Friday, March 23, 2007
Regulations for Protecting Workers From Arc Flash Hazards
The Ferraz Shawmut web site has a one page summary of arc flash codes and standards. It covers OSHA, NFPA and IEEE, as well as the Canadian standards.It is available at: http://us.ferrazshawmut.com/arcflash/arc_background/regulations.cfm
However, this page does not talk about what OSHA requires as far as arc flash hazards. OSHA references NFPA 70E for arc flash hazards. (Also know as the NEC -- National Electric Code.) This means that arc flash labels are required on equipment that has 50v or higher. However, NFPA 70E does not specify what information should be included on labels.
What information should be included on arc flash labels?
Sufficient information to warn and protect people from the hazard. Injuries resulting from arc flash can be very serious and you'll want to do all you can to protect your employees, contractors, vendors and others. To do this arc flash labels should clearly show the required PPE, the various flash boundaries, and the energy level at 18 inches. The same label should also provide shock hazard information.
As the Ferraz Shawmut web page states, the first and best line of prevention is to de-energize the equipment. The arc flash label should identify the first upstream device than can be used to de-energize the equipment.
Labels: Arc Flash Labeling, Electrical Hazards
posted by Steve Hudgik
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Monday, March 19, 2007
NFPA 70E: What Does it Mean to You?
An article in the March 13th issue of Occupational Hazards magazine provides a complete overview of NFPA 70E and its relationship with OSHA requirements. The article raises the question:"So where should you focus your attention? It seems logical that safe work practices should be the focus, and you should ensure that you have qualified personnel who understand the hazards involved with the specific tasks they are required to do for their job."
"So what does that have to do with you? Think about it: OSHA regulations are federal law. They tell you what you have to do, but fall short of telling you how to do it. Not necessarily OSHA's fault; that's the way regulations have to be written in order to be enforceable. So if OSHA tells you what to do, but not necessarily how to do it, what do you do? Go to the electrical safety 'how-to' book, NFPA 70E."
From this point a brief history of NFPA 70E is presented followed by a discussion of the usefulness of the tables added in the sixth edition. The article concludes with a "to-do" list of what NFPA 70E can do for you.Labels: NFPA 70E
posted by Steve Hudgik
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Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Plants Services Magazine - Best Practices Award
Online non-contact IR thermometry won the Plant Service Magazine Best Practices Award. What is online non-contact IR thermometry? What can it do for you?The article states:
"Thermal monitoring systems employing noncontact infrared (IR) sensors can measure temperature just about anywhere on the factory floor. These versatile devices measure and accumulate real-time data, and are well suited for environments with moving targets, inaccessible objects and high temperatures. An IR thermometer has no energy interference (thus, no energy is lost from the target), and no risk of contamination or mechanical effect."
The advantages of IR thermometry are that it provides continuous monitoring and allows changes in heat to be quickly and reliably detected. As the article concludes it points out the advantages for arc flash safety:
"Continuous thermal monitoring provides a safer, non-intrusive alternative for equipment inspection. With traditional physical maintenance, there always is a chance of an accident causing failure of the equipment or putting personnel in harm’s way. In the worst-case scenario, a technician can be killed from an accident or arc flash. Noncontact thermal monitoring eliminates concerns about electrical isolation, insulation and EMI flashover associated with contact probes. IR sensors can accurately measure temperature without contacting the surface of the target."
Labels: Preventing Arc Flash Accidents, Work Place Safety
posted by Steve Hudgik
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