Write a toolbox talk on Electric

Source excerpt

# Maintaining clearances around electric panels (cont.) ## ➤ Grounding (cont.) In addition, portable multiple outlet GFCI's are available for use on construction sites and industrial sites where heavy duty, multiple outlet GFCI's are required. 0000 Heavy Duty GFCI ## Eliminating access to exposed energized parts Covers on openings and approved electrical boxes restrict access to the exposed energized parts inside the openings and boxes. All openings in boxes, enclosures or fittings shall be effectively guarded or closed as per 2340.23. Missing covers and free access to exposed energized electrical parts are very common safety hazards in works involving electricity. However, these are easy to eliminate. Replacing missing covers in electrical panels and boxes, and covering the openings that have unrestricted access to exposed energized electrical parts save workers from the danger of shock and electrocution. # Using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) provides protection to workers from hazards. Depending on the job task to be performed, PPE for electrical workers generally includes safety glasses, flame-resistant (FR) face shields, hard hats, safety shoes, insulating (rubber) gloves with leather protectors, insulating sleeves, and FR clothing. Additional PPE, such as fall protection equipment, respirators, chemical-resistant or cut-resistant gloves, and chaps, may be needed, depending on the potential hazard in the job. Using proper lockout/tagout procedures ANGER DO NOT OPERATE 7

Source excerpt

# ARC FLASH HAZARDS (cont.) ## HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE HAZARDS OF ARC FLASH? (cont.) • De-energizing would create a more significant hazard, or it is necessary for the interests of health and safety that the electrical work is carried out while the equipment is energized (e.g., it may be required for life-saving equipment to remain energized and operating while electrical work is carried out on the equipment). • It is necessary that the electrical equipment to be worked on is energized for the work to be carried out correctly. • It is necessary for testing or troubleshooting. • There is no reasonable alternative means of carrying out the work. ## NOTE: USE APPROPRIATE LOCKOUT, TAGOUT, AND HAZARDOUS ENERGY CONTROL PROCEDURES TO ISOLATE ENERGIZED EQUIPMENT WHEN A CIRCUIT BREAKER OR OTHER DISCONNECT TURNED OFF. THE BEST ARC FLASH PROTECTION IS TO DE-ENERGIZE EQUIPMENT BEFORE WORKING ON IT! IS Second Best Choice for Arc Flash Protection: Use appropriately rated personal protective equipment (PPE). Arc flash personal protective equipment (PPE) is a combination of clothing and safety equipment worn for protection from arc flash and shock hazards by a person performing electrical work. Primarily, arc flash PPE is divided into the following subgroups: • Head, face, neck, and chin protection • Eye protection • Hearing protection • Body protection • Hand and arm protection • Foot and leg protection ## GENERAL ELECTRICAL SAFE WORK PRACTICES All employees working on or near electrical equipment shall follow general safe work practices, including: • Maintain housekeeping procedures in the work area, e.g., prevent slip trips and falls; eliminate fire hazards; control dust; prevent falling hazards; clear clutter. • Plan and analyze each step of a work task to ensure safety. • - Maintain appropriate work boundaries for qualified electrical workers (QEW) and unqualified workers. • Use properly rated and tested test equipment (e.g., multimeter). …

Source excerpt

# Protection from Electric Shock and Arc Flash Journeyman Technical Information Paper 2 OBED LEB 10 1808 BAITDING-C REHICYA FEDEBLOW ROBAR About 50 electrical workers are killed in construction every year in the U.S. by electric current and many more are injured. Over half of the deaths are from working on energized ("live") electric circuits without proper protection - often when it was not necessary to work "live." At least one-third of the electrocutions occur at low voltage, under 600 volts. This paper discusses precautions for electricians, but does not cover electric utility work. ## Electric hazards Electricity-related hazards include electric shock and burns, arc-flash burns, arc-blast impacts, and falls. - Electric shock and burns. An electric shock occurs when electric current passes through your body. This can happen when you touch an energized part. If the electric current passes across the chest or head, you can be killed. At high voltages, severe burns can result. - Arc-flash burns. An electric arc flash can occur if a conductive object gets too close to a high-amp current source or by equipment failure (for instance, while opening or closing disconnects). The arc can heat the air to temperatures as high as 35,000° F, and vaporize metal in the equipment. The arc flash can cause severe skin burns by direct heat exposure and by igniting clothing. - Arc-blast impacts. The heating of the air and vaporization of metal creates a pressure wave that can damage hearing and cause memory loss (from concussion) and other injuries. Flying metal parts are also a hazard. - Falls. Electric shocks and arc blasts can cause falls, especially from ladders or unguarded scaffolding. ## Electric Safety Principles Plan every job. Decide on your approach and step-by-step procedures. Write down first-time procedures. Discuss hazards and procedures in a job briefing with your supervisor and other workers before starting a job. Your employer should already have or dev…

Source excerpt

# Arc Flash (cont.) ## What elements should be considered when doing an arc flash risk assessment? (cont.) Whenever possible, do not work on energized equipment. Always follow lockout/tagout procedures as part of a hazardous energy control program. Other protective measures include: - Making sure conductors and circuit parts are in a safe working condition - Using lower energy equipment or current energy limiting devices - Guarding energized electrical conductors and circuit parts - Using arc flash approach boundaries, including barricades - Increasing the working distance - Using non-contact instruments or procedures, where possible - Using non-sparking tools - Implementing work permits, safe work procedures, and job planning - Posting signs alerting of the hazards - Wearing shock and arc flash personal protective equipment (PPE) ## What would be included in preventive maintenance? Preventive maintenance includes: - Regular inspection for wear and tear of insulation, corrosion, poor connections, overheated electrical conductors, excessive pitting of contacts, or excessive moisture, water, or ice on the equipment. - Regular measurements of critical components. - Routine inspections of circuit breakers and relays (develop a testing schedule based on the manufacturer's instructions or the InterNational Electrical Testing Association (NETA) guidelines). - Follow established maintenance requirements, including a parts replacement schedule. - Keep electrical drawings current. ## What are approach boundaries? Boundaries are used to limit how close workers and others should be to the equipment or circuits, especially when work is being done. Arc Flash CCOHS

Source excerpt

# Arc Flash (cont.) ## What are approach boundaries? (cont.) Important to arc flash boundaries is the role of qualified persons. A qualified person is someone who has been trained in and has knowledge about the construction and operation of the equipment or work methods. They must be familiar with appropriate techniques, policies and procedures, work permits, PPE, insulating and shielding materials, insulated tools, test equipment, etc. For example, unqualified workers should remain a distance away from the exposed energized conductors or circuit parts (including any equipment or objects they may handle). They should not cross into the arc flash boundary unless they are wearing appropriate PPE and are supervised by a qualified person. At no time should an unqualified person enter the restricted approach boundary. Qualified person may enter the restricted space provided any necessary work permits, PPE, tools, equipment, and measures necessary to reduce the likelihood of contact are taken. ## How is arc flash personal protective equipment (PPE) chosen? Workers must know how to select, use, and care for the necessary PPE, and understand the limitations of the PPE. The CSA standard Z462:21 "Workplace Electrical Safety" provides two methods that can be used to determine what type of PPE is required for a specific job: 1. The incident energy analysis 2. The arc flash PPE category While either method can be used, only one method should be used at a time when working on the same piece of equipment (not both). The first method, incident energy analysis, is based on the distance between the worker's face and chest to the source. It uses the value of the estimated energy of the flash to determine the level of protection that must be provided by the PPE. The second method, arc flash PPE category method, uses the arc flash risk assessment of the tasks and equipment condition to determine if arc flash-rated PPE is required. Once determined that arc flash PPE is require…

Source excerpt

# De-Energizing ## An Electrically Safe Work Condition The most important principle of electric safety is, assume electric circuits are energized unless you make sure they are not. Test every circuit and conductor every time you work on them. The National Fire Protection Association lists six steps to ensure conditions for electrically safe work.** - Identify all sources of power to the equipment. Interrupt - the load current, then open the disconnecting devices for each power source. : - Where possible, visually verify that blades of disconnecting devices are fully open or that drawout-type circuit breakers are fully withdrawn. - Apply lockout/tagout devices in accordance with a formal, written policy. - Test each phase conductor or circuit part with an adequately rated voltage detector to verify that the equipment is de-energized. Check the voltage detector before and after each test to be sure it is working. - Properly ground all possible sources of induced voltage and stored electric energy (such as, capacitors) before touching. If conductors or circuit parts that are being de-energized could contact other exposed conductors or circuit parts, apply ground-connecting devices rated for the available fault current. The process of de-energizing is “live” work and can result in an arc flash due to equipment failure. When de- energizing, follow the procedures described below in "Working On or Near Live Circuits." ## Lockout/tagout program Your employer should establish a written lockout/tagout program and train employees in the program. The program should cover planning for locating and labeling energy sources, identifying employees at risk, how and by whom the equipment is de-energized, releasing of stored energy, verifying that the circuit is de-energized and can't be restarted, voltage testing, grounding requirements, shift changes, coordination with other jobs in progress, a procedure for keeping track of all involved personnel, applying and removing…

Source excerpt

# MIOSHA Fact Sheet # Electrical Shock Hazards MIOSHA Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration ## How does electrical shock injure someone? Body contact with an electric power source can result in burns, systemic shock, neurological damage, and ventricular fibrillation in the heart. Electricity always follows the shortest circuit and path of least resistance. If a human body provides that path, electricity will flow to ground or complete a circuit through the body. Death caused by electrical shock is referred to as electrocution. Fatal electrical shocks can even happen to people who should know better or have worked a long time with electrical equipment and become over-confident. People have been killed by 120 volts AC in the home and with as little as 42 volts DC because sufficient current is generated at these low voltages to cause fatal injury. The minimum current a human can feel is thought to be about 1 milliampere (mA). Currents approaching 100 mA may be lethal. ## What are some common reasons people suffer electric shock injuries or fatalities? • Body contact with overhead power lines • Faulty insulation • Improper grounding of equipment • Loose connections or defective parts • Ground faults in equipment • Unguarded live (electric) parts • Failure to de-energize electrical equipment when it is being repaired or inspected • Use of defective and/or unsafe tools • Use of tools or equipment too close to energized parts resulting in arc flash ## What is arc flash? Arc flash is a short circuit through air that flashes over from one exposed live conductor to another conductor or to ground. An arc blast is the pressure wave. Arc flash can cause serious burns or electrocution. According to the National Fire Protection Association Standard (NFPA) 70E-2004, most burn hospital admissions due to electrical accidents are from arc flash burns, not from electrical shock. A report compiled by Capelli-Schellpfeffer, Inc., estimates that five to …

Source excerpt

WASHINGTON State FACE Program Fatality Assessment & Control Evaluation # CONSTRUCTION INJURY NARRATIVE FACE National Institute for Health NIOSH® INCIDENT FACTS # Apprentice Electrician Suffers Arc Flash Burns ## SUMMARY REPORT #: 71-209-2021 An apprentice electrician suffered severe arc flash burns to his hands and face while attempting to install a breaker into an energized electrical panel. REPORT DATE: September 13, 2021 The apprentice had worked for his employer, an electrical contractor, for three years. INCIDENT DATE: February 27, 2019 WORKER: 45 years old Electrical contractors Apprentice electrician 600amp/480volt electrical panel ## SCENE: ## EVENT TYPE: Arc flash ## INDUSTRY: The plan was for the apprentice to install the breaker into the 600amp/480volt main distribution panel (MDP) while his journey-level electrician coworker stood behind him supervising. ## OCCUPATION: They did not de-energize the panel before starting the job because they believed it was not required. Also, the customer was not required to have a disconnect ahead of the panel. The nearest disconnect was off- site at the public utility transformer. They had done similar jobs in the past, and this panel had been previously inspected and approved by an electrical inspector. Service panel after the arc flash explosion. The apprentice was in the process of removing the heat shrink from the panel hardware when his side cutters slipped and contacted the b and c phases simultaneously, causing the line to fault. He suffered severe arc flash burns to his face and hands. He was not wearing arc flash protective clothing, gloves, or a face shield and his side cutters were not insulated. His coworker rushed him to the hospital. Investigators found: 1) A hazard assessment had not been done prior to starting the task. 2) The employer was unaware of the requirement to de-energize the panel before working on it. 3) The employer did not provide and ensure the apprentice used the…

Source excerpt

# Hazard assessment worksheet: Eye and face protection (cont.) ## PPE required (cont.) OSHA Oregon OSHA Department of Consumer and Business Services # Hazard assessment worksheet: Head protection Salem Central Office [redacted street address]. NE Salem, OR [redacted postal code] Phone: [redacted phone] Toll-free: [redacted phone] osha.oregon.gov Work task: Date ## Potential hazards No hazards requiring head protection Overhead objects that could fall Exposed pipes or beams (less than 6.5 feet overhead) Energized electrical equipment Other hazard: <table><tr><th>PPE required</th></tr><tr><td>None required</td></tr><tr><td>Impact Type I</td></tr><tr><td>Impact Type II</td></tr><tr><td>Electrical Class G (general)</td></tr><tr><td>Electrical Class E (electrical)</td></tr><tr><td>Electrical Class C (conductive)</td></tr><tr><td>Other PPE:</td></tr></table> 440-5871 (07/23/COM)

Source excerpt

# Electrical Safety Protecting Employees from Electrical Hazards Electrical Safety focuses on preventing electrocution and other electrical hazards by establishing standards for electrical equipment, work practices, and training, with a strong emphasis on lockout/tagout procedures and safe distances from energized lines. Injury Free Culture IF? What IF I could go my entire career Injury Free? Injury Free is a cultural attitude. It is a way of thinking that prevents injuries, makin safety a high priority at both the personal and organizational levels. ## Common Causes of Electrocution . Contact with Overheard Power lines • Contact with Live Circuits [redacted email] • Not following Lock/Tag-out procedures - Poorly Maintained Extension Cords • Defective Power Tools ## Shock Severity ## Arc Blast/Flash When an arc fault occurs, the result is a massive electrical explosion. The light and heat emitted by the explosion is known as the arc flash, and the pressure wave is known as the arc blast. Low voltages can be extremely dangerous because, all other factors being equal, the degree of injury increases the longer the body is in contact with the circuit. ## Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Lockout-tag-out (LOTO) is a safety procedure which is used in industry to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not able to be started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or servicing work. • Place Lock & Tag on each disconnecting means used to de-energize circuits • Attach a lock to prevent operating the disconnecting means • Place a Tag with each lock • Only the person who places the lock may remove it ## Electrical Standards VOSH's electrical standards are based on the National Fire Protection Association Standards NFPA 70, National Electric Code, and NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety for Employee Workplaces. ## Training Employees must receive adequate training on electrical safety procedures and hazards. Qualified employ…