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Australian oil and gas industry

Incident Alert Woodside Energy

115
More information:
Claire Cabiac
+61 8 9348 4000
Electrical fault on generator
December 2012

Incident summary
Key learnings
An electrical fault occurred while
returning a generator back to service,
after completing a major mechanical
service. Two maintenance technicians > Be aware of the importance of non-
technical integrity (TI) maintenance
were inside the generator enclosure at
tasks for critical equipment.
the time of the fault. One of the
technicians saw an electrical arc from the
alternator and pressed the emergency > Consider the effect of work on
stop. No personnel were injured. adjacent equipment.

> Review the requirement for

personnel to be in the immediate
Critical factors vicinity of equipment when it is
started after maintenance.

1. Debris from work adjacent to the

generators had contaminated the
windings.
2. The anti-condensation heaters had
failed and the generator had been
out of service for a number of days
prior to being re-energised.
3. A small oil leak was identified on
the main rear crankshaft seal that
may have further contributed to the
contaminants on the windings.
High potential incident alerts are distributed
by APPEA for the Australian oil and gas
industry to highlight learnings from incidents.
For more information or to submit an alert,
contact Leanne Drewitt, Project Manager –
Safety & Operations,
ldrewitt@appea.com.au or 08 9426 7202.
APPEA