Richard (Rick) Elwell Senior Operations and Safety Instructor and Consultant 419-961-8814...

Safe & Effective Troubleshooting

Richard (Rick) ElwellSenior Operations and Safety Instructor and Consultant

419-961-8814rjelwell@lpmgmtservices.com

Objectives

• Explain how training can save your company money.• Discuss proper safety guidelines while placing a work area

in an electrically safe condition and restoring equipment to operation, including PPE Selection and the Live-Dead-Live process.

• Explain safety concerns while troubleshooting and the proper safety techniques for live diagnostic testing:– Voltage measurements– Current Measurements– Insulation Testing

• Discuss Effective Troubleshooting Techniques using a Systematic Troubleshooting Approach

How to save $$$$ through training

• Electrical Safety training can save lives by:– Regularly reinforcing safe work practices– Providing employees with the information needed

to keep them safe– Helping to reduce the risk of electrical-related

accidents

What’s the real cost of a life lost or worker incapacitation?

• Initial insurance costs for medical treatment and disability payments.

• Indirect costs for investigation, production loss, overtime, replacement of equipment

• impact to site from a loss of experienced employee(s).

How to save $$$$ through training

• Minimize the potential loss of critical equipment through operational and technical training by:– Creating a more efficient operator/technician with the

ability to understand system response and quickly restore system redundancy and reliability

– Reducing the potential for personnel (human) error which can lead to unexpected loss of up-time

– Eliminating guessing (“Easter Egging” while troubleshooting) which often leads to replacement of the wrong component, resulting in reduced part replacement costs

Safety First!

Troubleshooting Work Practices

• Lock-Out/Tag-Out and check equipment de-energized whenever:– Ohmmeter readings are taken– Connecting clamp-on ammeter probes– Disconnecting or reconnecting wires– Replacing an electrical component– Performing visual inspections and/or adjustments

inside electrical enclosures

Beware!

• … of stored energies.– During the LOTO process, safety discharge

capacitors whenever present. Do not rely of bleeder resistor circuits.

– If troubleshooting removable ACB-type circuit breakers, discharge closing springs.

Energized Troubleshooting

• The appropriate level of shock/Arc Flash PPE is required.– Use installed Arc Flash Labels– Or NFPA 70E PPE Selection Tables

• Energized work permits are not required for diagnostic testing and troubleshooting.

Circuit Protection device operates

• Do not reclose breaker or replace fuse(s) unless:– It is known to be caused by an overload condition– Circuit has been inspected for down-stream

shorts.

Pre-Use Safe Glove Testing• Daily by user = once per shift, unless

damage is expected

• Visual and Air Check

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PPE for an Electrical Arc

Pressure Waves200 lbs/sq inch

Copper Vapor:Solid to VaporExpands by67,000 times

Molten MetalExtremely High Temps15,000- 35,000 °F

Shrapnel@700 mph

Sound Waves135+ decibels at 2ft

Intense Light

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Approach Boundaries

• Boundaries should be set around the work area to prevent:– unqualified workers from

coming into contact with live parts.

– Injury to those not in the appropriate level of PPE.

– Protect the worker

Note: shock boundaries dependent on system voltage level. For <600V the Limited Approach Boundary is 3.5 ft.

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Prohibited Shock Boundary: Authorized Qualified Persons Only. PPE as if direct contact with live parts.

Restricted Shock Boundary: Authorized Qualified Persons w/PPE

Limited Shock Boundary: Authorized Qualified Persons w/PPE. Unqualified allowed only when conducting OJT and accompanied by a qualified person

Flash Protection Boundary (FPB) – @ 1.2 Cal/cm2Flash Protection Boundary (FPB) – @ 1.2 Cal/cm2

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• Must wear appropriate PPE

• FPB based on available fault current and duration if an Arc Flash Analysis was performed. Values are listed on AF Label attached to equipment.

Distance of the Worker

• This incident energy exposure level shall be based on the working distance of the employee’s face and chest areas from a prospective arc source for the specific task to be performed.

480V MCC480V MCC

Know Your Meter!

• Know meter functions and how it is protected.• Know how to selected the right meter and its limitations:

– Always use CAT 3 (or higher) meter.– A low-budget meter may kill you.

• Know how to use a device to verify the absence of voltage, including interpreting indications/readings.

• Inspect meters for safe use.

Always “Test-Before-Touch”

• Conduct a “Live-Dead-Live” Test– Check meter on a know live source– Test the equipment (6-point check)

• Each Phase-to-phase• Each Phase-to-Ground

– Recheck meter on a know live source

Systematic troubleshooting approach

• “7-Step” Troubleshooting1. Preparation2. Observation3. Defined problem area4. Identify possible and probable causes5. Test6. Repair/replace and confirm7. Follow-up

Questions?