Arc Flash & Electrical Safety

ASTM Issues Standard For Arc Protective Blanket Testing

2009-08-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

Arc protective blankets are used in many electrical applications to protect workers who are stationed near energized electrical parts. While these blankets have been used for years, there have been no testing criteria for their evaluation. A new ASTM International standard will be used to determine the effectiveness of arc protective blankets in suppressing the combined effect of an arc flash and an arc blast. The new standard, ASTM F2676, Test Method for Determining the Protective Performance of an Arc Protective Blanket for Electric Arc Hazards, was developed by Subcommittee F18.65 on Wearing Apparel, part of ASTM International Committee F18 on Electrical Protective Equipment for Workers.

"Now companies have the ability to evaluate blankets with a repeatable standard that can be done at many test labs using an electric arc and a high speed camera," says Hugh Hoagland, technical consultant, ArcWear.com and e-Hazard.com, and a member of F18.

"Research showed the most critical factor was the current in amps and the time exposed," says Hoagland. "Now blankets can be compared." Hoagland also notes that, while ASTM F2676 will be initially used by utility companies, many electricity users in heavy industry will also benefit from being able to reference the new standard.

Subcommittee F18.65 is continuing its research in blanket use and care, and it next plans to investigate how blanket installation affects protection and how to further quantify protection. The subcommittee encourages participation, particularly from utilities, in its standards developing efforts.

ASTM International standards are available for purchase from Customer Service (phone: 610-832-9585; service@astm.org) or at www.astm.org. For technical information, contact Hugh Hoagland, ArcWear.com, Louisville, Ky. (phone: 502-314-7158; hugh@arcwear.com). ASTM Committee F18 meets Nov. 8-11 during November committee week in Atlanta, Ga.

Reduce Arc Flash Accidents Using Totally Integrated Automation

2009-08-04T09:24:00.000-07:00

An article in Design World, written by the Design World staff, describes the sad results of several arc flash explosions, and discusses how a Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) architecture created by Siemens can provide information that helps reduce exposure to potential arc flashes. The article states:

"By integrating all the relevant equipment, such as the motors, drives and switchgear, with the communications network in what Siemens calls a Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) architecture, operators are able to monitor and pull diagnostic information, perform trend and root cause analysis and generally better see what the problems are before sending an electrician into the plant to deal with a problem. Over time Richards found that workers were going into the electrical cabinet less and less often."

Read the article here.

Related Past Posts
Being Prepared Means Wearing The Right Clothing
Arc Flash Protection In The Mining Industry
Is Your Electrical PPE Adequate?

NFPA Journal - Electrical System Maintenance

2009-08-04T08:21:00.001-07:00

The current edition of the NFPA Journal has a good article about electrical maintenance. (Use this link to read the article.)

The article points out that we should not let other priorities distract us from needed electrical maintainance, and it identifies overcurrent devices as being at the top of the list. The article states:

"Although all electrical equipment needs to be maintained, the most important, from a safety standpoint, are the overcurrent devices that trip circuits when a fault occurs. These determine the length of time the overcurrent conditions exist, which determines the amount of heat, energy, and damage that will occur."

But, the article also points out that other areas also need to receive maintenance attention.

Related Past Posts
Arc Flash Safety Checklist
Arc Flash Labeling Best Practice Guide Available
System Maintenance A Key To Arc Flash Safety

OSHA Cites MillerCoors in Golden, CO For Arc Flash Injuries

2009-08-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

OSHA has cited MillerCoors LLC in Golden, Colo., with 10 alleged safety and health violations from two investigations involving the death of one and the injury of two workers.

OSHA launched an investigation into the company's safety and health practices following the death of an employee at the brewery Feb. 2. A second investigation opened following an accident April 9 in which two employees were injured.

Together, the investigations disclosed one alleged willful and nine alleged serious violations of the Occupational Safety and Health Act's regulations governing electrical hazards. OSHA alleges that workplace conditions contributed to two employees being burned by an electrical arc flash April 9. Furthermore, agency officials allege that inadequate safety measures were in place to protect against electrical hazards at the time of the Feb. 2 accident; however, the Jefferson County coroner's office could not determine if those conditions contributed to the final cause of death.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the worker who died as well as the two injured workers," said Greg Baxter, OSHA's regional administrator in Denver. "At the time of both accidents, the company's procedures for dealing with electrical hazards were inadequate. MillerCoors needs to take the necessary steps to eliminate electrical hazards in its workplaces."

The alleged willful violation stems from the company's failure to ensure the use of appropriate electrical protective equipment when employees were working on or near energized electrical parts. OSHA issues a willful violation when an employer exhibits plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.

The serious violations relate to inadequate safe work practices and failure to ensure adequate personal protective equipment was available and used by employees working on or near energized equipment. OSHA issues a serious citation when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which an employer knew or should have known.

OSHA proposes $128,500 in penalties against the company for the alleged violations.

MillerCoors has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director in Englewood, Colo., or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Related Past Posts
OSHA Citation For Failure To Abate Safety Violations
OSHA Reopens Record on Proposed Rule On Power Generation, Distribution and Transmission
Is Your Electrical PPE Adequate?

Video - Electrical Standards & Regulations

2009-07-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

This safety video, produced by WESCO Distribution and ESFi (Electrical Safety Foundastion International), the video is the highest quality electrical safety video I've seen on YouTube.. This Standards & Regulations module provides an overview of the 70E standard and how it relates to the OSHA regulations.

Related Past Posts
OSHA And Arc Flash Safety
OSHA Announces Two New Online Tools For Electrical Safety
Electrical Safety In The Workplace

Square D Services From Schneider Electric Presents The 2009 Energy And Power Distribution Conference

2009-07-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

The annual Energy and Power Distribution Conference will be held Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009, through Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009, at the Houston Hobby Airport Marriott in Houston.

Square D Services has created this unique learning environment in which industrial, commercial and utility end users come together to discuss emerging industry trends and the latest energy and electrical issues and solutions. The conference will feature best practices from presenters who are specialists in electrical distribution, energy management and arc flash safety.

Every year, energy and power distribution issues arise as technology evolves. New laws are enacted, and safety requirements change. Yesterday's solutions to electrical issues might not be current today. The conference features two technical tracks, Power System Equipment Reliability and Energy Management, which focus on updated electrical safety standards, compliance regulations, technologies and electrical equipment modernization. In addition, the conference agenda includes two panel sessions that will give attendees a chance to direct questions to industry experts. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) will be available upon request.

"The goal of the Energy and Power Distribution Conference is to educate professionals in areas that will increase safety, reduce lifecycle and facility costs, increase energy efficiency and maximize power system reliability. Attendees will receive updates on pertinent issues while learning about and discussing new technologies and service solutions in a non-commercial environment," said Mike Rice, vice president of Square D Services.

The 2009 Energy and Power Distribution Conference will begin Sept. 29 with a welcome reception, an ideal time for professional networking. The keynote speaker will address attendees to kick off a full day of seminars Sept. 30. That evening, attendees will come together for more networking and socializing.

To register online for Square D Services' Energy and Power Distribution Conference, visit www.regonline.com/epdc09. Interested parties who prefer to register by mail or phone can contact Hal Theobald at (513) 755-4226 or visit www.squared-services.com to download a conference brochure and registration form in PDF format. The conference registration fee is $395. Square D Services is offering a promotional rate of $295 for registrations received by Aug. 14, 2009. Hotel rooms have been reserved at a group rate of $129 per night; attendees should mention Energy and Power Distribution Conference to receive the group rate.

For more information about Square D Services or the Energy and Power Distribution Conference visit www.squared-services.com.

Understanding Arc Flash Regulations

2009-07-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

This video, by Industrial Training University covers the basics that workers need to know about arc flash and the need for proper labeling and PPE.

Information about arc flash labeling.

Arc Blast Video

2009-06-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

This is a promotional video, but it also provides an excellent view of the blast resulting from an arc flash.

Arc Flash Safety: History and Requirements

2009-06-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Scott Harris published a post on the Industrial Risk Management blog yesterday that discusses the history of arc flash and requirements for protecting people from arc flash hazards. The article opens with:

"Arc flash was first identified by Dr. Ralph Lee in his 1982 'The Other Electrical Hazard: Electric Arc Blast Burns.' Dr. Lee found that as many as 80% of electrical injuries resulted from arc flash rather than from shock, which had always been thought to be the major risk associated with live electrical work."

After discussing the history of arc flash and code requirements, Mr. Harris points out that labeling of arc flash hazards is required, and in particular a 2006 OSHA interpretation letter. The question posed to OSHA was:

"When work must be performed on energized electric equipment that is capable of exposing employees to arc-flash hazards, does OSHA require the marking of the electric equipment to warn qualified persons of potential electric arc-flash hazards — i.e., as required by NFPA 70E-2004?"

OSHA's answer was:

"OSHA has no specific requirement for such marking. A requirement to mark equipment with flash hazard warnings was not included in the 1981 Subpart S revision. However, paragraph (e) of §1910.303 requires employers to mark electrical equipment with descriptive markings, including the equipment's voltage, current, wattage, or other ratings as necessary. OSHA believes that this information, along with the training requirements for qualified persons, will provide employees the necessary information to protect themselves from arc-flash hazards. "

"Additionally, in §1910.335(b), OSHA requires employers to use alerting techniques (safety signs and tags, barricades, and attendants) . . . to warn and protect employees from hazards which could cause injury due to electric shock, burns or failure of electric equipment parts. Although these Subpart S electrical provisions do not specifically require that electric equipment be marked to warn qualified persons of arc-flash hazards, §1910.335(b)(1) requires the use of safety signs, safety symbols, or accident prevention tags to warn employees about electrical hazards (e.g., electric-arc-flash hazards) which may endanger them as required by §1910.145. "

Read the entire blog post here.

Related past posts:
Arc Flash Labeling Best Practices Guide
Arc Flash Labeling Starter Kit

Relationship between the CE Code and Z462

2009-06-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Another IAEI Magazine article discusses Canadian electrical codes and the relationship between the CE Code and CSA standard Z462. You can read this article here.

The article provides a brief overview of the rules that apply to maintenance and operation and also looks at what has changed with the development of Z462.

In the article summary, it states:

"CE Code governs safety requirements for installation of electrical equipment. Such electrical work must be done by the construction electricians under electrical permits and is subject to the inspection services by regulatory authorities. Under no conditions is such work permitted to be done on live equipment"

"However, the CE Code also regulates provisions for maintenance and operation of operating equipment, and although Rule 2-304 does not allow such maintenance on live equipment, it recognizes that sometimes a completed disconnection of the operating equipment is not practicable for certain repairs, alterations or testing."

"For this reason, Rule 2-306 has been introduced into the 2006 edition of the CE Code. This rule mandates installation of warning signs of potential shock and arc flash hazards on electrical equipment. Explanatory Note in Appendix B on this rule leads the users of the CE Code (who intend to maintain live electrical equipment) to NFPA 70E and to IEEE 1584 in order to determine severity of exposure, to evaluate the arc flash hazard distance and incident energy resulting from the arc, and to select personal protective equipment appropriate for the anticipated incident energy — to protect against shock and arc flash hazards."

Using Technology to Minimize the Arc-Flash Hazard

2009-06-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

An article in the IAEI Magazine (International Association of Electrical Inspectors) discusses some of the technologies available to minimize arc flash hazards. The article focuses on current limiting devices and high resistance grounding. The final paragraph summarizes the article:

"High resistance grounding systems do not protect against the less frequent but still dangerous phase-to-phase or three-phase arcing faults. However, the combined use of high resistance grounding for protection from ground faults and its ability to prohibit the escalation of the fault and current-limiting fuses or current-limiting circuit breakers for phase-to-phase and three-phase arcing faults is an effective engineering approach to minimizing the arc-flash hazard."

You can read the entire article here.

Related past posts:
Understanding Ground Fault Protection
Electrical Safety In The Workplace
Preventing Arc Flash Injuries

Tips For Property Managers And Electrical Contractors

2009-05-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

The current issue of the NFPA Journal includes two tips for electrical contractors and property managers in an article called: "Keeping the Lights On."

The first tip is from NFPA 70E Section 110.5, Relationships with Contractors. Here is how the article summarizes this section: "The host employer is required to inform the contractor of any known hazards covered by NFPA 70E that the contractor or the contractor’s employees may not recognize."

The second tip comes from NFPA 70E Section 130.3(C), which requires that all equipment be labeled with an arc flash warning label specific to that equipment and its location.

You can read the entire article here.

Related Posts:
The Fine Print Notes In NFPA 70E
Revised NFPA 70E Clarifies Electical Safety
An Arc Flash Primer

CSA Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety Standard

2009-05-08T07:46:00.000-07:00

An introduction to the Canadian Z462 electrical safety standards is provided by an article in the current issue of Canadian Occupational Safety magazine. The article is called "Electrical Safety Gets A Boost." In the article the Z462 standard is summarized as applying:

"to contractors and electrical workers, and provides guidance to employers on what qualifications are required for electrical work – and cautions against allowing non-qualified people inside hazard boundaries."

"It’s based on well-established occupational health and safety principles, and recognized across the country as good practice, from manufacturers to contractors to regulators. Z462 deals specifically with hazard communications, controls and safety precautions in the areas of electric shock and arc flash, and includes requirements for training and qualification of electrical workers, as well as personal protective equipment."

This article provides an overview of the creation of the Z462 standards, as well as discussing the need for such standards, without talking about what is included in the z462 standards. It does point out that Z462 differs from NFPA 70e in that it has five annexes not included in NFPA 70e, but it only mentions one of the annexes.

It is interesting that the article makes note that most electrical injuries happen because workers are unaware of the dangers of electricity, don't understand the hazards, and are not aware of the safety measures that should be applied. The article suggests training as the way to communicate the danagers of electricity to workers. I would add that the use of signs and labels, to deliver information at the location where the hazard exists, is also critical. Signs and labels remind workers about what they learned in training... in particular reminding them that electrical hazards are not to be taken lightly.

Arc Flash University Offers Online Curriculum

2009-04-29T14:33:00.000-07:00

Plant Engineeering Live is offering a series of monthly arc flash webcasts sponsored by GE.

"We’ve always offered successful webcasts, but the interest and information generated last year by Arc Flash University was unprecedented," said Plant Engineering editor Bob Vavra. "Because of the tremendous demand for this kind of information, we’re putting together four new Webcasts on the topic. We’re especially grateful to GE for again sponsoring this series. It demonstrates their commitment to addressing this important plant floor topic."

Arc Flash University registrants who attend three of the four Webcasts will receive CEU credit, and can qualify to receive Arc Flash University merchandise.

Registration is now open for the 2009 Arc Flash University series at www.plantengineering.com.

Related past posts:
New Curriculum Addresses Electrical Hazards
Web Seminar On Arc Flash Avoidance

Arc Flash Causes Balckout That Traps 20 In Elevators

2009-04-27T15:57:00.000-07:00

An article in today's Boston University school newspaper reports that an arc flash caused the evacuation of a triple tower high-rise dormitory. That arc flash caused $300,000 in damages, but no injuries. The BU Post reported:

"Twenty residents of Warren Towers were trapped in elevators for as long as two hours Saturday evening and appoximately 1,600 people were forced to vacate the triple tower high-rise dormitory when an arc flash shut down a transformer in the B Tower electrical room."

"The electrical short, reported to the Boston Fire Department at 7:21 p.m., generated heat and smoke, but no injuries were reported."

You can read the entire article in the BU Post.

OSHA Citations Issued For Failure To Abate Electrical Safety Violations

2009-04-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

OSHA cites Houston-based manufacturing company for failing to abate safety violations
Initial inspection followed electrocution death of a worker.

OSHA has issued failure-to-abate citations to JD Manufacturing Inc., doing business as Arrow Waste, in Houston for a follow-up inspection that revealed previous violations had not been abated.

The initial inspection on Jan. 29, 2008, at the company's facility on 11401 Brooklyn St. in Houston, followed the electrocution death of a worker. Upon re-inspection on Oct. 9, 2008, OSHA's investigation found that the six violations, four alleged serious and two alleged other-than-serious, originally cited were not corrected by the company.

"The employer completely ignored abating the violations while continuing to expose employees to a hazardous working environment. That kind of practice will not be tolerated," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas. "OSHA standards must be followed to prevent injuries and fatalities."

The serious failure-to-abate violations include failing to have a written program for the control of hazardous energy, not installing the required wiring in accordance with OSHA regulations and failing to adequately mark branch circuits to indicate their purpose. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

The other-than-serious violations the company failed to correct are not having a hazard communications program in place and not maintaining the required recordkeeping. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

The initial inspection carried proposed penalties totaling $25,500. The re-inspection carries $108,000 in proposed penalties.

JD Manufacturing, a manufacturing and repair facility for mechanized equipment and roll-off containers such as dumpsters or debris containers, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's Houston North area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA's Houston North Area Office at 281-591-2438 or OSHA's toll-free hotline number at 800-321-6742 to report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers.

New Curriculum Addresses Electrical Hazards in the Workplace

2009-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) has announced the 2009 release of the Contren® Learning Series Managing Electrical Hazards module.

Developed to help organizations respond to the 2009 edition of national consensus standard, NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, this new module introduces trainees and their supervisors to electrical hazards in the workplace and how to avoid these hazards. Topics also include how to select specialized personal protective equipment for electrical work, how to analyze and document shock and arc flash hazards, and how to plan and conduct work around them.

NCCER worked with subject matter experts representing the electrical industry and academia across the country to introduce relevant industry material into the curriculum.

"The purpose of this module is to provide an effective toolkit of awareness and behaviors that students can apply toward their own electrical safety behaviors and principles," said Jim Mitchem, technical services manager, The Industrial Company, Steamboat Springs, Colo. "Managing Electrical Hazards serves as an excellent study guide to understanding significant safety topics outlined in the NFPA 70E, in which OSHA bases its electrical safety mandates."

Managing Electrical Hazards also offers technical hints and tips from the electrical industry, presenting real-life scenarios similar to those one might encounter on the job site. Additional features include a list of trade terms and a module trade term quiz.

Students successfully completing Managing Electrical Hazards through an NCCER Accredited Training Sponsor will earn industry-recognized credentials through NCCER's National Registry.

NCCER develops the Contren® Learning Series curriculum in partnership with leading textbook publisher, Pearson.

The following subject matter experts contributed to this curriculum: Tim Dean, Central Ohio ABC; Tim Ely, Beacon Electrical Contractors; Danny Liggett, Amber, L.P.; Jim Mitchem, The Industrial Company; Michael J. Powers, Tri-City Electrical Contractors, Inc.; Ted Thomas, South Carolina Electric & Gas; and Wayne Stratton, ABC of Iowa.

NCCER is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) education foundation created by the construction
industry to develop standardized curriculum with portable credentials and to help address the skilled construction workforce shortage. NCCER is recognized by the industry as the training, assessment, certification, and career development standard for the construction, maintenance, and pipeline craft professional. For more information, visit www.nccer.org or contact NCCER customer service at 888.622.3720.

The Fine Print Notes In NFPA 70E 2009

2009-03-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

The two most recent issues of the NFPA Journal include columns by Bill Buss about the fine print notes in NFPA 70E. He says this about the fine print notes:

"Section 90.5(C) of NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety in the Workplace®, defines fine print notes (FPNs) as explanatory material that is informational in nature. They are not a part of the requirements, but they do alert users to the technical committee’s concerns and provide additional information that helps users apply the standard. They should also be considered when developing a site safety program and doing the hazard/risk analysis for work tasks."

The first article is in the January/February issue and is called In 70E, the small print can be just as important as the big print. It points out fine print notes that discuss arc flash hazards when an enclosure has louvers, as well as fine print notes on training, hazard/risk evaluation, lock out/tag out, and electrical safety programs.

The second article is in the March/April issue and discusses topics such as fault clearing time and PPE. The topic of NFPA 70E fine print, arc flash and PPE was also discussed in the July/August 2008 Bill Buss column, but you must be a member of NFPA to read back issues. Non-members can read the current issue and the three most recent back issues.

NIOSH Arc Flash Video

2009-03-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

A 26 minute Arc Flash Awareness video, created by NIOSH, is available as a free download from the NIOSH web site. The video presents the personal stories of three experienced electricians who were injured in two separate arc flash incidents. They tell about the sudden and destructive power of arc flash and discuss how these injuries affected their lives.

Coalition Advocating Safety in OSHA Product-Approval Process

2009-01-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), in conjunction with 18 other organizations, has submitted a letter to Thomas M. Stohler, Acting Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, expressing concerns regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) consideration of a proposal to adopt Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) as an alternative to third-party certification of electrical products used in American workplaces.

At the request of European Commission, OSHA in October 2008 published in the Federal Register a Request for Information on a proposal to permit the use of an SDoC as an alternative to the nationally recognized testing laboratories (NRTLs) product-approval process. In their response to Acting Assistant Secretary Stohler, NEMA and its coalition allies stressed the safety benefits of using third-party certification for electrical products and commended OSHA’s NRTL program as a cost-effective and efficient avenue for ensuring the safety of American workers.

"We are hopeful that OSHA will not be influenced by false claims that international trade priorities necessitate replacing the well-established NRTL program with SDoC," NEMA President and CEO Evan R. Gaddis said. "It would be unwise to compromise the most successful electrical safety system in the world."

"The U.S. electrical safety system, which is principally based on third-party certification, is regarded as one of the most effective systems in the world for successfully ensuring workplace safety, while at the same time allowing for free and open market access for products and services, with minimal cost to the taxpayer," the coalition letter states. "Indeed, those who now wish to institutionalize SDoC must accept that the checks-and-balances of our current system have played a fundamental role in driving U.S. electrical products to be the safest in the world." To view a copy of the letter and a complete list of coalition members, please click here or visit http://www.nema.org/SDOCs_Letter_to_OSHA.

NEMA will be submitting detailed comments on specific issues raised in OSHA’s Request for Information by the January 20, 2009 deadline.

NEMA is the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity.

Establishing an Arc Flash Loss Prevention Program

2009-01-05T15:55:00.000-08:00

I just found this white page published by M.C. Dean, Inc. last August. The introduction to the white paper describes its purpose as designed to:

[Quoted from the introduction to the white paper.]

● Give middle and upper management an executive level description of the details surrounding arc flash and the industry’s best proven business practices. After reading this paper executives should have the confidence to begin the process of assigning the right team and resources needed to develop the methodology that best carries out a safety and arc flash loss prevention program tailored to their organizations.

● Provide the technical manager with a support document that can be presented to upper management along with recommendations to improve corporate safety policies by integrating an Arc Flash Loss Prevention (AFLP) Program.

● Provide business leaders with a quick reference guide to the questions they have involving who is responsible (in the eyes of OSHA and the judicial system), how to resource, how to control cost and how to build a sustainable program that can be monitored by a non-technical manager.

● Equip risk managers with a methodology to process a loss prevention program targeted to exposure related to arc flash. This includes the means to identify, evaluate, choose, implement, monitor and manage a comprehensive program that is sustainable and provides measureable data that can be used to calculate best risk management decisions.

● Caution on the use of “over-simplified” allowable tables and charts the industry has developed to establish arc flash protective measures. The risks include controlling the cost of expensive personal protective equipment (PPE) that may or may not be needed and giving untrained workers the false sense of confidence when working on energized electrical equipment. The result is a mismanaged safety program.

You can read the white paper here.

Discover Common Mistakes In Calculating Arc Flash Hazard Levels And How To Avoid Them

2009-01-02T12:02:00.000-08:00

An article by Peter R. Walsh in the December 2008 CSE Live
describes using IEEE 1584 for calculating arc flash hazards, including an overview of the calculation procedure. The article then points out two common errors in determining arc flash hazard levels: assuming a high fault current and assuming accurate values not necessary.

You can read the complete at: http://www.csemag.com/article/CA6623727.html

ASSE Announces Newly Approved Hazardous Energy Standard

2009-01-02T07:21:00.000-08:00

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently announced that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the reaffirmation of the American National Standard ANSI Z244.1-2003 (R2008) 'Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout and Alternative Methods,' which aims to protect workers from hazardous energy associated with machines, equipment or processes that could cause injury.

The standard establishes requirements and performance objectives for procedures, techniques, designs and methods that protect workers where injury can occur due to unexpected releases of hazardous energy. An unexpected release of hazardous energy includes any unintended motion, start-up or release of stored energy, deliberate or otherwise, from the perspective of the person at risk.

According to the standard, lockout/tagout is the main method of hazardous energy control. However, when tasks performed on the job are routine, repetitive and integral to the production process; or traditional lockout/tagout prohibits the completion of those tasks, the standard indicates that alternative methods of control that provide effective personal protection and are based on risk assessment specified in the standard shall be used. Routine, repetitive and integral production processes refer to tasks that are short in duration; relatively minor in nature; occur frequently during the shift day or week; are usually performed by operators, set-up, service or maintenance personnel; and do not involve extensive disassembly.

"A great deal of technical development and capabilities have evolved since the 1982 edition of the standard," said Jeff Fryman, Z244 Committee vice chairman. "These new technologies make the control of hazardous energy both more complex and easier to achieve. It is more complex because the traditional 'zero energy state' lockout situation may not be achievable, or desirable, and it is easier because the technology offers more solutions to control hazardous energy release through new devices and circuit designs. In my opinion, the greatest offering in the standard is the information on the use of 'alternative methods' to control hazardous energy. Based on the results of risk assessment, workers are afforded more protection and flexibility in performing necessary tasks on machines, equipment and processes."

On the impact of the standard on business and industry, Z244 Committee Chair Edward V. Grund, CSP, P.E., said, "Companies that are interested in moving beyond mere compliance will be able to use the standards to enhance their current practices. In addition, multinational companies can use the standard offshore as an effective guide for their international operations, particularly when local regulation is absent or weak."

Cutting Costs With Energy Auditing

2008-11-17T07:26:00.001-08:00

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.

Revised NFPA 70E Clarifies electrical Safety

2008-11-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

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