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Transcript of Electrical Safety Improve Compliance Build Culture
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WWW .PLANTSERVICES.COM
Special Report
Electrical Safety:How to Improve Compliance
& Build a Lasting Safety CultureGreat Power,
Great Responsibility
P. 2
Increased Safety,
Decreased Cost
P. 7
North American
Electrical Safety
P. 9
S M A R T S O L U T I O N S F O R M A I N T E N A N C E & R E L I A B I L I T Y
SPONSORED BY
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Sheila Kennedy, Plant Services contributing editor, and
Ryan Downey, P.E., AVO engineering division manager
Great Power
Great ResponsibilitySignificant changes to NFPA 70Esince 2012 compel updated electrical
safety training
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NFPA 70E: Standard or Electrical Saety in theWorkplace® is an indispensable work in progress. For more
than 35 years, NFPA 70E has delivered on its mission to
create saer workplaces through improved
electrical saety practices, but the standard
continues to evolve.
Approximately every three years, NFPA
70E is updated to incorporate the latest in
electrical saety research, risk assessments,
work practices, design considerations, and
personal protective equipment (PPE) in
an effort to reduce the number o deathsand injuries caused by electrical shock, arc
flash, and arc blast. Tis voluntary how-to
guide to assist in Occupational Saety and
Health Administration (OSHA) compli-
ance can play an invaluable role in helping
plants mitigate their electrical hazards,
protect workers, promote saety requirements, and keep
their acilities up and running.
Much is learned every year. When the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) initiated the voluntary
standard at OSHA’s request in 1979, the first edition ad-
dressed only electrical installation requirements related
to electrical saety. It wasn’t until the 1995 edition that arc
flash hazards were addressed, and numer-
ous workplace saety requirements have
since been added.
As the saety sta ndard evolves, so must
the companies and electrica l workers
who use it. he 10th a nd latest release,
NFPA 70E 2015, contains some signi i-
cant di erences rom its 2012 predeces-
sor. It is essential to understand thesechanges and why they matter in order
to remain compliant with OSHA, avoid
risking l ives, reduce liability, and prevent
unexpected and costly downtime.
SUMMARY OF NFPA 70E 2015 CHANGES
Te new edition strives to ensure a saer
workplace and clarifies the responsibilities o employees
and employers by making the ollowing major changes, in
addition to extensive minor adjustments:
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• “Risk assessment” replaces the phrase “hazard analysis”
throughout the standard as part o an effort to make us-
ers more aware o the devastating risk o ailure and losscaused by shock, arc flash, and arc blast hazards. Specifi-
cal ly, the “risk assessment process” now is defined as
including identification o shock, arc flash, and arc blast
hazards; estimation o the potential severity o injury or
damage to health; estimation o the likelihood o injury
occurrence or damage to health; and determination o
whether protective measures and PPE are required.
• Maintenance status is now an integral par t o the risk
assessment.
• Te electrical saety program must now include mainte-
nance on electrical equipment as a primary element.
• Clariication was made that a comprehensive riskassessment, not just an incident energy analysis, is
required (see sidebar on best practices or conducting a
risk assessment and incident energy analysis).
• he responsibility or proper instal lation and main-
tenance is assigned to the equipment owner or the
owner’s designated representative.
• Te short-circuit current and clearing time o the over-
current protective device must be known or an incident
energy analysis.
• Hazard/risk category (HRC) tables have been replaced
with new hazard identification tables and PPE category
tables. All reerences to HRC have been replaced with the
term “arc flash PPE category.” Tis will orce a culture
change because HRC has become institutionalized termi-
nology in the industry.
• o use the PPE category tables, the short-circuit current
and clearing time o the over-current protective device
must be known.
• HRC 0, the standard PPE worn every day or normal
construction activities, has been eliminated; now, the
qualified person must make a risk assessment based upon
normal operation o equipment that meets all o the ol-
lowing criteria:• Te equipment is properly installed
• Te equipment is properly maintained
• All equipment doors are closed and secured
• All equipment covers are in place and secured
• Tere is no evidence o impending ailure
• Companies can develop their own PPE numbering system.
• Warning label content was modified to include:
• Incident energy at a corresponding distance or PPE cat-
egory selected using 70E tables, but not both
• Site-specific level o PPE
RISK ASSESSMENT
The new standard’s risk assessment process broadens the scope
of employees who must receive electrical safety education.
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• Labels must be updated when a hazard risk assessment
review renders the label to be inaccurate
• It’s clarified that the electrical equipment owner is nowresponsible or the documentation, installation, and
maintenance o field-installed labels.
• he requirements or construction and maintenance
work were separated rom outdoor work to enhance
usability.
• Te prohibited-approach shock boundary was eliminated.
• Te table update or restricted-
approach boundary dimensions added clarity.
• A new requirement covers risk assessment associated
with battery work.
WHY DO THESE CHANGES MATTER?
NFPA 70E provides instructions on how to comply with
OSHA’s electrical saety regulat ions. OSHA is able to
cite companies or noncompliance, with t he consensus
standard as a reerence, when an electrica l accident
causes a serious injury or death, even though NFPA 70E
is voluntary rather than a ederal regulation. Certain
states and industries wit h more-restrictive occupational
health and sa ety laws require NFPA 70E compliance.
NFPA makes it the responsibility o the employer to
educate employees, including qualiied and unquali-
ied electrical workers, on saety standards. In act, a
plant manager can be held cr iminal ly responsible or a
worker’s injury i the worker did not have proper saety
training. Personnel in any industry who work on or
around or who or interact with electrica l equipment, AC
or DC voltages o 50 volts or more, or are responsible
or saety in the workplace, must receive electrical saety
training according to NFPA 70E 2015.
Te new standard’s risk assessment process broadens
the scope o employees who must receive electrical saety
education. Employers must assess generally recognized
arc flash and shock hazards in the workplace and provide
protection rom those hazards, and all employees must be
made aware o the potential hazards. Saety consulting and
engineering services can be called upon to help expedite
and refine saety education and compliance initiatives.
Te 2015 edition also requires an arc flash risk assess-
ment to determine whether an arc flash hazard exists. Even
the process o establishing an electrically sae work condi-
tion puts the employee at risk. I an arc flash hazard exists,
the employer must determine the risk to employees and the
required sae work practices, arc flash boundary, and PPE.
Similarly, shock risk assessments are required to deter-
mine the voltage, shock boundaries, and PPE. Employees
must be trained in these new skills, and must quicklyimplement them. Te practice o hiring an engineering
firm to perorm an arc flash incident energy analysis now
must be ollowed up with a risk assessment.
All employees who are exposed to electrical hazards
where the risk has not been reduced to a sae level (with no
exposed energized conductors or parts o equipment and the
equipment is essentially stagnant) require risk and avoidance
training, according to the new standard, rom electricians
and operators to mechanics, janitors, office workers, or any-
one who may plug into an electrical outlet.
NFPA 70E 2015 Training Objectives
• Identify the common factors of electrical accidents
• Understand the arrangement of the NFPA 70E material
• Explain the hazards of electrical work and their effects
• Describe the main elements in an electrically safe
work program
• Identify the requirements for establishing an
electrically safe work condition (lockout/tagout)
• Identify the requirements for a shock risk assessment
• Identify the requirements for an arc flash risk
assessment
• Establish approach boundaries for
shock protection for qualified and
unqualified employees
• Select PPE for shock protection
• Select safe work practices if an
arc flash hazard is present
• Understand the use of the arc
flash boundary
• Select PPE for arc flash protection
• Explain contractor and employer
compliance responsibilities
Hazard/risk category (HRC)
tables have been replaced with
new hazard identification tables
and PPE category tables.
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In order to train employees to identiy, understand,
and avoid the electrical hazards and risk o injury asso-
ciated with the tasks that they are required to perorm, itis recommended that a job/task analysis and task hazard
analysis with shock and arc lash risk assessments be
conducted or each employee. he exposure or potential
exposure to electrica l hazards should be recorded in the
employee’s job description and their training require-
ments determined accordingly.
Finally, employers must document that the hazard assess-
ments were perormed and authorize energized electrical
work permits as needed. Companies must be prepared to
share these records i requested during an OSHA inspection.
COMPLIANCE MAY NECESSITATE OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE
OSHA requires employers to document and implement
an electrical saety program that addresses exposure to all
existing hazards and those likely to exist in the work-
place. Te program must be published and available to all
employees who might be exposed to the hazards. OSHA
also has specific equipment labeling requirements.
Unortunately, the language used by OSHA can make
its electrical standards diicult to interpret and apply.
raining on each new edition o the OSHA, NFPA 70E,
and NEC electrica l standards should be delivered by
someone who has a thorough understanding o the latest
requirements and how they apply to individual aci li-
ties and who can relay the complicated material in an
easily understood manner. hird-party electrical saety
experts ca n support hazard assessments, incident energy
analysis, and ollow-up activity speedily and in accor-
dance with NFPA and IEEE standards.
Multiple delivery options are available or electrical
saety training. Custom courses can be designed to match
a company’s industry and environment, including its
voltage, energy level , and circuit and electrical equip-
ment conditions. Online and on-site training options
avoid incurring personnel travel time and expenses. Fullyequipped, regional training centers provide skills-based
training combined with hands-on labs.
Arc lash and power system analysis studies per-
ormed by licensed engineering irms identiy and
mitigate the hazards created by electr ical equipment and
systems. Folding these engineering studies into the latest
industry standards enables continuous improvement o
workplace saety, OSHA compliance, equipment reli-
ability, and uptime.
EFFECTIVE TRAINING
Everyone must be trained to identify, understand, and avoid
the electrical hazards and risk of injury associated with the
tasks that they are required to perform.
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5 REASONS TO CHOOSE AN ENGINEERED ANALYSIS OVER THE CATEGORIESMETHOD TO PERFORM YOUR
ARC FLASH ASSESSMENT
Visit BradySafety.com or email
[email protected]© 2016 Brady Worldwide Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
METHOD OVERVIEW
IEEE (Engineered) NFPA (Category / Table)
IEEE Standard 1584 “Guide for Performing
Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations” is a commonlyused engineering approach for conducting anarc flash risk assessment and for selection ofpersonal protective equipment (PPE). It providesdetails on the theory and calculations used todetermine the danger a worker could beexposed to.
This method categorizes tasks and indicates ifPPE is required. If required, the PPE category(1 through 4) is then determined based onequipment type, voltage, short-circuit current,and fault clearing time.
The IEEE method establishes the calculated short-circuitcurrent at each piece of equipment, which results in a
specific incident energy level.
The NFPA category method is often applied withoutknowing the short-circuit current. By assuming that the
short-circuit current is within the limits set by the NFPA
tables, workers may be over or under protected.
The IEEE method takes into account the specificovercurrent protective device characteristics and arc
duration, which allows for a calculation of incident
energy and resulting PPE.
The NFPA category method assumes fault clearing timeswhich may leave workers over or under protected.
Due to the detailed information gathered as required for
an incident energy analysis, the IEEE method allows foran overcurrent protective device coordination study to be
conducted. Improper coordination can lead to higher than
necessary arc flash energy, or nuisance tripping.
The NFPA category method does not take overcurrentprotective device settings into consideration.
By first calculating the available short-circuit current, the
IEEE method can identify equipment that has insufficientwithstand ratings, and by calculating the specific incident
energy, it allows for arc flash risk level reduction strategies.
The NFPA Method does not calculate short-circuit current.
The IEEE method requires complete electrical system datacollection and the creation of a complete electrical system
single line diagram. This data will give a facility an overall
“map” of the electrical system.
The NFPA category method looks at pieces of equipmentindividually.
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Bells Brewery (www.bellsbeer.com) is a multiple-site production operation located in Kalamazoo, Michi-
gan. It brews more than 20 beers or distribution across
a 19-state area, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.,
through a network o more than 80 wholesalers. Tedemand or craf beer has been on the rise in the United
States, according to the Brewers Association (www.brew-
ersassociation.org). With an industry growth o 15% by
volume and 17% by dollars in 2012 compared to 13% by
volume and 15% by dollars in 2011, Bells Brewery has seen
a corresponding growth or its products.
In 2012, Bells Brewery produced more than 216,000 bar-
rels and anticipated producing more than 250,000 barrels
in 2013. “We have expanded beyond our original acility,”
says Jeff Carter, acilities and utilities manager o Bells
Brewery. “We added 12 800-barrel ermenters and a can
line. We added Oberon beer in a 16 oz can this year. And
i two major construction projects aren’t enough, we are
doing a large upgrade to our process cooling systems. So,
we are always looking or ways to decrease our costs when
sourcing materials and equipment.”
Bells is a craf brewery that produces a ull line o ales,
beers, and stouts. It specified Meltric Decontractor Seriesswitch-rated plugs and receptacles or its construction
expansion project to connect and disconnect equipment
as varied as grain handlers, conveyor motors, portable
pump carts, and keg washers. Te brewery has been using
Meltric plugs and receptacles since 2006.
Prior to installing Meltric switch-rated connectors on its
production equipment, Bells Brewery used pin and sleeve
connectors, requiring an additional line-o-sight discon-
nect switch. o reduce installation costs, Bells Brewery
decided to purchase the switch-rated plugs and receptacles,
Increased Safety,Decreased Cost
Switch-rated connectors make LOTO easier and safer at craft brewer
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which are UL/CSA-rated or motor-
circuit and branch-circuit disconnect
switching and also are an approved
NEC/CSA line-o-sight disconnect
switch. “When we were planning ourfirst cellar expansion, I was pricing
the cost o three pump stations, which
consists o two outlets with line
reactors and disconnects, and two
portable pumps,” explains Carter.
Te line o switch-rated plugs and
receptacles combine the saety and
unctionality o a disconnect switch
with the convenience o a plug and
receptacle. Te integral switching
mechanism allows users to saely
make and break connections under
ull load and provide protection in
overload and short circuit conditions.
Teir enclosed arc chambers
ensure that the load is saely discon-
nected and that all live parts are
isolated and inaccessible beore the
plug can be removed. Tis design
shields users rom potential arc flashhazards at all times while making
and breaking connections.
As Bells Brewery’s production
acilities have grown, so has its
maintenance department, which
now consists o packaging, acili-
ties, and utilities departments. Te
switch-rated devices have the ad-
ditional benefit o limiting downtime
associated with maintenance and
equipment changeouts by up to 50
%, since no hardwiring o connec-
tions is necessary. Te spring-loaded,
integral switching mechanism
can disconnect a circuit simply by
depressing the pawl where it ’s then
ejected in the off position in only 15
ms. Te user only needs to rotate the
plug and withdraw it rom the recep-
tacle to complete the disconnecting
operation. In addition, the silver-nickel, butt-style contacts controlled
by a spring-loaded integral switching
mechanism eliminates reliability
problems associated with contact
mating and connection quality
that are intrinsic to sliding riction
contacts. “Te time savings associ-
ated with prewired replacements will
save us downtime, which is an added
bonus,” says Carter.
LOCKOUT/TAGOUT
Te need to requently lockout and
tagout equipment or maintenance at
Bells Brewery is not only crucial or
worker saety, but also a more requent
operation as the brewery has expanded
its operations and capacity. “We use
the lockout/tagout eature or our
pumps,” says Carter. “All you need is
a lock and insert it in the hole on the
plug, Te saety that comes with thelockablity is something that influenced
our purchasing decision, as well.”
With a 5/16-in. lockout hole in the
plug shroud, the device can be locked
out by inserting a user-provided lock
through the hole in the male plug. Te
lock on the disconnected male plug
prevents insertion into the emale re-
ceptacle and provides visual verification
o deenergization.
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With updates to NFPA 70B and 70E, as well as CSA Z462 and Z463, North American standards for electrical safety
have taken a giant step forward. Tese two articles look at current and future applications of these standards.
erry Becker, electrical safety consultant, reviews Canada’s recent improvements to the standards and reflects on its
similarities to U.S. standards. UE Systems’ Adrian Messer makes a case for airborne ultrasound in the standards.
Safe installations, safe work practices, and adequate electrical equip-
ment maintenance come together in an electrical safety trifecta
By Terry Becker, P.Eng., NFPA CESCP
North AmericanElectrical Safety
U.S. and Canadian standards lower risk of working with electrical systems
Workplace electrical safety has evolved in the UnitedStates and Canada with the application o NFPA 70E, the
U.S. standard or electrical saety in the workplace, and
CSA Z462, Canada’s workplace electrical saety standard
published on Dec. 28, 2008. With CSA Z462 now in its
published second edition and the third edition in the works,
energized electrical work in Canada will never be the same.
But is this enough? Have we missed a key variable in electri-
cal saety? What about electrical equipment maintenance?
Tere are really three key elements to electrical saety
and ensuring that risk related to energized electrical
power systems is reduced to as low as reasonably practi-cable (ALARP): sae installations, sae work practices, and
adequate electrical equipment maintenance. Tis triecta
o electrical saety will result in achieving the lowest risk to
workers and highest reliability or electrical power systems.
Sae electrical power distribution installations have
ocused on only legal requirements. In the past, Canadian
ederal, provincial, and territorial regulations had no
specific ocus on shock and arc flash. Neither did OSHA
regulations in the United States. Tat has changed.
HISTORY, CULTURE, BEHAVIORS
When we consider the history o energized electrical work,
it’s hard to believe we’ve neglected the electrical hazards o
shock and arc flash. Specifically we’ve allowed electricians
to use their bodies as voltage detectors. Hard to believe, but
rom 1942 until 1960 the American Electricians’ Handbook
taught electricians to use pain as a means o detecting that
voltage was present in electrical conductors and circuit parts.
Workers accepted this and accepted completing repair
and alteration o energized electrical equipment as “part o
the job o an electrician.” oday this wouldn’t be accept-
able. In the past we ocused on sae electrical instal lations;this is how we controlled exposure o all workers to shock
and controlled electrical aults with overcurrent protec-
tion. But what about arcing aults and arc flash? Tey had
not been identified in the past. How can we eliminate them
rom occurring or control the probability?
Worker behaviors have been a problem, and they still are.
Change is required, but it’s a challenge to make the change
and ensure it wil l be sustained. How can we put controls in
place that will have a positive impact on worker behaviors?
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WHY DO WE NEED ELECTRICAL SAFETY?
History, statistics, and the results o electrical saety au-
dits tell us that employers and employees have a long way
to go to achieve sustainable electrical saety and to elimi-
nate or reduce the risk o exposure to shock and arc flash.
Electrical installations are not constructed or maintained
to the CEC or the NEC. Incidents occur in which equip-
ment and workers make contact with overhead power
lines. Electricians continue to be shocked and accept it;
they do not wear rubber insulating gloves with leather
protectors. Electrical saety audits identiy that workersare not “electrical saety competent.” LOO processes
and procedures are not in place or practiced correctly,
Engineering “saety by design” is not practiced, or there
may be errors in incident energy analysis studies. Electri-
cal hazards are not identified, and adequate controls
aren’t put into place. No electrical sae work procedures
are written and used. Tere’s no electrical-specific PPE,
tools, and equipment, or, i they have been procured, they
haven’t been managed effectively.
We’ve accepted the condition o energized elect rical
power distribution equipment. We may not have imple-
mented any electrical equipment maintenance practices
or the electrica l equipment maintenance that has been
perormed hasn’t been appropriate or completed at
acceptable requencies. Without electrical equipment
maintenance the probability o abnormal conditions oc-
curring on energized electrical equipment increases, and
thus the risk increases.
EVOLUTION AND CHANGE
How can we effect change? How can we ensure the change
is sustainable? We need to use management systems and
apply the tools in standards/guidelines within the manage-ment systems. We need to deploy the management systems,
get them to work or the benefit intended, audit their
perormance, implement corrective actions, and implement
a continuous improvement philosophy.
We need to overcome the challenges that make change
difficult:
• Change is ear.
• Change is overwhelming.
• Change is hard.
• Change is necessary.
Change is good. Change is inevitable. We must commit
to change. Without change, we cannot improve.
Te Canadian Electrical Code, Part 1, C22.1, and the Na-
tional Electrical Code, NFPA 70, were developed to effect
change in sae installations. Te NFPA 70E standard and
the CSA Z462 standard were developed to effect change in
electrical sae work practices.
NFPA 70B and the NEA MS standards were devel-
oped and have evolved to effect change in electrical equip-
ment maintenance. In Canada, the CSA Z463 guideline
on maintenance o electrical systems published in January2014 will effect change in Canada with respect to improve-
ments in electrical equipment maintenance.
A triecta or electrical saety is achievable. What do I
mean by this statement? I’m not a gambler, and this is not
a horse race, but I know that, when it comes to electrical
saety, it is within our power to achieve this level o success.
Tis is the result o managing electrical saety to the high-
est levels — doing everything possible to reduce the risk o
exposure to the electrical hazards o arc flash and shock.
his result can be achieved and the risk can be re-
duced to as low as reasonably practicable by using the
electrical saety triecta: using approved equipment,
installed to CEC, Part 1, or NEC; establishing electri-
cal sae work practices, such as test-beore-touch on
de-energized equipment; and implementing eective
electrical equipment maintenance. All three o these
elements should be implemented and maintained using
appropriate ma nagement systems.
APPROVED EQUIPMENT INSTALLED TO CEC, PART 1, OR NEC
his is a legal requirement and an expectation with re-
spect to energized electrical equipment. he equipment
is designed to perorm as intended and installed so thatit operates with inherent saety under normal operating
conditions. Electrical quality management programs can
be developed and implemented to ensure we procure ap-
proved equipment and that it’s installed to CEC, Part 1,
or NEC and that jurisdict ional requirements or permit-
ting and inspections occur.
ESTABLISHING ELECTRICAL SAFE WORK PRACTICES
With the addition o the CSA Z462 workplace electrical
saety standard to the tools we have available in Canada,
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we can use it to implement electrical sae work practices.
Applying CSA Z462 or NFPA 70E within an occupation-
al-health-and-saety-management-system approach, by
developing and implementing an electrical saety pro-
gram, wi ll guarantee measurable and sustainable electri-
cal saety perormance.
EFFECTIVE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE
raditionally electrical power distribution equipment has
been maintained to guarantee some level o reliability and
to protect electrical equipment rom damage by ensur-
ing electrical protective devices operate as intended. Areocusing o electrical equipment maintenance prioriti-
zation will ocus on ensuring arcing aults do not occur,
or limiting incident energy i an arcing ault and arc flash
occur, and ensuring that the workers perorming ener-
gized electrical equipment maintenance are protected. In
Canada, the new CSA Z463 Guideline or Maintenance
o Electrical Systems released in January 2014 will be
Canada’s electrical equipment maintenance guideline;
it will realign electrical equipment maintenance priori-
ties to worker saety, reliability, and limiting damage to
electrical equipment. By using CSA Z463 in Canada and
NFPA 70B and NEA MS standards throughout North
America or developing electrical equipment maintenance
programs, we can ensure that energized electrical equip-
ment is maintained to a normal operating condition and
achieve an electrical saety triecta.
Terry Becker, P.Eng, is an NFPA-certified electrical
safety compliance professional (CESCP) and owner
of ESPS Electrical Safety Program Solutions, an
engineering-based electrical safety consultancy in Calgary,
Alberta. Becker has more than 22 years of experience as an
electrical engineer working both in engineering consulting and
for industrial oil and gas corporations. He also is the first past
vice chair of the CSA Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety Stan-
dard Technical Committee and a voting member and leader of
Working Group 8, Annexes. Becker also is a voting member of
the IEEE 1584 Technical Committee, associate member of the
CSA Z463 Guideline for Maintenance of Electrical Systems
Technical Committee, and a member of the NFPA 70E Techni-
cal Committee Annexes Working Group. He’s also a profes-
sional engineer in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia,
Saskatchewan, and Ontario. Becker has presented at Canadian
Standards Association (CSA), IEEE, and industry confer-
ences or workshops on electrical safety in Canada, the United
States, and Australia. Contact him at [email protected].
When does airborne ultrasound fit in the standard?By Adrian Messer, UE Systems
When it comes to establishing an electrical main-tenance program or your acil ity, there are many
resources at your disposal. For inspection o energizedelectrical equipment, an inrared camera is probably
the i rst tool that comes to mind. However, a growing
number o maintenance and reliabil ity proessionals
have come to realize that airborne ultrasound is a viable
tool that can be used to inspect a nd diagnose conditions
such as corona, tracking, arcing, and partial discharge
in energized electrical equipment.
Te standards that maintenance and reliability proes-
sionals access or guidance in establishing procedures and
best practices or inspecting and maintaining electrical
equipment in acilities are National Fire Protection Asso-
ciation (NFPA) 70B, and Canadian Standards Association
(CSA) Z463. Both o these documents have been estab-lished to create recommended practices or inspecting and
maintaining electrical assets in order to prevent accidents
and reduce downtime.
According to NFPA 70B, the standard or electri-
cal maintenance, an electrical preventive maintenance
program is “a managed program o inspecting, testing,
analyzing, and servicing electrical systems and equipment
with the purpose o maintaining sae operations and pro-
duction by reducing or eliminating system interruptions
and equipment breakdowns.”
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When it comes to t he inspection tools that NFPA 70B
recommends or inspecting energized electrical equip-
ment, the document only mentions ultrasound in two
sections. he irst mention is in Sect ion 11.21.3.3.2.2
when discussing part ial discharge. he other mention
is in Section 15.1.2.2, which discusses corona in substa-
tions and switchgear.
Canada’s NFPA 70B equiva lent, CSA Z463, goes
into more detail when discussing ultrasound technol-ogy. CSA Z463 reads in Section 7.10.2 that “ultrasound
inspections use collectors that detect t he high requency
produced by the emissions caused by electrica l arc-
ing, track ing, and corona.” his section also goes on to
mention the act that the sound heard by the inspector
can be recorded and then urther analyzed in spectrum
analysis sotware or an accurate diagnosis o what was
detected by the ultrasound instrument.
Users o airborne ultrasound, a technology that was once
considered just a leak detector, have come to realize the
instruments could be used or other applications, such as
condition monitoring o rotating equipment and electrical
inspection. o many, airborne ultrasound has become a
necessity when inspecting energized electrical equipment.
Te primary driver o this application is saety. In most
cases, airborne ultrasound inspection can be done with-
out opening energized electrical cabinets. Perorming an
inspection without opening energized electrical equipment
helps to reduce the risk the inspector aces rom potential
exposure to arc flash hazards.
Te ultrasound inspection can be done by scanning any
openings on the cabinet itsel, such as vent openings, seals
around doors, or louvers. Tereore, beore any energizedelectrical cabinet is opened or maintenance or urther
inspection, a pre-inspection can be done with ultrasound
to see i any anomaly is heard. I there is a condition, such
as corona, tracking, or arcing inside the electrical equip-
ment, the ultrasound produced by those anomalies wil l be
heard by the inspector via those openings. Te source o
the ultrasound produced is ionization and, in some cases,
vibration rom mechanical looseness.
Te next revision o NFPA 70B, scheduled or release
in 2016, could include additional inormation regarding
ultrasound and its useulness or electrical inspections. Both
documents go into great detail regarding the inspection
and maintenance o any electrical asset in a acility. Recom-
mended procedures are discussed regarding asset criticality
and establishing an electrical maintenance program.
Adrian Messer is manager, U.S. operations, at UE Sys-
tems. Contact him at [email protected].
Before any energizedelectrical cabinet isopened for maintenanceor further inspection,a pre-inspection can
be done with ultrasoundto see if any anomalyis heard.
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