Arc Flash & Electrical Safety News

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Negligence Factor In Russian Power Plant Accident

On August 17th at Russia's largest hydro-electric facility, part of an overstrained hydro-turbine unit, weighing 1,500, tons snapped off its restraining bolts and sailed 45 feet into the air. The result was flooding, short circuits and wreckage that crippled the plant and doomed dozens of workers in seconds.

The Associated press reports that Russia's top industrial safety oversight official, in a 140 page report, stated that negligence was a major factor in a devastating accident at Russia's biggest hydroelectric power plant.

Read the AP news report, providing details about the accident and the damage, here.

Related past posts:
Electrical Safety In The Workplace
Lax Lockout Procedure Result In Arc Flash Burns
Arc Flash Safety, History & Requirements

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Tuesday, August 04, 2009

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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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Laurel, MS Electrical Equipment Manufacturer Faces $193,000 In OSHA Fines

OSHA has proposed $193,000 in penalties against Howard Industries for 54 violations of federal safety rules at the company's two manufacturing locations in Laurel, Miss.

The producer of electrical power products is being cited with 36 serious violations and proposed penalties of $123,500 at its Pendorf Road plant, with an additional 15 serious violations and proposed penalties of $41,000 at its Eastview plant. The violations include failing to provide employees with proper protective equipment, and to provide machine guards and lockout-tagout procedures. Lockout/tagout refers to preventing accidental start-up of machinery during maintenance.

Two repeat violations with penalties of $27,500 are being proposed for violations similar to those noted during earlier inspections in 2007. Chemical containers lacked identification labels and chains used as slings for lifting loads were shortened using makeshift measures rather than reducing the number of links.

One citation with a $1,000 penalty has been proposed for the company's failure to make material safety data sheets (MSDS) readily accessible to employees in their work area. A MSDS provides both employees and emergency personnel with information that is of particular use if a spill or other accident occurs.

"It is unconscionable for an employer to tolerate serious injuries, including amputations, as just a cost of doing business, rather than get out into the production areas and fix these numerous problems before employees get injured," said Clyde Payne, director of OSHA's Jackson Area Office.

The company has 15 business days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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Electrophysics Launches Entry-level Portable Infrared Cameras

The following is a press release from Electrophysics

The cost effective EZTherm 880 combines easy infrared imaging, accurate temperature measurement with an integrated visible camera.

Fairfield, NJ (PRWEB) June 11, 2008 -- Electrophysics (www.electrophysics.com) announced that it has introduced its new EZTherm 880 Portable Infrared Camera Line. According to Electrophysics, the EZTherm 880 is designed for electricians and facility managers responsible for inspection of electrical circuits, motors and other rotating equipment, UPS systems, and building roofs, siding and interior walls. The EZTherm cameras make it cost effective to add or strengthen the role of thermal imaging in a facility's predictive maintenance program. The EZTherm can easily replace or augment annual inspections performed by an infrared imaging consultant. With up to 3 times the number of pixels of typical entry level infrared cameras, EZTherm 880 produces infrared images that are substantially sharper making diagnosis of equipment reliability issues much more accurate, intuitive and precise.

The EZTherm 880 camera features unique dual mode focus control (motorized or manual) that makes the 880 a true one hand operation camera. A unique feature in entry level cameras is the camera's close focus distance of only 4 inches making it ideal to image through inspection windows mounted in high voltage switchgear designed to reduce operator exposure to an arc flash event.

There are three EZTherm 880 models offered beginning with the 880-1 which features high image quality, advanced report generation software, 350°C measurement range, accurate measurement accuracy, multiple color palettes, large image recording memory, 5 hour battery run time, all housed in light weight IP-54 ergonomic camera body. The 880-3 model adds a high quality visible camera channel and additional measurement analysis functionality. The 880-4 is our "Pro" package and includes a 3X telephoto lens and our unique protective lens for harsh environments that can potentially spray contaminated liquids on the camera's expensive IR lens.

"The EZTherm 880 is the perfect compliment to our HotShot line of high performance cameras. These easy to use point and shoot cameras are the perfect trouble shooting tool for electricians and other technicians and can support the use of more advanced thermographic cameras, like our new HotShot HD, by expert thermographers responsible for highly critical equipment inspection and IR program management. In addition we are so confident in our product quality that every EZTherm 880 carries a two year warranty." said Chris Alicandro, Director of Sales for Electrophysics

Company Background: Headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey, Electrophysics develops and manufactures advanced thermal imaging, near infrared and night vision systems for use in imaging applications.

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

In today's issue of Plant Engineering Live Michael Stuart of Fluke Thermal Imaging talks about using themal imaging to both detect hazards and pinpoint problems. The article is called Teaching An Old Dog New (Electrical) Tricks - Too many people have been injured by attempting to measure voltage on a circuit they thought was dead. Using thermal imaging avoids this deadly contact.

The article points out the capabilities of thermal imaging and suggests appropriate applications:

"When choosing between an infrared thermometer and a thermal imager, the choice is situational. Most technicians now carry a small infrared thermometer in their pocket for on-the-go checks. However, the infrared thermometer gives you only a 'spot' temperature reading. If you know what you’re looking for, infrared may be enough. But if you’re hunting an elusive problem, a full thermal map of the entire unit is more effective."

He provides a list of common components that are typically inspected using thermal imagers and also gives a list of typical reasons for temperature hotspots or deviations. Both of these can serve as useful memory jogger checklists.

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Friday, March 14, 2008

What OSHA Expects: The Electrical Safety Questions OSHA Will Ask

This article, What OSHA Expects: The Electrical Safety Questions OSHA Will Ask During an Investigation by Kenneth Cybart appeared in yesterday's Occupational Hazards Magazine. This is how the article introduces itself:

"Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly what OSHA is training its inspectors to look for during an inspection that includes electrical safety, including surprising new areas of emphasis based on national OSHA directives? This article covers some of the typical electrical safety questions that OSHA inspectors will ask during a field investigation, what they mean and how to be prepared and in compliance."

The article looks at 17 questions OSHA inspectors will ask, such as:

Is there a description of the circuit or equipment at the job location?

Is there a detailed job description of planned work?

Can you justify why equipment cannot be de-energized or the job deferred until the next scheduled outage?

Has a detailed work procedure been established?

You can read the complete article, including all 17 questions, on Occupational Hazards' web site.

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Thursday, February 21, 2008

Paradigm Shift Requires Look At Plant Electrical Infrastructure

An article by Larry Altmayer, POWR-GARD Services Manager for Littelfuse Inc. in the online edition of Plant Services magazine talks about how we need to change our view of electrical distribution systems. The article opens by stating:

"No longer can maintenance treat electrical distribution systems as everlasting, never-changing components of a facility. Instead, we must consider the electrical infrastructure as a dynamic system that requires regular attention and a formal preventive maintenance program."

The article makes the point that electrical systems can no longer be viewed as unchanging, static systems that can be installed and forgotten. They are dynamic systems that are changing to meet continually changing needs, and as a result must be regularly re-evaluated and maintained.

Mr. Altmayer then covers how OSHA, NFPA 70E, NEC and NEMA codes and standards are driving change and this results in a need for current electrical hazard assessments and ongoing maintenance. Overall this article provides a good overview of a dynamic situation that we all need to address.

You can read the complete article at: http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2008/034.html

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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Using Thermal Imaging For MCC Maintenance

An article in the August issue of SA Instrumentation & Control provides a detailed description of using thermal imaging for inspecting motor control centers. The introduction to the article states:

"Thermal imaging can be used to evaluate the operating condition of the components within motor control centres (MCCs) by comparing the relative temperatures of components under load.

Thermal imagers can indicate the operating condition of the components within MCCs by comparing their relative temperatures under load."

The topics covered include:

  • What To Check

  • What To Look For

  • Record Keeping

  • What Represents A Red Alert?

  • The Potential Cost Of Failure

  • Follow-Up Actions

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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.

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Monday, April 23, 2007

Federal Pacific Electric Stab-lok Circuit Breakers

Warning information about Federal Pacific Electric Stab-lok Circuit Breakers is provided on a building inspection web site authored by Daniel Friedman. The introduction explains:

"This website explains the fire and shock hazards associated with Federal Pacific Electric Stab-lok circuit breakers and service panels, provides a history of the issue, recounts research on FPE failures, and recommends replacement of the panels. Photographs are provided to aid in identification of Federal Pacific FPE Stab-Lok equipment. The web author has no business, financial, or other connection with this product nor with its replacement."

In addition to warning information the web site describes the problems in detail, provides extensive documentation, and has a huge number of photographs to help you identify Federal Pacific Electric Stab-lok circuit breakers.

This web site is not just about Federal Pacific Electric Stab-lok circuit breakers. It is a comprehensive building and environmental inspection web site covering many safety topics.

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