ELECTRICAL SAFETY

The Indian Electricity Act 1910

The Indian Electricity Rules 1956


Babji Choudhary
ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Accidents due to Electric Current.

1. Hold on type.
- This type of accidents occur about 10 mA.
- Muscles of forearm contract and hands tighten.
- This type of accident is very dangerous because of
continuous passage of current. The Chest Muscles
contract and blood circulation may stop.

2. Ventricular fibrillation
- It occurs when the ordinate action of the ventricle is
disturb.
- When current passes through chest and affects the heart,
V F is caused.
- Recovery of normal spontaneous return of hearth is
difficult.
- Current of 20 mA passing through Chest causes V F.


ELECTRICAL SAFETY
3. Respiratory Arrest
- Respiration is stopped and does not restart again after
shock.
- This occurs when current passes through very near
the respiratory center which lies near base of the
brain.
- Here current passes through head to one of the limbs.
- However, when current passes from one limb to
another limb, the probability of respiratory arrest after
shock is less.


HAZARDS

1. Shock occurs when body part is in contact with Electrical Circuit.
The current must enter the body at one point and leave at
another.
Shock occurs in 3 ways. :-

- With both wires of electrical circuit.
- With one wire of energized circuit in the ground.
- With a metallic part that becomes live by itself in contact
with an energized wire.

2. Severity of shock depends on : -
- Rate of flow of current through body.
- The path of current through body.
- The length of time the body is in circuit.
BURNS
1. Joules Burn
1. When current passes through conductor, it is accompanied by
dissipation of heat.
According to Joules Law, heat dissipated is directly proportional to C
2
RT
C = Current in Amps.
R = Resistance in Ohms.
T = Time in Seconds.
As skin has highest resistance, it burns first.

2. Flash over burns
If an earthed conductor is brought close to another conductor at high
voltage, the insulation of air between them ( dielectric ) may break down
giving rise to spark.
This ionizes the air considerably lowering the resistance, which in turn
allows the current to increase
An electric arch is set up.
If earthed conductor is human being is too close to high voltage line, he
will be burned by the arc without actually coming in contact with the
conductor.
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCK

1. Switch off current or remove supply from victim.

- Use something made of wood. E.g. walking
stick, hockey stick, etc.
- If victim is cold, breathing is shallow, pulse is
rapid and weak then give him reassurance.
Make him comfortable and keep him warm with
blankets.
- If victim has stopped breathing start artificial
respiration immediately.
- Get medical help
The Indian Electricity Act 1910
The IE Act and Rules have been formulated to cover

Electrical Safety Aspects. The IE Act was first promulgated in 1903 and
then amended in 1910 & 2003. Similarly, the IE Rules were first framed in
1922 and amended in 1937, 1956,1980 and 2005.
Definitions

Accessible means within physical reach without the use of any appliance
or special effort.

Authorized person means a person authorized under rule 3.

Installations any composite electrical unit used for the purpose of
generating, transforming, transmitting, converting, distributing or utilizing
energy.

Supplier means a licensee, a non-licensee or any other supplier of energy
including the government.

The Indian Electricity Act 1910
Low Voltage means where the voltage does not exceed 250 V under
normal conditions subject however to the percentage variation allowed
by the IE Rules.

Medium Voltage means where the voltage does not exceed 650 volts
under normal conditions subject however to the percentage variation
allowed by the IE Rules.

High Voltage means where the voltage does not exceed 33,000 volts
under normal conditions subject however to the percentage variation
allowed by the IE Rules.

Extra High Voltage means where the voltage exceeds 33,000 volts
under normal conditions subject however to the percentage variation
allowed by the IE Rules.


The Indian Electricity Rules 1956
IE Rules have been covered in eleven chapters in all.

Chapter IV and V cover the general rules applicable to all class of
installation.

Chapter VI covers the rules applicable to low and medium voltage
installation.

Chapter VII covers the rules applicable to high and extra high voltage
installations.

Chapter VIII deals with the provision of rules applicable to over head
lines and

Chapter IX and X deal with the provision of rules applicable to electric
traction and Mine fields respectively. The topics covered in other
chapters are as follows : -
General Safety Measures for Electric Work
Statutory measures are already mentioned in forgoing Para (1) which
must always be followed with the help of IS mentioned in Para (2).

Some general measures include : -

1. Proper earthing and double earthing. General earthing for big
power station, up to 0.5 ohm, big substation 1 ohm, small
substation 2 ohm and tower and other places upto 8 ohms.

2. Use of approved insulated tools, rubber mats, shockproof gloves
and boots, tester, fuse tongs, D O rod, discharge rod, safety belt,
hand lamp, wooden or insulated ladder and not wearing metal
ring, chain etc.

3. Avoid temporary wiring.

4. Employ trained electrician.
Types of Protections
A. Protection of conductors, Joints and Connectors : - All
apparatus and conductors should be of sufficient size and
strength. They should be covered with insulating material and
placed or enclosed as to prevent danger, viz:

a. Conductors in conduit.
b. Conductors in flexible metallic tubing.
c. Conductors in metal trunking.
d. Conductors with metal sheeting.
e. Insulated cables like V.I.R. and C.T.S. cables.

Overhead trolley wired of cranes should be :-

1. Either protected by screen guards with suitable opening for
tapping or.
2. Insulated cable self winding drums should be used.
B. Over load & Short circuit Protection

Danger from excess current due to over load or above circuit
should be prevented by providing

1. Fuses
2. Circuit-breakers or
3. Thermal protection

Protective apparatus should be set at low current value

The no. of items collectively protected should be limited to avoid
1. Over fusing to with stand heavy switching currents and
2. To ensure subdivisions so that inconvenience from
operation of protective gear is not caused.

Fuses, relays and circuit breakers should be of sufficient
breaking capacity to operate Safety of Short Circuit Currents.
C. Earth Fault Protection

Protective Earthing : All non-current metal parts of electrical
equipment should be earthed. Such parts are :

1. Metal conduits, bus bar steel trunking and cable sheets

2. Non-current carrying metal parts of : -
a. Switch gear, fuse and starters.
b. Generators and motors.
c. Lighting fittings and
d. Other electrical equipment or appliances

To earth is to connect to the general mass of earth is such a
manner as will ensure at all times an immediate discharge of
electrical energy without danger and to allow sufficient current to
flow to blow fuses or operate protective devices and thereby
disconnect faulty apparatus.


Good earthing can be achieved by connecting earth continuity
conductor to :-

1. Sheath and armour of supply cable whenever available.

2. In the case of supply from own transformer, to a heavy
section copper wire running to the neutral point of the
transformers; or

3. Neutral wire where protective multiple earthing is
allowed and adopted.

In the absence of these, connection should be made to earth
electrode or electrodes having low resistance to earth.

Earth Leakage Circuit Breakers

Whenever it is not practicable to obtain low impedance or where
protection afforded by the over current fuses and circuit
breakers along with the earthed conductors is not
adequate, leakage protection can be achieved by :

Voltage operated earth leakage circuit breakers
Differential current circuit breakers or
Combined voltage operated and differential current circuit
breaker.
Besides earth tests, it is also necessary to ensure that
insulation values are within safe limits and that there is
continuity of the circuit without excessive leaks. These can be
carried out easily with special types of instruments.