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ENGINEERING
SAFETY
NEE 527
Introduction
Before a sports team goes into any game, the coaches prepare a
game plan designed to beat the opponent. If all members of the
team perform according to the plan, the team has a much better
chance of winning. An electrical safety program is much like that
game plan. It is a plan designed so that neither workplace
conditions, nor the actions of people, expose personnel
unnecessarily to electrical hazards. Establishing an electrical
safety program, and making sure that employees follow it, can
mean winning the game against accidental injury or death due to
electrical incidents.
Purpose
An electrical safety program has the following five objectives:
Scope
The scope of the electrical safety program should
address the needs of all employees, as well as contractors and
visitors, within a company or at a facility.
address policy, requirements, responsibilities, and guidance in
general terms.
depends upon the size of the company, both in the number and
complexity of facilities, and the number of personnel involved
with electrical work.
Content of Program
Any electrical safety program shall be established with
consideration of its legal implications. In the U.S., the primary
legal concern is the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) regulations.
A. Management Commitment
An electrical safety program may be totally ineffective if it is not
strongly supported at the highest management levels. Not only
should management support the program, but management should
also ensure that it is truly being implemented in the workplace.
B. Organizational Support
In order to accomplish a companys business objective,
management structures an organization. An electrical organization
and a safety organization are usually included in the business
objective. One or both of these organizations should be designated
to accomplish the electrical safety objective. To accomplish the
electrical safety objective, there need to be individuals or groups to
perform the following functions:
- Management - Design
- Installation - Facility operations
- Maintenance - Training
- Purchasing - Visitor and contractor liaison
- General industrial safety - Electrical safety authority
Safe electrical work practices are perhaps the most important part
of the whole electrical safety program. It is a fact that most injuries
and fatalities are a result of the actions of people as opposed to
workplace conditions. Electrical safety should be identified and
taught to employees. These principles are
-Plan every job.
-Anticipate unexpected events.
-Use the right tool for the job.
-Use procedures as tools.
-Isolate the equipment.
-Identify the hazard.
-Minimize the hazard.
-Protect the person.
-Assess peoples abilities.
-Audit these principles.
G. Documentation
There is a fair amount of documentation that is required in order to
really have an effective electrical safety program. As mentioned,
these documents include work authorization, standards,
procedures, guidelines, drawings, and equipment records. Instead
of discussing the various documents in detail in this chapter, the
documents are discussed in the appropriate chapter, along with the
subject matter to which the document applies.
I. Technical Support
A company should have easy access to a qualified engineering
organization and/or qualified consultants. These persons could be
either in-house or contracted employees. This type of personnel not
only can provide designs for new facilities and equipment, but also
can provide guidance for many of the daily or recurring problems
that interfere with a safe, smooth-running operation. Quite a few of
these engineers and consultants stay abreast of the latest
developments in their fields of expertise by belonging to nationally
recognized professional organizations, such as the IIEE and the
NFPA. These engineers can provide guidance on all aspects of
operations, maintenance, and safety because, if they dont already
know the answers, they have a network to help them find the
answers. Companies should encourage, and strongly support, their
in-house engineers to join nationally recognized professional
organizations related to their fields of endeavor.
Engr. J.L. Tumbaga Friday, January 20, 2017
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J. Emergency Preparedness
One of the items that is often forgotten when preparing an
electrical safety program is the need for emergency preparedness.
Being able to respond quickly to an electrical shock or burn injury
could be the difference between the life and death of the victim. All
electrical workers should be taught first aid and cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR). If it is necessary to work on or near energized
conductors, it is recommended that an electrical-safety qualified
attendant be present to provide assistance if needed.
James Thurber
~The End~