Electrical Safety
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Caution is advised
Applicable Safety Standards
OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 of Subpart J
OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269 of Subpart R
OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K
NFPA 70 – NEC
NFPA 70B – Recommended Practice for Electrical
Equipment Maintenance
 NFPA 70E – Electrical Safety in the Workplace
 NFPA 77 – Recommended Practice for Static Electricity
 NFPA 79 - Electrical Standard for Industrial Machinery
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Where Am I Going and Why?
Well Planned Safety Culture
 Improves Employee Productivity
 Lowers Insurance Costs
 Meets Government Requirements
 Saves Organizations Money
Safety Standard Goals
 Provide an electrically safe work place!
 Minimize arc flash and blast hazards
 Minimize shock hazards
 Define “acceptable” tasks
 Evaluate our Electrically Qualified Personnel
 Work only on Electrically Safe Equipment.
2014 Most Cited OSHA Violations
1.
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6.
Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
Hazard communication standard, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200)
Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (29 CFR
1910.147)
7. Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
8. Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment, general industry
(29 CFR 1910.305)
9. Machinery and Machine Guarding, general requirements (29 CFR
1910.212)
10.Electrical systems design, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR
1910.303)
Why are we doing this?
 Over 2000 people are admitted to burn centers each
year due to electrical arc flash burns. The
temperature can reach 35,000°F.
 The pressure wave can exceed thousands of pounds
per square foot.
 Projectiles can be expelled at 700mph.
 Vaporized Copper Expands at a Ratio of 67,000:1
 Approximately 400 electrical related fatalities per
year
Key Program Components
Energy Control Procedures
Written Safety Program
Qualified Personnel
Hazard Analysis
If one part of the
Program is out
of balance. It will
collapse.
Arc Flash Study
Training
PPE
Comprehensive LOTO Procedures
Equipment specific
LOTO procedures
are needed for any
item with more than
TWO energy
sources (regardless
of type).
LOTO
The ONLY safe electrical equipment is de-energized
equipment. Electrical LOTO must be completed with
a meter.
Verify using the 3 step LDL (Live
Dead Live) method if electrical
work is involved.
What Is A Qualified Person?
Someone who has
demonstrated the
knowledge, skills, and
expertise to work on and
around energized
equipment. They shall
understand all the
equipment’s modes of
operation and installation
requirements.
NFPA 70E-2015
Written Safety Program
 Key Components
 Define Qualified Personnel Requirements
 Reference LOTO procedures and schedule for reviewing
procedures
 Appendix for Equipment Specific LOTO procedures
 Define acceptable tasks
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Plant Production Personnel
Electrically Qualified Personnel
 Describe training guidelines and intervals
 Care of PPE and tools
Hazard Analysis
 What type of facility are we?
 Manufacturing, Health Care, Hospitality, Mining,
Petrochemical
 What tasks do our qualified personnel complete?
 Troubleshooting, programming, inspections
 Frequency of those tasks.
 Contributing factors.
 Confined space, flammable surroundings, etc
 Outside Contractors?
 Arc Flash, Arc Blast, Shock or Fire
Arc Flash Study
 Collect field data
 Determine which evaluation method will be use
 Update site electrical drawings
 Create a model of the system to evaluate worst case arc
flash situations
 Professional Engineer evaluates the results
 Generate equipment labels
 Recommend mitigation options
Software Model
Current Electrical One-Line
Drawings must
be current and
accurate.
Hazard Labeling
Proper labeling must include AF
energy, Boundary and Voltage
Training
 Factors impacting arc flash intensity
 Proper Use of PPE
 Arc Rated vs Flame Retardant
 Impact of Electricity on the Human Body
 Explain information on Arc Flash Labels
 Boundaries
 Calories /cm2
Explanation of the Boundaries
Insulated Tools
Selecting Appropriate PPE
 Fabric Choice
 Environmental Factors
 Production Related Considerations
 Select Testing Lab
 Buy or Lease Clothing
 If you lease want will the provider do for
repairs, contamination, etc.
NFPA 70E PPE Guidelines
2015 Requirements
Class Calories Typical Personal Protective
(Category)
/cm² Equipment Required For All Classes: Safety Glasses,
Hearing Protection, and Hand Protection
1
0-4
Fire Resistant (FR) shirt and pants
2
4-8
FR shirt and pants, cotton underwear, arc flash face
shield, and leather work boots
3
8-25
2 layer FR clothing or flash suit, cotton underwear,
flash hood, and leather work boots
4
25-40
FR shirt and pants, multilayer flash suit w/ flash hood,
cotton underwear, and leather work boots
Class 1 PPE Example
 Single Layer of Arc Rated
FR Clothes (ATPV
4cal/cm2)
 Safety Glasses
 Hearing Protection
 Hand Protection
Class 2 PPE Example
 Single Layer of Arc Rated
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FR Clothes ATPV 8cal/cm2
Cotton Undergarment
Safety Glasses
Arc Flash Face Shield
Hearing Protection
Leather Work Boots
Hand Protection
Arc Rated Balaclava *
Class 3 PPE Example
 Multi Layer Flash Suit
(ATPV 25cal/cm2)
 Flash Hood
 Cotton Undergarment
 Safety Glasses
 Hearing Protection
 Hand Protection
 Leather Work Boots
Class 4 PPE Example
 Multi Layer Flash Suit
(ATPV 40cal/cm2)
 Flash Hood
 Cotton Undergarment
 Safety Glasses
 Hearing Protection
 Hand Protection
 Leather Work Boots
Safety Watch
 Job is to observe the
activities and render aid
to the qualified person
within the arc flash
boundary should it be
needed.
Situational PPE
 Each job may bring
about new PPE
requirements
based upon the
situation
What does NFPA 70E mean to you?
 PPE requirements for you to follow for your jobs.
 Safe Work Practices to follow.
 Additional Training
 Work restricted to “qualified” personnel.
 Schedule repairs when equipment may be de-
energized
 Contractors MUST meet or exceed your Safety
Programs
Sample Arc Flash
Typical Arc Flash Burn
 Only you can put your
PPE on.
Potential Fatal Current
 The threshold for perception is about 100 microamps
(0.0001 Amps).
 National Electrical Code (NEC) considers 5 milliamps
(0.005 Amps) to be a safe upper limit
 30 milliamps (0.03 Amps) is considered a potentially
fatal current for humans
*Assumes AC power at 60Hz.
DC requires about 10x as much.
Shock Hazards
 NFPA and OSHA both require us to control shock hazards
as well as arc flash hazards.
Working in and
around energized
electrical
equipment is no
joking matter
Dielectric Gloves
Dielectric Gloves save lives when worn.
So How Do I Do My Job??
 Prior to work; determine arc flash & shock hazard.
 Notify appropriate personnel – check in at all control
rooms
 Complete site safe work permit
 Secure PPE
 Add locks after site personnel have begun LOTO.
 Secure workspace barriers.
 Ensure proper illumination.
 Complete task in accordance with safety guidelines.
For assistance with your electrical
safety needs contact:
BPC International Inc.
Jeff Platter
888-962-4327 or 918-663-7833
jplatter@bpcintl.com
www.bpcintl.com
Our Professional Engineers are registered in over 30 states
to meet your needs.