Arc Flash & Electrical Safety: July 2007

Monday, July 30, 2007

John R. Collier A Comedian With A Very Serious Purpose

John Collier passed away on July 20 at Bethesda North Hospital. John was a senior compliance officer for OSHA, but he was better known as "Mr. Wizard.".

The obituary in the Cincinnati Enquirer stated:

"His magic was getting people to laugh while teaching them how not to get electrocuted. His show 'Wired for Safety' was an attendance draw at events around the country.

'John was a standup comedian, really,' said Dick Gilgrist, area director for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Mr. Collier's vast knowledge of electrical hazards combined with his extraordinary sense of humor and a quick wit to provide a show that was as fun as it was instructive. 'It was John that was truly wired for the presentation,' Gilgrist said."

John was with OSHA for 28 years. During that time he investigated more than 100 accidents and fatalities and was involved in conducting more than 1,600 inspections.

Labels: Electrical Safety, OSHA Standards

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Thursday, July 26, 2007

New Electrical Standards

This is a reminder that OSHA's has revised and updated 29 CFR 1910 subpart S - Electrical Standards. The new standards go into effect in just over two weeks, on August 13, 2007.

In revising 29 CFR Part 1910 OSHA relied heavily on the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA's) 70 E standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces.

This revision provides the first update of the General Industry - Electrical Standard since it was originally published in 1981.

Labels: OSHA Standards

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Thursday, July 19, 2007

Safety Standard for Portable Rechargeable Batteries

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published ANSI C18.2M, Part 2-2007 for Portable Rechargeable Cells and Batteries—Safety Standard. This standard defines performance requirements for portable, rechargeable cells and batteries to ensure their safe operation under a variety of user and environmental conditions. It is specific to two distinct chemistry systems: lithium ion and nickel. In light of current market conditions, lead acid batteries are no longer included.

ANSI C18.2M Part 1-2007 for Portable Rechargeable Cells and Batteries—General and Specifications is a separate yet complementary document that covers specification sheets for various types of cells and batteries.

According to S. Keel Kelly, chairman of ANSI C18-5 subcommittee on safety standards, the current revision covers the two chemistry systems in separate and distinct sections that reflect the technical requirements and testing conditions for each. "The formatting used in this revision makes it more user-friendly from the perspective of both designers of battery compartments, and for end users of the batteries," Kelly said.

Although this is a safety standard, Kelly cautioned that there is no absolute safety. "Safety is a balance between freedom from risk of harm and the demands that a product must meet," he said. "Even at the highest level of safety, any product can only be relatively safe. When this standard is followed on a judicious basis, it provides reasonably consistent benchmarks for safety."

The contents and scope of ANSI C18.2M, Part 2-2007 may be viewed, or a hard copy or electronic copy purchased for $37.00, by visiting NEMA’s website at http://www.nema.org/stds/c18-2m2.cfm, or by contacting IHS at 800-854-7179 (within the U.S.), 303-397-7956 (international), 303-397-2740 (fax).

Labels: NEMA Standards

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Monday, July 16, 2007

Common Sources of Electrical Hazards

As a part of the safety information published by the State of Queensland (Department of Employment and Industrial Relations) [Australia] they have compiled a list of common sources of electrical hazards. This is a useful list that can help remind workers of the full range electrical safety hazards.

Labels: Electrical Safety, Electrical Safety Training

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Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Managing Water-Damaged Electrical Equipment

Serious flooding is impacting several areas of the country, and with the potential for hurricanes and additional storms, knowing how to handle water-damaged electrical equipment is an important subject. The current issue of the NEC Digest, a quarterly publication, has an article about this topic.

The introduction of the article raises some commonly heard questions:

"Flood waters from both hurricanes and heavy thunderstorms can cause serious weather damage. That means no matter where they are in the United States, electrical contractors can face frantic questions from home and business owners in the wake of a natural disaster. Can their equipment can be dried out? Are their circuit breakers okay to use? Can their switchboard be re-energized?"

Get updated on what you need to know should it become necessary to deal with water damaged electrical equipment with this excellent article.

Labels: Electrical Safety, Safety Inspections

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Monday, July 02, 2007

IBEW Local 164 Starts Arc Flash Training

"...the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 164 in Paramus, N.J., has embraced the new National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 70E standard adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as part of its safety training curriculum."

This is part of the opening paragraph of an article in last Friday's edition of the Paramus Post. Local 164’s electrical assistant training director, David Milazzo, recently attended a one-day arc flash seminar. The article reports:

"To gain first-hand knowledge regarding arc flashes, Milazzo and Richard Paredes, an IBEW Local 164 Training Academy instructor, attended a workshop sponsored by Westex, Inc., one of the local’s training partners. Held at KEMA Powertest in Chalfont, Pa., the nation’s largest high-power electrical laboratory, the program featured live arc flash explosions as well as the most effective techniques to minimize their effects. Additionally, the proper selection and application of fire retardant materials and attire required by NFPA 70E were addressed."

Arc flash training will now be a regular part of IBEW Local 164's training program. I don't know to what extent other locals have embraced arc flash training, but let's hope that arc flash training will soon be a standard component of training in all electrical apprenticeship programs.

Labels: Arc Flash Training

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