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Arc Flash & Electrical Safety News

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Reduce Arc Flash Accidents Using Totally Integrated Automation

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?

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NFPA Journal - Electrical System Maintenance

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

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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

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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.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Arc Flash Causes Balckout That Traps 20 In Elevators

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.

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Tuesday, October 28, 2008

OSHA Reopens Record On Proposed Rule On Electric Power Generation, Transmission And Distribution

OSHA announced in the Federal Register that it is reopening the record on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on electric power generation, transmission and distribution work and for electrical protective equipment. This limited reopening seeks to obtain comments related to how close an employee (or a conductive object that an employee is contacting) may get to an energized circuit part.

"We want to use the most accurate data available to ensure that employees are maintaining safe distances from dangerous electrical sources," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "Extending this rulemaking process will provide us with the information we need to provide the best possible protection for working men and women on the job."

On June 15, 2005, OSHA published a proposed rule to revise the general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution work and for electrical protective equipment. This proposal included revised minimum approach distances (MADs), including MAD tables that can be used to determine how close an employee or a conductive object, which he or she is contacting, can get to an energized part. After the rulemaking record on the proposal closed, the technical committee responsible for developing the tables in the consensus standards on which the proposal was based discovered an error in their calculation of minimum approach distances for certain voltages. OSHA is reopening the record on this proposal only to obtain comments related to the affected minimum approach distances.

The agency will accept public comments on the proposed rule about the affected minimum approach distances until Nov. 21, 2008. Interested parties may submit comments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal; by sending two copies to the OSHA Docket Office, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-2625, Washington, DC 20210; or by FAX at 202-693-1648 if the comments and attachments do not exceed 10 pages. Comments must include the Agency name and Docket Number (Docket No. OSHA-S215-2006-0063) for this rulemaking.

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Friday, September 26, 2008

Eaton Announces Their Participation In Arc Flash Research

Plant Engineeering Live announced that Eaton is a platinum sponsor of the multi-year Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project. The article states:

"Eaton is a platinum sponsor of the multi-year Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project that will go a long way toward understanding arc flash events worldwide. The $6 million to $7 million initiative will involve more than 2,000 test protocols that measure the thermal, pressure, sound, shrapnel, toxicity and radiative phenomena generated in arc flashes, and will explore how enclosures affect the energy released."

The article starts with an overview of arc flash and a summary of what the research project will be looking at. It concludes with this summary of some of the anticipated benefits of the study:

"The Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project will give companies the same degree of information about protecting workers exposed to electrical safety hazards that the Environmental Protection Agency and Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations provide for the handling of hazardous chemicals and maintaining safe working conditions, respectively. If OSHA or Congress chooses to implement workplace electrical safety regulations or legislation, project content can serve as the basis for public policy, or may be used verbatim. The same holds true if state agencies or legislatures choose to strengthen on-the-job safety requirements."

You can read the entire article at: http://www.plantengineering.com/article/CA6594344.html

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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

System maintenance a key part of arc flash safety

An article in IMPO Magazine, written by Joseph Weigel of Square D Services, Schneider Electric, discusses the important role that electrical system maintenance plays in protecting against arc flash.

Fault clearing time is central to mitigating the danger posed by an arc flash. However, without proper maintenance, upstream overcurrent protective devices may not be able to respond adequately in the event of an arc fault. Weigel writes,

When these devices are not maintained on a regular basis, their clearing time may increase, allowing more energy to be released in an event. If maintenance is deferred long enough, it may result in a worst-case condition that may render the device completely inoperable, meaning it will not open to clear a fault of any magnitude.

An improperly maintained electrical system may look safe on paper, but pose significant dangers in reality. Malfunctioning protective devices can greatly increase the incident energy released by an arc flash; devices which don't function at all may as well not exist.

NFPA 70B, "Recommended Practice for Electrical System Maintenance," provides a useful guide to ensuring that protective devices maintain full functionality. Unfortunately, NFPA 70B compliance is far from universal, as it is a voluntary standard not required by OSHA.

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Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Hazard Assessment: In-House or Outsource?

An article by Larry Altmayer of Littelfuse, published at PlantServices.com, outlines the expertise and resources needed to perform an adequate electrical safety assessment and arc flash hazard analysis. The article addresses the important issue of whether to take on the cost of hiring an electrical safety consulting firm, or to face the considerable task of performing an analysis in-house.

Electrical engineering know-how is, of course, a key factor. Altmayer states, "Electrical hazard assessments are complex, and unless you understand the special expertise required you risk falling short of OSHA requirements." Engineering expertise, and familiarity with your facility's electrical systems, are necessary for a hazard assessment, but they're not enough. In-depth understanding of OSHA, NFPA 70E, and IEEE 1584 requirements and procedures is needed in order to ensure accuracy and compliance with the relevant codes.

Expertise isn't the only thing to consider in deciding whether to outsource or work in-house. A thorough hazard analysis is time-consuming and can be costly. Also, specialized equipment such as arc flash software and Category 4 PPE (for use while determining device characteristics) may be necessary to complete the assessment, while the ability to produce warning labels in large quantities is necessary for implementing the study's results. Liability for the safety of assessment workers is another concern. A final factor to consider is training: do you have the staff and resources to fully train workers on the hazards they will encounter in your facility?

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Failing To Follow Safety Rules

Sometimes we've done the same thing over and over so many times we start to feel like we can "get away with" taking shortcuts. This video is a dramatization that shows what can happen when we fail to follow elementary electrical safety rules.

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Friday, December 21, 2007

Top Safety Story of 2007

Occupational Hazards E-News has put out their list of the top ten most read news stories on their web site in 2007. The #1 most read story was about OSHA issuing a final rule on electrical standards.

Here is the February 13th press release from OSHA:

OSHA Issues Final Rule on Electrical Installation Standard

WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will publish a final rule in tomorrow's Federal Register for an updated electrical installation standard.

"These are the first changes to the electrical installation requirements in 25 years, so it is important the standard reflects the most current practices and technologies in the industry," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "The revised standard strengthens employee protections and adds consistency between OSHA's requirements and many state and local building codes which have adopted updated National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and National Electrical Code provisions."

Changes to OSHA's general industry electrical installation standard focus on safety in the design and installation of electric equipment in the workplace. The updated standard includes a new alternative method for classifying and installing equipment in Class I hazardous locations; new requirements for ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and new provisions on wiring for carnivals and similar installations.

The final rule updates the general industry electrical installation requirements to the 2000 edition of the NFPA 70E, which was used as the foundation of the revised standard. The final rule also replaces the reference to the 1971 National Electrical Code in the mandatory appendix to the powered platform standard with a reference to OSHA's electrical installation standard.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

NFPA Electrical Safety Video

This week are are featuring electrical safety videos. Today's video is from the NFPA. It shows how to work safely with electricity.

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Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Should You Outsource Electrical Hazard Assessments?

A new article on PlantService.com by Larry Altmayer of Littelfuse discusses the resources and expertise needed to conduct electrical hazard assessments.

The introduction states:

"OSHA regulations and NFPA standards (OSHA 1910 and NFPA 70E) require employers to identify and evaluate electrical hazards in the workplace, and to establish safe work practices and PPE for workers. This includes not only possible shock hazards, but also an assessment of electrical Arc-Flash hazards, as described in the 2004 edition of NFPA 70E. An Arc-Flash assessment is critical, as such events generate intense heat and arc blast pressures that can cause severe burns, concussions, falls, and associated injuries. These events are a leading cause of death among electrical workers."

The article covers the following topics:

  • Resources and Expertise Needed

  • The Cost of Getting it Wrong

  • Technical Qualifications

  • Employee Training

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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.

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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.

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Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Electrical Inspection Risks

While I was looking through back issues of IAEI Magazine I found an interesting article that discusses the risks that electrical inspectors face, and how those risks can be reduced. It talks about the following topics:

Risk From Job Site Hazards

Risk of Not Being a Qualified Person

Risk of Improper Personal Protective Equipment

Risk From Explosions, Arc Flash and Arc Blast

Risk of Bodily Harm From Property Owners

The article concludes by discussing "Winning Through Planning".

For example, since my experience primarily involved providing services to utilities and major manufacturing facilities, I had not considered the risk inspectors face from property owners who do not want their property inspected. The article makes this recommendation:

"Most of the problems dealing with the public can be mitigated with some planning prior to the inspection. If the inspection deals with a low income area, it’s helpful for the inspector to know the financial resources that may be available to the property owner for repairs or corrections."

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Monday, November 06, 2006

Transformer Maintenance: The Cheapest Form of Insurance

Statistics show that 73% of transformer failures are caused by insulation failure and that 58% of failures are preventable. What are the causes of electrical transformer insulation breakdown?

This Electricity Today article provides an overview of the causes of insulation breakdown in electrical transformers. With the causes identified, preventive maintenance can be used to reduce the number of transformer failures.

The article concludes by reiterating the importance of transformer maintenance:

"Start the planning stage by identifying the most important transformers in your system. These will be easy to find since they are the ones that if lost, will cause the greatest effect on your plant or production process."

"Once you have a list of the important transformers defined, then determine" [which has the highest risk of failure]. "A strong maintenance program should reduce the effects of the risk factors or provide you with a way of monitoring their effects."

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Friday, October 13, 2006

NFPA 70E and Infrared Inspections of Electrical Distribution Systems

An article on the IR Information web site discusses the implications of NFPA 70E for infrared inspections of electrical equipment. The abstract is:

"Although infrared inspections of electrical equipment are a widely accepted maintenance procedure, considerable debate exists among thermographers concerning their safe conduct. This paper discusses the National Fire Protection Association, NFPA Bulletin 70E, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and how they apply to infrared inspections of electrical equipment. "

The paper concludes with:

"For those involved in the generation and transmission of electricity, OSHA 1910 Subpart R will continue to serve as a reference standard.

Thermographers and their employers must identify how the NFPA and OSH standards apply to their work and ensure that they are in compliance. Failure to comply can result in fines and criminal penalties. "

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Monday, July 24, 2006

OSHA Answers A Letter About NFPA 70E

A letter written by OSHA to Associated General Contractors of Indiana, Inc., in response to questions sent to OSHA, provides some helpful information for understanding the application of NFPA 70E.

The letter discusses the answers to five questions:

1. Is a general contractor required to oversee a subcontractor's compliance with NFPA 70E? In their responses OSHA discusses the General Duty Clause and the OSHA Multi-employer Citation Policy.

2. OSHA has not incorporated the personal protective equipment portions of NFPA 70E? Does an employer have an obligation under the General Duty Clause to ensure that its own employees comply with personal protective equipment requirements in NFPA 70E?

3. an an employer be cited for violating an OSHA requirement for personal fall protection (PPE) where a properly trained employee decides not to wear the PPE?

4. Are there OSHA standards that state that an owner of a work facility must identify and mark electrical hazards for contractors?

5. How can I distinguish between electrical work that is considered "construction work" and electrical work that is considered "general industry work"?

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