Chapter 5 SAFETY PROCEDURES AND METHODS

CHAPTER 5
SAFETY PROCEDURES
AND METHODS

Lesson Objectives

1. Identify hazards and assess risks of the
task.
2. Follow safe work practices around
electrical equipment's.
3. Identify and avoid common electrical
hazards.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY
METHOD

1. Think—be aware.
2. Understand your procedures.
3. Follow your procedures.
4. Use appropriate safety equipment.
5. Ask if you are unsure, and do not assume.
6. Do not answer if you do not know
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY
METHOD

1. Think—be aware
Many accidents could have been
prevented if the injured victim had
concentrated on the safety aspects of the
job. Thinking about personal or job-
related problems while working on or
near energized conductors is a one-way
ticket to an accident. Always stay alert to
the electrical hazards around the work
area.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY
METHOD

2. Understand Your Procedures
Every company has defined safety
procedures that are to be followed.
Workers should be thoroughly familiar
with all the safety procedures that affect
their jobs. Knowledge of the required
steps and the reasons for those steps can
save a life. All employees should go
through extensive safety training
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY
METHOD

3. Follow Your Procedures
In the past, some facilities have allowed the
violation of safety procedures in the name of
production. Such actions are in violation of the
law and have invariably proven to be costly in
terms of human injury and/or death. Violation
of safety procedures without good cause should
be a discharge offense. What constitutes “good
cause” must be decided on a local basis;
however, excuses of lesser significance than
immediate danger to life should not be
acceptable.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY
METHOD

4. Use Appropriate Safety Equipment
No matter how meticulous workers are,
accidents do occasionally happen.
Equipment failures, lightning strikes,
switching surges, and other such events
can cause shock, arc, or blast. Also,
sometimes it becomes necessary for
employees to work on or very close to
energized conductors, which increases
the chance of accidental contact.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY
METHOD

5. Ask If You Are Unsure, and Do Not
Assume
Ignorance kills and injures many people
each year. No one should ever get fired for
asking a question—especially if it is a safety-
related question. Anyone who is uncertain
about a particular situation should be
encouraged to ask questions, which should
then be answered by a qualified person
immediately and to the fullest extent
possible.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY
METHOD

6. Do Not Answer If You Do Not Know
No one should answer a question if they
are not certain of the answer. Self-
proclaimed experts should keep their
opinions to themselves.
JOB BRIEFINGS

A job briefing (sometimes called a “tailgate meeting”) is a
meeting that informs all workers of the job requirements.
In particular, a job briefing is used to alert workers to
potential safety hazards. A job briefing need not be a
formal gathering; however, it is mandatory that all
workers involved attend, and worker attendance should
be documented.
JOB BRIEFINGS

When Should Job Briefings Be Held?
 At the beginning of each shift

 At the beginning of any new job
 Any time that job conditions change
 When new personnel are introduced to an ongoing
job
Remote Operation

There are at least three different ways that electrical
switchgear such as circuit breakers and switches
can be operated safely.
1. Operating from a remote control room
2. Operating using a remote operating device
3. Operating manually from the device panel
Remote Operation

1. Operating from a Remote Control
Room - These types of installations
provide a very high level of safety because
the worker is completely isolated from the
gear. If the gear arcs or explodes, the
worker is protected by brick or concrete
walls. These types of installations are being
used extensively in new construction and
are being retrofitted into many existing
facilities
Remote Operation

2. Operating Using a Remote Operating
Device - The mechanism is designed so that,
when triggered by the operator, it will physically
manipulate the toggle switch, push button, or
pistol-grip switch and close, open, charge, rack, or
otherwise operate the circuit breaker or switch.
The control box is held by the operator and
connected to the operating mechanism by an
umbilical cable. The cable is long enough to allow
the operator to stand well outside the flash hazard
boundary
ENERGIZED OR DE-
ENERGIZED?

The Fundamental Rules
 Production or loss of production is never an acceptable,
sole reason to work on or near an energized circuit.
 If work can be rescheduled to be done de-energized, it
should be rescheduled.
 De-energized troubleshooting is always preferred over
energized troubleshooting.
 The qualified employee doing the work must always make
the final decision as to whether the circuit is to be de-
energized. Such a decision must be free of any
repercussions from supervision and management.
Basic Energy Control
Rules

De-energizing Equipment
1. Before beginning the process, carefully identify
the voltage levels and incident energy levels of the
portion of the system that will be de-energized. This
information serves to establish the level of the
hazard to all personnel.
2. Notify all employees who will be affected by the
de-energization that the system is to be de-
energized.
3. Perform necessary checks and inspections to ensure
that de-energizing the equipment will not introduce
additional safety hazards, for example, de-energizing
safety-related ventilation systems.
Rules

4. Using properly rated load-interrupting
devices and proper operating instructions, shut
down all processes being fed by the electric
system that is to be de-energized.
5. Open the appropriate circuit breaker and/or
switch.
6. Rack the circuit breaker away from the bus if
it is of the type that can be manipulated
in this manner.
Rules

7. Discharge and ground any capacitors
located in the de-energized portions of the
system.
8. Apply tags and/or locks.
9. Attempt to operate the breaker and/or
switch to make certain that the locks are
preventing operation. If a motor starter is
involved, press the start button to make
certain the motor will not start.
Rules

10. Measure the voltage on the conductors
to which employees will be exposed, at the
point where they will be exposed.
11.Notify personnel that the system is
safely de-energized, locked, and tagged.
Rules

Reenergizing Equipment
1. All personnel should be notified that the
system is to be reenergized and warned to stay
clear of circuits and equipment.
2. A trained, qualified person should conduct all
tests and visual inspections necessary to verify
that all tools, electric jumpers, shorts, grounds,
and other such devices have been removed and
that the circuits are ready to be reenergized.
3. Close and secure all cabinet doors and other
safety-related enclosures.
Rules

4. Because the tests and inspections may have
required some time, the personnel warnings
should be repeated.
5. Locks and tags should be removed by the
personnel that placed them.
6. If breakers were racked into disconnected
positions, they should be racked in the
connected position..
Rules

7. Make final checks and tests, and issue final
warnings to all personnel.
8. Reenergize the system by reconnecting and
closing circuit breakers and switches. These
operations are normally carried out in the
reverse order of how they were opened.
TOOLS AND TEST
EQUIPMENT

Many electrical accidents involve failures of electric
tools or test equipment. Such failures take a number
of different forms including insulation failure, open
ground return wires, internal shorts to ground, and
overheating. These problems can be aggravated or
even caused by using tools or test equipment
improperly. For example, if extension cords not
designed for use in wet areas are used in standing
water, severe electric shock can result
TOOLS AND TEST
EQUIPMENT

The following general procedures should be employed
when using electric tools or test equipment:
 Tools and test equipment should be closely inspected
before each use. (See the “Visual Inspections” section.)
 Cord-connected tools should never be lifted or handled by
their power cord. If tools must be lifted, a rope should be
attached.
 Grounded tools and equipment must have a continuous
metallic connection from the tool ground to the supply
ground.
TOOLS AND TEST
EQUIPMENT

 If a grounded supply system is not available,
double-insulated tools should be used.
 Three-wire connection plugs should never be
altered to fit into two-wire sockets
 So-called cheater plugs should not be used unless
the third wire of the plug can be securely
connected to the supply ground.
TOOLS AND TEST
EQUIPMENT

 Locking types of plugs should be securely locked
before the tool is energized.
 Cords and tools should not be used in a wet
environment unless they are specifically designed
for such an application.

Questions???
Source: Electrical Safety Handbook, 4th Edition-McGraw-
Hill Professional (2012), Electrical Safety Handbook
(Covers new NEC, NESC, NFPDA 70E, IEEE 1584 and OSHA
standards)

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CHAPTER 5

 At the beginning of each shift

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