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Copyright ESPS Electrical Safety Program Solutions INC. 2007

ELECTRICAL SAFETY

WORK SAFE BC MANUFACTURINGSAFETY CONFERENCE

Terry Becker, P.Eng., C.E.M.,CEO, Senior ManagementNovember 20-21, 2007


Overview

• Introductions, Terry Becker• Provide brief overview of presentation, content,

and Q&As.• Overview of electrical safety in existing

regulations and evolving changes:– BC OH&S Act, Part 19 Electrical Safety.– AB OH&S, Part 18, Personal Protective Equipment.– SK OH&S Act, Part VII, PPE, 94, Skin Protection.– Canadian Electrical Code, Rule 2-306, Warning Arc

Flash & Shock Hazards, Appropriate PPE Required.


Overview

• Industry Electrical Safety Standards:– NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the

Workplace, 2004 Edition. 7th Edition in 2009.– CSA Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety Standard,

2009, 1st Edition.– CSA Z460 Lockout– CSA Z1000, Occupational Health & Safety

Management System• Electrical Hazards – Arc Flash/Blast, Shock &

Electrocution. Toxic Energy.• Electrical Hazards, What has changed?


Overview

• Case History – Arc Flash in Commercial Building• Case History – Arc Flash in Food Manufacturing Plant• Case History – High Voltage Shock, Paul Herbert • Better management of electrical hazards, an Electrical

Safety Program.• Qualifications and Training.• Electrical Specific PPE, “Arc Rating & Arc Thermal

Performance Value (ATPV).”• Electrical Safe Work Procedures• Changes in Engineering, Equipment and Maintenance,

“Safety by Design.”• The future??


Regulations & Standards

• BC OH&S Act, Part 19 Electrical Safety:– Overview of this section.– General Electrical Requirements.– Working on Low Voltage Electrical Equipment

• Working close to energized equipment– Working on High Voltage Electrical Equipment



• Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, Rule 2-306:– (1) Electrical equipment such as switchboards, panel boards,

industrial control panels, meter socket enclosures, and motor control centers that are installed in other than dwelling units and are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized shall be field marked to warn persons of potential electric shock and arc flash hazards.

– (2) The marking referred to in Subrule (1) shall be located so that it is clearly visible to persons before examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance of the equipment.

• Simple Arc Flash & Shock Label:



• Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, Rule 2-306.• Detailed Arc Flash & Shock Label:



• NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace 2004, 6th

Edition and 7th Edition, 2009.– electrical hazard identification– task based– arc flash incident energy– boundaries for shock and arc flash– electrical specific PPE– Electrical Hazard Risk Analysis (JHA) process– Energized Electrical Work Permit– GOOD document, no other comprehensive document of this nature is

available• CSA Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety Standard, 1st Edition, 2009.

– Adaptation and adoption of NFPA 70E to Canada. National Standard of Canada, non-mandatory unless adopted into law by Provinces & Territories.



• CSA Z460, Lockout, 2006– new lock out standard for Canada

• CSA Z1000, Occupational Health & Safety Management, 2006– new standard for guidelines to establish an

comprehensive Occupational Health & Safety Management System. Use it to improve performance, and help to reduce or prevent occupational injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.


Hazards of Electricity – Arc Flash/Blast, Shock & Electrocution


Hazards of Electricity – Arc Flash/Blast, Shock, & Electrocution

Contact from energized equipment to ground

Short Circuit Fault Current

Distance the Worker is from the Fault

Clearing Time Note: 1.2

cal/cm2 , 2nd

Degree Burn


Hazards of Electricity – Arc Flash/Blast, Shock & Electrocution

• Shock & Electrocution:– Electrical current passing through the human

body is shock. Death due to shock is electrocution.

– A 120V, 60 Watt light bulb requires 0.5 Amps of current (500mA), 50-80 mA will cause your heart to stop. At 15mA your muscles contract and you cannot let go.

– Thermal burns occur at exit and entry sites on the body.


Electrical Hazards. What has changed?

• In the past electrical hazards were not given enough respect.

• Limited specific content in existing curriculum, electrical safety documents for companies, or nothing in place at all.

• Assumed the electrical worker had it under control.• Safe work permits didn’t recognize the electrical hazards

appropriately, and operations staff didn’t respect the electrical hazards or felt the electrician would “take care of it, he/she knew what they were doing.”

• Wrongly assumed that the electrical worker was qualified and had the right tools, and PPE for the work task.


Case History – Florida Commercial Building, Arc Flash

• The O/H power line contact hazard was identified, but no emphasis on the arc flash potential, just shock and electrocution.

• Limited to no specific guidance on electric arc flash, and contact (i.e. shock or electrocution) with respect to energized electrical equipment and circuit parts in Safe Work Permits (if used).

• No emphasis on requirement for detailed electrical specific Job Hazard Assessment or detailed Electrical Safe Work Procedures.


Case History – Arc Flash in Florida Commercial Building

What went wrong, was there a work plan, were the right tools and PPE used, was the second person qualified to be there?


Case History – Arc Flash in Food Processing Plant

What went wrong, was there a work plan, were the right tools and PPE used, was the second and third person qualified to be there? Did they understand the potential risk? Could this incident have been avoided?


Case History – High Voltage Shock, Paul Herbert

Paul Herbert survived a 14,400V shock. He was a Power Linesman. Paul lost both of his legs, his right arm, fingers on his left hand and was burned at entry point. What went wrong, could Paul’s incident have been avoided?


Better Management of Electrical Hazards – Electrical Safety Program

• Can we make improvements in training, PPE and procedures. YES WE CAN!

• Put down what you are going to do in writing. You need written documents.

• Recommended that you put all documents in a structured Electrical Safety Program (ESP).

• The ESP is included at part of your overall Occupational Health & Safety Management System.


Qualifications & Training

• More emphasis on this coming for electrical workers. Neglected in the past?

• Qualifications, experience, competency, and evidence of the same required.

• Frequency of training, due diligence required.• Non-electrical workers will require more

awareness training.


Electrical Specific PPE

• We know FR, but do you know what ATPV is? You will have to know now.

• Arc Thermal Performance Value or Arc Rating. • Arc Flash Incident Energy level, cal / cm2, at 1.2

cal /cm2, 2nd Degree Burn.• FR and ATPV are different.• You will require the electrical worker to have

appropriate and approved electrical specific PPE.


Electrical Safe Work Procedures

• May not of had these in the past, or not enough of them.

• Templated and site specific.• Must be in writing, recorded and available

for audit.• Must ensure electrical specific JHA.• Use Energized Electrical Work Permit

(EEWP) process.


Changes in Engineering, Equipment, & Maintenance – “Safety By Design”

• We can reduce the arc flash and shock hazard by engineering the risk of exposure to the hazards down. Focus on safety first, then damage and reliability.

• We can specify safer electrical equipment or components for the equipment.

• We can ensure we actually do electrical equipment maintenance, and at an acceptable frequency.


The Future

• Regulations are changing.• Different than today, new culture with respect to

dealing with electrical hazards evolving in Canada.

• New electrical safety standards established, setting new industry best practices.

• More regulatory risk for all industry sectors.• More need for demonstrating appropriate due

diligence, specific electrical JHA, training, PPE, written safe work procedures, etc...


The Future

• Get educated about what is happening.• Take appropriate action.• Ensure you company has taken

appropriate steps to prove due diligence.• We need to do a better job at protecting

the electrical worker from the electrical hazards when working on energized electrical equipment.


Electrical Safety

• Thanks for your time.• Q & As• Contact information for WorkSafeBC

Prevention Services:– 604-276 3100– 1-866-922-4357

• Contact information for Terry Becker:– terry.becker @espsi.ca– 1-403-465-3777

electrical safety - makeitsafe.ca€¢ case history – high voltage shock, paul herbert • better...

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