Monday, January 29, 2007
Top Five PPE Mistakes
I've been spending a lot of time with PPE recently and ran across this discussion of the Top Five PPE Mistakes published in Incident Prevention Magazine. It is written by Hugh Hoagland, who passes on his extensive experience with PPE. His list of top five PPE mistakes is:1. PPE Isn't Worn
2. FR Is Not FR All The Time
3. Using FR Rainwear Rather Than ARC Thermal Resistant Rainwear
4. Using non-FR jackets and winter wear over FR and thinking it is OK
5. No training on undergarments
Labels: Arc Flash PPE
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Friday, January 26, 2007
Electrical Near Misses
"Electrical safety occurrences are the most frequently reported near miss events across the DOE complex, and thus pose the greatest risk to workers. In 2002 and 2003, electrical safety occurrences were reported at a rate of two per week, with three-quarters of them categorized as near misses (to serious injury or death). Thirty-five of the electrical occurrences in this 2-year period involved shocks to workers; six resulted in electrical burns."The above is from an Operating Experience and Lessons Learned Report published by the Department of Energy. It looks at electrical incidents, most of which were "near misses" when it comes to serious injury, throughout their facilities. A number of incidents are described followed by an analysis of the lessons learned from each incident. This paper will expose you to information about hazardous situations you may not have considered and provide ways to eliminate those hazards.
You can read this paper at: DOE Electrical Near Misses (PDF document).
Labels: Arc Flash Training, Preventing Arc Flash Accidents
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Arc Flash Concerns During Thermography Inspection
"Infrared cameras have been used to identify problems in electrical systems for many years. Problems in electrical systems manifest themselves by heating. An infrared camera can readily identify these problems in a thermal image, which provides an excellent method of identifying failing or problem components prior to a failure. A failure can disable an electrical system and cause significant lost production, equipment damage and bodily injury. "The above paragraph comes from an article called "NFPA70E, Arc Flash, and Safe and Efficient Thermography Practices" published in the January 2007 issue of Reliable Plant Magazine.
The article points out that thermography, the use of infrared cameras to identify problems based on their heat signature, is a valuable tool for detecting electrical problems before components fail. However, since most electrical components are located within cabinets, those cabinets must be opened to allow for thermographic imaging. The result is exposure to an arc flash hazard.
The article proposes the use of infrared windows. The article states:
"The first rule in any risk assessment is to eliminate the risk if possible; PPE is always a last resort! Infrared windows eliminate the risks associated with live inspections as they allow an infrared camera direct line-of-site access to live electrical components without opening an electrical enclosure. As such, they provide an excellent means of accessing electrical equipment efficiently and safely as a second qualified person is not required to open and unbolt enclosures and the "triggers" of arc flash are not introduced as the panels remain closed."
An extended discussion all aspects of infrared windows, including selecting locations where they should be installed, and how window size can be minimized by moving the infrared camera during imaging.
Labels: Electrical Hazards, Preventing Arc Flash Accidents
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 1 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Field Marking of Arc Flash Hazards
I ran across a paper, published by Underwriter Laboratories, about arc flash and arc flash labeling. It is from 2002, but the information it contains is still relevant.As with most arc flash articles and paper it provides a description of arc flash. The next section is fairly good for the layman, giving a simplified explanation of arc flash boundaries and how they are determined.
It then goes on to talk about NEC Section 110.16, which covers arc flash labeling. The paper states that the 2002 requirements dealing with arc flash hazards: "requires field marking for switchboards, panel boards, industrial control panels and motor control centers. The marking is intended to warn qualified persons of flash hazards where the equipment is likely to be examined, adjusted, serviced or maintained while energized."
"The marking must be located on the equipment in such a manner as to be clearly visible to qualified personnel before they commence work on the equipment. Make sure this field marking is applied in a very visible location so when you work on electrical equipment while energized, you are very aware of the hazards involved. Take the necessary safety steps to ensure that no one suffers serious burns or injuries."
Labels: Arc Flash Labeling
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Monday, January 22, 2007
Arc Flash Protection In The Mining Industry
Because of the unique requirements of mining the underground mining industry has not been required to comply with NFPA 70E. This has been recognized as a problem because arc flash is a significant source of injuries in underground mining. A report published by NIOSH states:"Between 1990 and 2003, 2,326 traumatic mine electrical injuries occurred. The largest single category of electrical injury was burns from electrical arcing, which accounted for 893 (38%) of all electrical injuries. Electrical burn injuries of all types accounted for more than 21,500 lost work days."
Why was there such a significant problem. Mainly because arc flash hazards were not recognized as being a problem. The NIOSH report states:
"Findings thus far indicate a general lack of awareness of common arc-flash hazards in the mining industry. Accident reports show that two-thirds of arc-flash injuries involve circuit breakers, cables, hand tools, meters, and plugs. The equipment and PPE needed for safe troubleshooting in arc-prone situations are seldom used. Circuit breakers are often operated beyond their design parameters and many are repaired by third-party rebuilders using substandard components."
As a result NIOSH is creating a program to address arc flash hazards in the underground mining industry. The NIOSH report states:
"This project will produce practical guidelines to determine arc flash boundaries in mines and prep plants. Recommended improvements in work practices regarding the use of hand tools, meters, PPE, and other engineering controls will increase miners’ understanding of arc-flash hazards. Training guidelines will show how to most effectively present this information to the mining audience."
Labels: Arc Flash, Mining, NFPA 70E, NIOSH, Work Place Safety
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 1 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Friday, January 19, 2007
Overview of Arc Flash Protective Clothing
I ran into an article from Electrical Products and Solutions Magazine titled, "Compliance Made Easy with Six New Products". I'd like my job to be easier, so the title of this article attracted my attention right away. What were they going to suggest to make my job easier? Here is the opening paragraph from the article:"Easy compliance is every manager’s dream. Companies that strive to keep their employees safe while following best practices need to keep on top of the standards and the products that emerge to make their life and standards compliance simpler. There are six products on the market that represent major improvements in 2006 to make compliance easier. Whether you are following NFPA 70E for electrical safety or the NESC changes (National Electric Safety Code), compliance will be much easier with these new products."
The article is about the advantages of new PPE that has become recently available. It discusses HRC4 Kits, and specific brands of protective hoods, winter jacket, goggles and a face shield.
Labels: Arc Flash PPE
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Arc Flash PPE
Not all PPE is suitable for arc flash protection. PPE must be rated for arc flash use.An article in Electric Energy T&D Magazine discusses arc flash PPE and includes pictures of what happens to PPE, not rated for arc flash use, when it is exposed to an arc flash.
The article notes:
"There are presently several standards in place to provide for a safe workplace. The NFPA (National Fire Prevention Association) has issued a standard called NFPA 70E-2000, the Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces. NFPA is not an enforcement body, yet OSHA will often refer to this document when evaluating a workplace. This standard calls for the employer to conduct a Hazardous Assessments of work, when voltage exceeds 50 Volts! The worker effectively has two defenses: his knowledge and the PPE he wears."
Although this article does not get into specifics about PPE, the pictures alone make this article worth looking at. They dramatically illustrate that non-arc flash rated PPE will not provide the needed protection.
Labels: Arc Flash PPE
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Arc Flash Boundaries in Small Facilities
I noticed an article published on Reliability Web.com that addresses arc flash safety in small facilities. This is a topic that is not commonly covered. The article by John C. Klingler, P.E. of Lewellyn Technology states:"In small facilities such as small businesses and offices that only use 240 volts and less and have minor power requirements (primarily lighting and receptacle loads), it may not be practical or economical to calculate arc-flash boundaries. It appears the authors of 70E realized this, so they established a default flash boundary that can be used without calculations."
If you work in a small facility, you may find this article about Understanding NFPA 70E to be useful.
Labels: Arc Flash Calculations
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator
The Duke Power Heat Flux Calculator is free software that calculates the heat flux on a surface at a specified distance from an arc flash. The parameters of the arc flash can be entered including available amps, voltage and the arc gap.This software is now available for downloading from the NFPA 70E Arc Flash Labeling site. (Heat Flux Calculator Download Page).
This software is available on a number of web sites. What makes this download desirable is that the software has been packaged in an automatic installation. A single click of a button takes care of the complete installation. The installation will copy the files to your hard drive, put an icon for starting the software on your desktop, and also installs icons for the software and the documentation on yout START > PROGRAMS menu. An option for automatically uninstalling the heat flux calculator is also provided.
All of the other downloads require you to download a zip file, unzip it, place the files where you want them located and then create your own icons.
If you have use for a heat flux calculator, the www.labelprinters.org web site is the place to download it from.
Labels: Arc Flash Calculations
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Monday, January 15, 2007
Putting Arc-Flash Calculations into Perspective
"The number of arc flash incidents in the United States is greater than many engineers realize since most accidents don't make the daily news. Chicago-based Capelli-Schellpfeffer, Inc. reports that five to 10 arc-flash injuries that result in hospitalization occur every day."This is the opening paragraph of an article in Occupational Hazards magazine. The article takes a deeper look at the engineering and math behind arc flash safety, making the point that this information is critical to preventing arc flash injuries.
"Although OSHA doesn't directly state what to do about arc-flash hazards, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1) requires employers to evaluate the workplace for hazards. And based on these assessments, the employer must select and require the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for its employees."
The article discusses IEEE Std. 1584. This standard focuses on the direct cause of arc flash injuries, the radiated heat or incident energy produced by an arcing fault that falls on a given surface. The article covers various factors that effect the energy level in an arc flash incident, as calculated using the formulas given by IEEE Std. 1584.
The article concludes with practical advice for providing arc flash PPE and protection.
Labels: Arc Flash Calculations
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Arc Flash Hazards
I'm continually looking for better articles about arc flash that do not duplicate information I have already referenced in this blog. I just ran across a May/June 2003 article published in the International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI) Magazine. As with most articles it begins with a discussion of the causes of arc flash. But, it takes that discussion to a deeper level than I've seen in other articles. After talking about arc flash in general, it discusses bolted faults vs. arcing faults. It then describes how arc faults can progress to other components as a result of the buildup of ionized material. The article states:"This causes other phases of the electrical system to become involved in the arcing fault, thus increasing the amount of electrical energy feeding into the fault; and increases the extent of the fault and incident."
The article then goes on to discuss the importance of proper arc flash protection, and it does this based on the thresholds of harm for the human body. For example, it discusses the thresholds for injury from burns and pressure--both of which occur during an arc flash.
It then concludes with an excellent section about ways to prevent arc flash injuries based on information obtained from tests conducted by the IEEE Petroleum and Chemical Industry Committee.
This article is one of my top five must read articles.
Labels: Understanding Arc Flash
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
NFPA 70E's Clothing Requirements
Today we're turning to Electrical Contracting and Engineering Magazine for an article about protective clothing that debunks myths about the NFPA 70E PPE standards. This article points out that you may be purchasing more protection than is needed... resulting in more costly and heavier protective suits. Overall the article addresses 11 myths about arc flash protective clothing and equipment. They are:- Flame resistant clothing may not contain nylon or polyester.
- Flame resistant clothing should never contain rayon.
- Switching Suits are very heavy and cost $1,000.
- Flame Resistant(FR) labeled clothing is all I need in the electric arc.
- I must use a switching suit or arc suit to meet Hazard Category 4 of NFPA 70E.
- All face shields are acceptable for the electric arc.
- FR rain wear equals arc resistant rain wear.
- Rubber gloves are dangerous in the electric arc.
- If heavy cotton is good enough for welders, it is good enough for electricians.
- FR Clothing must have an ATPV/Arc Rating of over 5 before it can be used in a protective clothing system, so I can't use my 4.5 oz Nomex IIIA for electric arc.
- Clothing must be tested to the PS58 ASTM test method for electric arc ATPV or EBT and may not have the new ASTM 1506-2000 designation.
Labels: Arc Flash PPE
posted by Steve Hudgik
| This Arc Flash Post and 0 Comments
|
Add Comment |
links
NFPA 70E Blog | Arc Flash Labels | Arc Flash Label Printers | DuraLabel Supplies | Free Trials
