Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Electrical Safety
Wh El
Why Electrical
t i lS Safety
f t PPractices
ti and
d
Procedures?
Electrical Safety
NFPA 70 E –
Standard for Electrical Safety in the
Workplace
• Began
B iin 19
1976
6bby NFPA tto assist
i t OSHA
Page 6 of 60
Electrical Hazards
• Shock
Sh k
• Fire Ignition
Page 7 of 60
• Organ Burn and Cell Breakdown • Organ Burn and Cell Breakdown
- 1.5
5 Amps
p ((1500
5 mA)) - 1.5
5 Amps
p ((1500
5 mA))
Electrical Safety in the Workplace by Ray A. Jones, PE © 2001
Resistance and the Body
Page 9 of 60
Electrical Safety
• The NFPA 70
Th 0 – NEC d
does nott address
dd th
the other
th h hazards
d off
electricity
Page 14 of 60
Exposure to Danger
• The National Electric Code protects individuals from shock
hazards under normal conditions.
Conditions
• Normal Conditions • Abnormal Conditions
• Panel covers in place. • Panel covers removed.
• Equipment
E i t plugged
l d iin • Equipment
E i t ttemporarily
il
normally. wired.
• Normal,
N l d
designed
i d • Normal,
N l d
designed
i d
protection in place. protection such as guards,
limits switches, etc. not in
place.
place
• Faulty or Damaged
Equipment.
Equipment
Page 16 of 60
• OSHA • Only
O l you can ttruly
l kkeep you
safe
• Electrical Safety
P
Procedures
d M
Manuall • IImplement
l t safety
f t
procedures outlined in
• Electrical Safety Training Safety Manual
Old School
New School
• Arc Flash and Blast hazards were not formally studied until 1993
(IEEE 1584 began study).
• Electricians have not experienced arc flash and blasts to the same
frequency as electrical shock.
• We have not been trained how to avoid and minimize arc flash and
blasts in the past.
• Thee Electrical
ect ca Energized
e g ed Wo
Work Practices
act ces out
outlined
ed in N
NFPA 70
70E
incorporates measures to help avoid or minimize damage from arc
flash.
Page 19 of 60
Pi
Pictures from
f ESA B
Book
k
Practical Solution Guide to Arc Flash Hazards
www.easypower.com
Page 20 of 60
• Electric
El i arcs produce
d the
h hi
highest
h temperatures on earth
h – up to
35,000 degrees Fahrenheit (4 x temp of the sun)!
• The intense
Th i t heat
h t from
f arc causes th
the sudden
dd expansion i off air
i th
thatt
results in a blast with very strong air pressure (Lightning is a
natural arc).
• Clothing can be ignited from several feet away. Clothed areas can be
burned more severely than exposed skin.
• Hearing loss from sound blast. The sound can have a magnitude as
high as 140dB at a distance of 2 feet from the arc.
Approach Boundaries
NFPA 70E-2012 Ch. 1, Section 130
Limited Approach Boundary
Entered only by qualified persons or unqualified persons that
have been advised and are escorted by a qualified person
Restricted Approach Boundary
Entered only by qualified persons required to use shock
protection techniques and PPE
Prohibited Approach Boundary
Entered only by qualified persons requiring same protection
as if direct contact with live part
Flash Protection Boundary
Linear distance to prevent any more than 2nd degree burns
from a potential arc-flash (typically 4 feet)
Page 26 of 60
What is required?
1. Determine the Operating Voltage of the System
2. Determine Shock Protection Boundaries
3. Determine the Personnel Protective Equipment
Page 27 of 60
SHOCK Hazard
Flash Hazard
Ch 11, Sec
Ch. Sec. 130
130.5
5 Arc Flash Hazard Analysis.
Analysis
“An arc flash hazard analysis shall determine the arc flash
b
boundary,
d th
the incident
i id t energy att th
the working
ki didistance,
t andd th
the
personal protective equipment that people within the arc flash
boundary shall use.”
Flash Hazard
H
How to
t CComply
l with
ith NFPA 70E
E ffor FLASH P
Protection?
t ti ?
Once th
O the iincident
id t energy iis determined,
d t i d ththe PPE h
has tto h
have a
rating equal to or greater than the incident energy available. Or, if
the alternate method of using 130.7(C)(15)(a), then the proper
PPE is selected from 130.7(C)(16)
130 7(C)(16) of NFPA 70E
70E-2012
2012 if the IShort-
Circuit Amperes & the clearing time limitations are not exceeded.
Page 33 of 60
Table 130
130.7(C)(15)(a)
7(C)(15)(a) > Hazard Risk Category (HRC) = 0
(No V-Rated Gloves & No V-Rated Tools Required )
Fl h H
Flash Hazard
dAAnalysis
l i
Example 3 - An electrician is to operate a circuit breaker in the main switchgear (with some of the
covers removed from the switchgear) to de-energize a circuit that is operating at 480 V for lock-out
tagout and
d the
h IShort-Circuit Amperes & the
h clearing
l time llimitations are not exceeded.
d d
40896 Amperes Available
0896 il bl
480 Volt,
3 phase Answer
Main Lug DC = 10 ft
Only Panel
40896 Amperes Available
p
6000 Equivalent RMS Let‐Through
480 Volt,
p
3 phase Answer
Main Lug DC = .23 ft
Only Panel
40896 Amperes Available
6000 Equivalent RMS Let Through
6000 Equivalent RMS Let‐Through
480 Volt,
Answer
3 phase
Main Lug
Main Lug EMB < .17 cal/cm2
Only Panel
! WARNING
Arc Flash Hazard & 480 V Shock Hazard:
1) PPE/HRC Level 2 Required
2) Arc Flash Boundary is 30”
! WARNING
Arc Flash and Shock Hazard
Appropriate PPE Required
Qualified electrical workers shall not be asked to work on equipment that is “hot” or “live”
except for these demonstrable reasons:
1. Deenergizing introduces additional or increased hazards
• Interruption of life support equipment
• Deactivation of emergency alarm systems
• Cutting ventilation to a hazardous location
Or
2. Infeasible due to equipment design or operational limitations
• Voltage testing for diagnostics
• Start up
p testing
g
Or
3. Live parts that operate at less than 50 volts to ground need not be deenergized if
there will be no increased exposure to electrical burns or to explosion due to electric
arcs.
arcs
Page 54 of 60
Wh iis R
Who Responsible
ibl for
f SSafety?
f ?
The “Employer” is responsible for
• OSHA requirements
• Electrical Safety Program
• Safetyy Policies and Procedures
• Safety Training and Retraining
The “Employee”
Employee is responsible for
• Implementing employer’s safety procedures