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Arc Flash & Electrical Safety News

Friday, February 05, 2010

Video - Arc Flash At MobilExxon In Texas

This video shows the arc flash that occurred at one of the MobilExxon facilities in Beaumont, Texas not long ago.

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

News From Australia - Company Fined For Arc Flash Injury

The following is a press release from the government of South Australia:

A Whyalla electrical contractor has been convicted and fined today over an incident, in which a young trainee suffered burns that resulted from an arc flash. In delivering his penalty to ICE Engineering and Construction Pty Ltd, Industrial Magistrate Michael Ardlie said: "The defendant failed in its obligations to a very junior worker. Whilst it had safety systems in place, those safety systems were not utilised."

The SA Industrial Relations Court heard how in April 2007, the then-17 year old male had been engaged as a trainee with the defendant for just three weeks. At the time of the incident, he was at a local business helping with work on a circuit distribution board. When he used an insulated copper wire to touch a live part of a circuit breaker, an arc flash resulted which knocked the youth to the ground and burned his face, neck and arms. While he required hospital treatment, he has since returned to work and remains with the employer.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching section 19(1) of the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986 in failing to provide a safe system of work and appropriate information, instruction, training and supervision.

The court heard that on the day:
• the trainee was supervised by a third year apprentice, not a qualified tradesperson
• no job safety analysis had been done on the tasks the trainee was to do
• the trainee had no understanding of the operation and design of the board and its components.

Magistrate Ardlie fined the company $15,000 after a discount of 25 per cent for its early guilty plea, contrition and remedial action. However he declined an application by the defendant not to record a conviction saying: "The incident … has served as a reminder to the defendant that although it may have systems in place, it does need to implement those systems at a practical level in relation to each work site it attends, especially given the environment in which it works."

SafeWork SA Executive Director, Michele Patterson says it reinforces the view that any workplace safety system must be consistently followed in order to be fully effective.
"Statistically young workers are always at greater risk of harm, and coupled with the hazard of electricity, this incident should emphasise to the electrical services industry that young workers should always enjoy the full protection of a diligently applied safety regime."

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Using Ultrasound To Prevent Electrical Failures

An article by Mark Goodman, UE Systems, Inc., showing how ultrasound can be used to detect electrical failures, appears in Reliable Plant Magazine. It describes how portable instruments can detect potential failures and reveal arc flash conditions -- allowing the arc flash to be prevented.

The article opens by describing how this is possible:

"Arcing, tracking and corona emissions produce ionization. Ionization, a process by which a neutral atom or molecule loses or gains electrons, thereby acquiring a net charge and becoming an ion, occurs as the result of the dissociation of the atoms of a molecule in solution or of a gas in an electric field. Ionization has by-products: ozone and nitrogen oxides. These combine with moisture to produce nitric acid, which is destructive to most dialectics and certain metallic compositions, resulting in corrosion. Airborne/structure borne ultrasound technology is ideally suited for detecting these emissions since the ionization process produces ultrasound."

You can find out how this works and read the entire article in Reliable Plant Magazine.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Incident Prevention Magazine - Confused About Arc Flash Compliance?

An article in Incident Preventation magazine reveals that electric power utilities are struggling when it comes to developing implementing arc flash protection and prevention plans. The article states:

"A recent survey conducted by Incident Prevention indicated there is no standard method for developing and implementing electric utility arc flash implementation plans. In particular, survey participants identified four areas of uncertainty:
• Selecting and utilizing appropriate engineering software to calculate arc flash data.
• Selecting standard working distances for various types of work performed.
• Developing engineering controls and work rules to reduce energy levels.
• Identifying and developing processes to manage secondary arc flash conditions."

The article looks at each one of these. You can read the entire article at: http://www.incident-prevention.com/component/zine/article/124-confused-about-arc-flash-compliance.html

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Chiller Arc Flash Caught On Video

In this video a worker attempts to air run a chiller and the result is an arc flash that was apparently caused by an unseen short to ground.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Unusual Arc Flash Label Application

This blog is published by Graphic Products, the company that makes Duralabel printers and DuraLabel supplies. Generally I don't talk much about our products, but instead focus on providing arc flash safety and training related information. But sometimes interesting things come up that deserve to be mentioned... such as yesterday.

We have developed more types of supplies for our DuraLabel printers than you'll find for any other printer. We have a full-time staff of R&D researchers, engineers, test lab technicians, and QA people constantly working to solve labeling and sign making problems.

Yesterday we had a call from someone who needed to apply arc flash labels outdoors, in freezing temperatures. It wasn't a job that could wait for warmer weather. The application temperature range on normal arc flash die-cut warning labels only goes as low as 40 degrees. The problem was turned over to our R&D group. They solved the problem, creating a new low-temperature supply. It was then released to our manufacturing group and within 24 hours of the customer presenting us with the problem, low-temperature arc flash labels were shipped. Problem solved!

That's what DuraLabel is all about... providing unbeatable customer service and solving your labeling and sign making problems. We're here so you can have a happy, relaxed and safe holiday season, because the visual communication supplies you need have been delivered and are performing as promised.

Have a Merry Christmas! And a truly great New Year!!

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Water Plant Employee Suffers Burn Injury

The Roanoke Times reported on Tuesday: "A Western Virginia Water Authority worker was injured Sunday night at the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant in Southeast Roanoke. An electrical arc flash-burned the man's hand and forearm about 9:30 p.m. Sunday while he tended to a medium-voltage electrical panel, said Sarah Baumgardner, the authority's spokeswoman"

Thinking back over the past year it seems that arc flash accidents rarely make the news. The danger of arc flash can easily be forgotten, and replaced by assumptions and shortcuts. Arc flash can happen in seemingly a random manner... it may be years before one happens in your facility. Or it could be in just a few minutes. You never know when an arc flash will happen. Don't get complacent. Never relax your safety vigilance.

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Arc Flash Safety Hazard Warning Labels. NFPA 70E Compliance & Electrical Safe Work Practices Tips

I just ran across a good article in the American Chronicle about arc flash labels and arc flash safe practices related to labeling. The article provides an overview of arc flashing labeling. The concluding paragraph states:

"When determining what arc flash hazard labels to use and what to include on them, always focus on the end users – the persons in the field exposed to the hazards. These labels exist to protect them, to give them the information they need to do their work and stay safe. Keep the information brief and easy to read. And always train, audit, re-train. People don´t do what you expect, they do what you inspect. Personnel must understand the purpose of these labels, the safety net they provide, and, as with any other tool or safe work practice, how to use them."

You can read the article here.

Use this link to get a free Arc Flash Labeling Best Practices Guide.

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Should Arc Flash Danger Labels Ever Be Used?

Some say that a DANGER label should be used when the incident energy exposure is greater than 40 cal/cm sq. others say that DANGER labels never should be used for arc flash because an arc flash is rare, and ANSI code only calls for a DANGER label when the hazard will result in death or serious injury.

What do you think? Should WARNING labels be used in all cases? Are there instances in which as DANGER label should be used? In this case the right answer is, what do you think? There is nothing in the code that answers this question. So the answer is that you must do what you think is right, then stick to it as a standard throughout your facility... and be sure everyone is properly trained on how arc flash labels are being used and the information they provide.

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

New York Personal Injury Attorney Says That Electrocution Is A Serious Risk for Workers

The following is from a press release and provides one law firm's view on electrical injuries. Some of the stronger "sales pitch" language has been edited out.

According to New York Injury Law Firm George W. Ilchert, Esq., a partner with Lurie, Ilchert, Mac Donnell and Ryan, LLP, a recent study conducted by the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) has shown that one person dies each workday as a result of an electric accident.

"Whether it is an electrocution, shock, arc flash, arc blast, or other electricity-related accident, emergency rooms across the United States treat nearly 8,000 victims each year, many of whom are injured on the job," says Ilchert. "No matter what the industry, electricity is always present in the workplace and although government regulated safety standards exist, accidents still happen even when safety procedures and guidelines are followed."

Ilchert notes that while the NFPA's standards for workplace safety have created a safer working environment for America's workers, including the mandate that electrical equipment be de-energized prior to being worked with, he and the staff at the Lurie Law Firm have become all too familiar with on-the-job electrical accidents in which clients have suffered serious injury by coming in contact with live electrical currents.

Ilchert stated, "The injuries that we see among our clients are typically quite severe and, at times, a work-related electrical accident can even result in death," says Ilchert. "The more serious injuries often require an immense amount of medical treatment and cause lifestyle changes that prevent victims from returning to work, sometimes indefinitely."

According to Ilchert, the lawyers from his firm, like any reputable NY accident lawyer, seek to recover the necessary compensation for the pain, suffering, loss of income, or medical treatments that their clients deserve as a result of an electrical work-related injury. The Lurie Law firm lists the most common work-related electrical injuries as electrocution, electric shock, and burns.

"A quality personal injury lawyer will use a team of experts to determine what, if any, compensation an accident victim deserves," says Ilchert, "and to ensure that anyone responsible is held accountable.

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