."
You can read the entire article at: http://www.plantengineering.com/article/CA6594344.html
Labels: Arc Flash, Electrical Hazards, Understanding Arc Flash
posted by Steve H.
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Monday, September 15, 2008
Understanding Ground Fault Protection
There is a good article by Ken Cybart of Littelfuse in today's Plant Engineering Live. It provides an overview describing ground fault monitors. The article begins by discussing the causes of ground faults:"Simply put, a ground fault occurs when electrical current finds a bridge to ground via worn insulations, conductive dusts, water or other “soft grounds,” instead of the normal path back to its source. More than 80% of short circuits in equipment are ground faults, and 90% of these events are due to insulation deterioration on wires and cables."
The article then discusses Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) and Ground Fault Relays (GFRs). You can read the complete article at: http://www.plantengineering.com/
Labels: Electrical Safety, Preventing Arc Flash Accidents
posted by Steve H.
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Friday, September 12, 2008
ESDA Announced Paladin Real-Time Arc Flash Advisor
The following is based on a press release from ESDA Corporation.EDSA Corp. has unveiled the Paladin® Real-Time Arc Flash Advisor™, the industry's first software program that enables organizations to make up-to-date assessments of changing arc flash hazards. By maintaining an uninterrupted, 360 degree view of the facility and its potential arc flash hazards, Paladin Real-Time Arc Flash Analytics can provide detailed, updated advisories for site personnel regarding the appropriate safety procedures and protective gear recommended to work in a given vicinity.
Though electrical accidents represent a statistically small percentage of all work-related incidents, they are disproportionately fatal: according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), electrical injuries in the workplace – in particular, phenomena called "arc flash" accidents – result in the death of a facilities worker every 28 hours… even in facilities that have passed formal inspections within recent months.
"Even the best-designed, regularly-inspected facility has arc flash threats that emerge after the inspectors leave, because of changes made within the facility, equipment getting swapped out, and maintenance procedures requiring workers to access off-limits areas for repairs," said Mark A. Ascolese, chairman and CEO of EDSA. "The Paladin Real-Time Arc Flash Advisor is the first software product that can perform intelligent calculations about potential arc flash threats in real-time… an effective way to help enhance worker safety in-between required OSHA inspections."
Understanding the Arc Flash Threat
As defined by IEEE and the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), arc flash is a strong electric current – and sometimes a full-blown explosion – that passes through air when insulation between electrified conductors is no longer sufficient to contain the voltage within them. This creates a "short cut" that allows electricity to race from conductor-to-conductor… to the extreme detriment of any worker standing nearby. Arc flash resembles a lightning bolt-like charge, emitting heat four times the surface temperature of the sun; anyone exposed to the blast or heat without sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) would be severely -- and oftentimes fatally -- injured.
During a seven-year study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2,576 U.S. workers died and another 32,807 sustained lost-time injuries -- losing an average of 13 days away from work -- due to electrical shock or burn injuries. These statistics were validated in a second study involving more than 120,000 employees that determined arc flash injuries accounted for 77% of all recorded electrical injuries.
New Real-Time Protection
Used in conjunction with the Company’s Paladin® Live™ platform, the Paladin Real-Time Arc Flash Advisor maintains an uninterrupted watch over site operations -- continually checking all components, equipment, and systems -- to make intelligent recommendations about where potential arc flash hazards have the potential to emerge, and gauge their severity.
Prior to entering the area and beginning work, site personnel simply query the Paladin Real-Time Arc Flash Advisor: the system responds with an up-to-date recommendation on the appropriate safety procedures and PPE necessary to work in the vicinity. Recommendations are based upon IEEE 1584 and the NFPA 70E standards entitled, "IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations" and "Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces" respectively.
For example, when performing repairs to equipment in which a worker could accidentally be exposed to an electrical hazard, Paladin Real-Time Arc Flash Advisor will provide specific guidance on gloves, clothing, goggles, helmet, etc., that the worker should wear to increase his or her safety in the event of an accident. Forewarned about the nature of the threat, workers will be able to proceed with a higher degree of knowledge about specific safety risks they may encounter.
About EDSA Micro Corporation- EDSA develops software solutions for the computer-aided design, modeling, real-time analysis, energy management, and preventative maintenance of complex electrical power systems. For more than 25 years, the Company’s Paladin® software products have been used in thousands of commercial, industrial, governmental, and military applications worldwide, to protect more than $100 billion in customer assets, while reducing their energy consumption. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., the Company maintains sales, distribution, and support offices around the world. For more information about EDSA and its products, visit www.edsa.com.
Labels: Arc Flash, Arc Flash PPE, Arc Flash Products, Preventing Arc Flash Accidents
posted by Steve H.
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