High Voltage Electrical Compliance and Safety Operating Procedures

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High Voltage Electrical Compliance and Safety Operating Procedures


Electrical Safety Management Systems

RISK ASSESMENTChance – v – Consequence

Impossible 0 Fatality 15

Very Unlikely 0.1 Serious burns etc 8Unlikely 1 Lesser

burns etc 4Possible 5 Broken minor

bone 2Probable 8 Broken bone1Very likely 10

Laceration 0.5Certain 15 Scratch

0.1

LESS THAN 1.4 – LOW RISK ACCEPT1.5 – 9 IMPROVE 10 AND ABOVE - PROHIBIT




The higher the consequence the lower must be the risk of something adverse will happen




With HV the consequence is always high



THERE ARE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR GETTING THINGS WRONG

Consequences arise from:

• enforcement and possible penalties

• the failure to control risk



ENFORCEMENT IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS

Report to HSE if non fatal, police if fatal

Why police?

Investigate to establish if the accident was caused by gross negligence

Death by gross negligence known as?



WHY POLICE?

Protocol with HSE / CPS / EA etc

Police investigate to establish if the accident was caused by gross negligence

Death by gross negligence also known asManslaughter

Against a person or the corporationCPS will decide and charge



WHY POLICE?

Site becomes a possible crime scene

Witnesses become suspects

When they are satisfied no crime – hand over to HSE / EA



HSE INVESTIGATION

WRITTEN ENFORCEMENT MANAGEMENT MODEL

Look at the risk gap

The gap between : The actual risk faced and the risk that he/she should

have faced if proper safeguards were in place



HSE INVESTIGATIONWRITTEN ENFORCEMENT MANAGEMENT

MODEL

“THE RISK GAP”

In any intervention, prosecution will occur if extreme or substantial risks are found

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COURTS WILL SENTENCE ON:

• How far short of the appropriate standard the defendant fell

• Poor standards causing unnecessary injury

• Failure to heed warnings

In other words – “the risk gap”



OBJECTIVE MUST BE:

A ZERO RISK GAP



Easy to say

Not easy to achieve

Only way is to have a:

COMPREHENSIVE SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM



POLICY

High level – e.g. Compliance with lawStatements on management, training etc.

Usually additive to corporate safety policy



MANAGEMENT

Clearly set out management structure

Who is responsible for :

1. Management

2. Supervision and technical oversight

3. Set out requirements for competence by job specifications and assess against

4. Develop training needs and implement training

5. Authorise staff to work in line with their competence


Electrical Safety Management SystemsMANAGEMENT

• Define who sets the rules

• Describe who supervises to ensure work is carried out in line with the rules

• If no technical oversight – how can we be sure of compliance, competence etc

• In an accident investigation – can we say we are in a defendable position



MANAGEMENT

As well as previous:

• Procedures for control of contractors etc• Compliance procedures • Change control

The section can be expanded to any particular department, section and area etc.



DESIGN OF EQUIPMENT

• Includes properly designed, installed, protected etc as to be safe

• Under all foreseeable conditions

• A big challenge



USUALLY SETS OUT HIERACHY AND LIMITS OF COMPETENCE

Example:• Senior authorised persons• Authorised persons• Competent persons• Senior authorised persons• Only sap’s can issue permits to work• He is responsible for making the equipment safe• Authorised person receives the permit to work • And is in charge of the working party• Competent person carries out the work in accordance with the

permit to work



USUALLY SETS OUT HIERACHY AND LIMITS OF COMPETENCE

Expertise required for SAP:

• Experienced engineer

• Training and retraining

• Usually been on HV switching course with DNO training school e.g. WPD at Taunton

• Knowledge of the equipment

• Thorough attitude to safety



DESIGN OF EQUIPMENT ETCPower Equipment – Switches

• Operate at full or partial load

• May disconnect at full fault current with fuses or disconnect

• All without stress

Power Equipment – Circuit Breakers

• Operate at full or partial load

• Disconnect at full fault current

• All without stress

• Requires great knowledge and experience on power systems


Electrical Safety Management SystemsDESIGN OF EQUIPMENT

• Equipment for control and instrumentation etc• Standards, safety integrity levels etc• Management of control rooms for abnormal events• Alarm management etc.• Equipment for hazardous atmospheres• Compliance with standards and codes of practice for

ExD, ExE, Equipment• Fault current can be up to 20 times the rating of the

transformer feeding the system


Electrical Safety Management SystemsSAFE USE

Rules procedures and instructions

• Comprehensive rules required and training and retraining on the rules – user friendly to those who use them

• Managers and supervisors to ensure rules are followed at all times

• What if engineers and supervisors are of another discipline - who gives oversight and when and how often.



SAFE USE

Safety documents & permits

A topic all of its own

• Permits, sanction for test etc.

• Pedantic following of the rules

• Permit is the piece of paper that confirms equipment is safe and will remain so



SAFE USE

Rules procedures and instructionson isolation, lock out tag out etc

• Working dead• Proof of dead• Working live – diagnostic testing• Removal of safeguards• Safety documents, permits



ISOLATION OF HV SYSTEMS

No one should work on electrical conductors unless it is : • Dead• Isolated from all potential sources of supply, • Locked off, caution notice applied• Earthed at the points of isolation• Proved dead at the place of work• Released for work by the issue of a permit to work



ISOLATION OF HV SYSTEMS

• Permits to work are our safeguard that equipment is safe and will stay safe until released

• They are important documents

• Should be filled in pedantically with no errors etc

• Switching plans are useful – set out all the actions necessary to make the system safe.



SAFE USE

• Currently drives to reflect poor procedures by arc flash systems

• In the UK PPE is last resort

• It is supplementary protection

• Safe procedures are important



MAINTENANCE INSPECTION AND TEST

Safe state at all times

Formal systems are best



AUDIT AND REVIEW

• Is about management knowing what should be done is done and done in the right way.

• It is about keeping rules up to date with the ever expectant regulators

• That what we say is happening is happening the way we say it is



SAFETY IS ONLY ACHIEVED WHEN THE RISKS ARE CONTROLLED

• Good governance on engineering matters

• Have relevant rules and follow them at all times

• And answer the questions: Am I defendable and is the company defendable?


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High Voltage Electrical Compliance and Safety Operating Procedures