Arc Flash & Electrical Safety News

Monday, July 20, 2009

Video - Electrical Standards & Regulations

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

Labels: Electrical Codes, Electrical Hazards, Electrical Safety Training, Preventing Arc Flash Accidents

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Friday, May 08, 2009

CSA Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety Standard

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.

Labels: Electrical Codes, Electrical Hazards, Electrical Safety

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Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Coalition Advocating Safety in OSHA Product-Approval Process

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.

Labels: Electrical Codes, Electrical Safety, NEMA Standards

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