Electrical and Arc Flash Safety

An employee of Florida’s Suwanee Valley Electric Cooperative suffered electrical burns when coming into contact with energized equipment while changing a transformer. Click here to read the article dated 4/18/12.  

To prevent workers from being in the direct blast zone, a new racking device was developed by PG&E to remotely roll in/rack-out the high voltage circuit breakers from outside of the building.  PG&E developed the safety improvement in order to prevent injury and eliminate the safety hazard. Click here to read the article and watch [...]

New releases from SKM Systems Analysis, Inc.: “Power*Tools for Windows 7.0″ software, designed to unleash productivity with enhanced tools for system design, model documentation, and reporting features. “Modeling Arc Flash Mitigation Technique” white paper for use with “Power*Tools” “Arc Flash Line Side vs Load Side” white paper for evaluating which is best for your siutation [...]

James Phillips has written an article on arc-flash hazard calculation studies and the steps involved.  Jim is a top expert in AF calculations and a fellow member of IEEE 1584, Click here to read the article from IAEI Magazine dated 4/4/12.

Sign Source USA of Lima, OH, has been cited by OSHA for $67.4k in safety & health violations, including several related to electrical safety:  lack of PPE, failing to require the use of nonconducting headgear, failing to train workers to recognize unsafe electrical practices, and not grounding metal parts in the spray booth. Click here [...]

OSHA has proposed $231k in penalties for Gilster-Mary Lee Corp of Steeleville, IL, where 2 maintenance employees were seriously burned following an explosion within a dust collector while conducting welding operations.  The men were repairing a hole in the side of a metal trough containing a screw conveyor that was leaking granulated sugar within several [...]

Alabama Farmers Cooperative was cited for safety and health violations for exposing workers at its Decatur facility to combustible dust and other hazards.  Included in the violations was failure to reduce the accumulation of, and use approved electrical equipment in the presence of, combustible dust.  Employees were exposed to nuisance dust 1.6 times higher than [...]

Cyclone Drilling Inc. of Bismarck, ND, was cited by OSHA for safety & health violations, with proposed penalties of $65.6k.  Included in the serious violations were failure to provide electrical covers, and repair or replace damaged and improperly strung flexible cords. Click here to read the OSHA News Release dated 4/10/12.  

A sign installation employee in Preston, Victoria, was shocked and seriously burned when the metal rod he was taking off the top of a sign touched an overhead power line, sending 22,000v through his body.  A Worksafe investigation found the company failed to ensure employees had sufficient training when working near powerlines at that particular site.  The investigation also found [...]

Just published in the April 2012 version of ISHN Magazine is my latest article entitled, “What About My Hands?”.  This article addresses the glove issue since the hands are the closest body part to an arc. Click here to read the ISHN article.