Electrical Safety: NFPA 70E Facilitator`s Guide
Transcription
Electrical Safety: NFPA 70E Facilitator`s Guide
Electrical Safety: Fa c i l i t a t o r ’s G u i d e What’s Inside Facilitator’s Guide a Overview b Getting started d Presentation Guidelines f Lesson Plan h Frequently Asked Questions 1 Introduction 3 Electrical Hazards 6 Energized Equipment 11 Approach Boundaries 17 Personal Protective Equipment 23 Summary 25 Quiz 27 Quiz Answers 28 Example Of Reference Card © 2009 Summit Training Source® Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written permission from Summit Training Source® Inc. If you wish to purchase additional copies, call our office at 1-800-842-0466. ii ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Overview Working around electricity can be extremely dangerous – electrical workers are killed every day while on the job. Because of the potential hazards, only trained and qualified people should perform work on electrical equipment - and even very experienced workers should avoid working on energized electrical equipment whenever possible. By respecting the potential hazards and following best work practices, you can help ensure the safety and health of you and your co-workers. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. a Getting Started Training Materials Collect all of the necessary materials and supplies before training begins. Here are some suggested materials and supplies: • A training location that is free of distractions, has good lighting, and a comfortable temperature. • Desks and chairs arranged so that everyone will be able to see the viewing screen, the facilitator, and each other. • The video, a VCR, and a TV with a remote. Make sure the video is rewound. • An employee handbook and pen/pencil for each trainee. Each handbook includes a quiz at the back, which can be used to test comprehension and document training. • Other supplies and equipment you may need - blackboard chalk, paper, handouts, transparencies, overhead projector, markers, notepads, etc. • Additional information, such as a copy of the regulation or other reference tools. b ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Preparation A successful presentation requires preparation and planning. Give yourself several days before the training session to get organized. • Locate and schedule the training site as soon as possible. • Notify trainees of the training date and time, the training schedule, and proper dress. • • Obtain all necessary equipment and supplies. Make sure you know how to operate the TV, VCR, and other equipment. Check to ensure that it is working properly. Replace or repair any damaged equipment. • Review all training materials, including the Facilitator’s Guide, handouts, and any other reference materials. • Prepare your presentation, including a lesson plan or outline of the training. Include the training goals and objectives. Some presentation guidelines are included on the next page. A sample lesson plan has been included on page “f” of this Facilitator’s Guide. • A day or so before conducting the training session, you may want to have participants take the quiz as a pre-test. The results of this test can help you to determine weak areas to focus on during the training session. • Preview the videotape. Note any key points you want to expand upon in your training. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. c Presentation Guidelines How you present the training course can have a great impact on learning. By following these simple presentation guidelines and keeping your objectives in mind, you can effectively and efficiently get the most out of your training session. Organize Training Time Efficiently In today’s busy work climate it can be difficult to find the time needed for training, so it is important to be organized and well-prepared when you do schedule training sessions. Whether you use Summit’s suggested lesson plan or not, it is important to have a lesson plan prepared that you can implement comfortably. This ensures that time spent in training is productive and beneficial for everyone. Stress the Purpose and Goals of Training Training needs to be goal-oriented. State the purpose of training in a clear, specific manner - whether it’s to reduce injuries, increase production, improve quality, improve working conditions, etc. Review the goals and objectives of the training so trainees know what is expected of them. Capture Their Attention Training needs to be interesting and compelling to hold trainees’ attention. To help motivate learners, give them specific evidence that their effort makes a difference and provide feedback on their progress. Also, remember that the first experience with a new subject usually forms a lasting impression on the learner. By making that experience a positive one, you can help ensure your audience retains the information learned. d ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Make New Learning Experiences Pleasant For some adults, past experiences with education were unpleasant and not helpful. Adults learn best when they feel comfortable. By making the learning environment open and friendly, you can help adults to feel secure in their new learning experience. Offer support and feedback as often as possible, and be ready to provide extra attention to those who may require it. Ask If There are any Questions When most adults learn new information that conflicts with what they already know, they are less likely to integrate those new ideas. It is very important to make sure participants fully understand the training and do not have any unresolved questions. Provide for a question and answer period so participants can resolve those questions and/or answer questions throughout the training session. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. e Lesson Plan As a qualified trainer, your job is to effectively communicate a great deal of information in a well-organized manner. By preparing a lesson plan, you can ensure that each minute of the training session is productive. Summit has provided a suggested lesson plan for your use. 1. Program Objective This guide reviews Electrical Safety: NFPA 70E. In it, we will cover: • Electrical Hazards • Energized Equipment • Approach Boundaries • Personal Protective Equipment 2. Show the Video: “Electrical Safety: NFPA 70E” 3. Discussion and Demonstration To help relate the training to your site, you may wish to incorporate your own discussion topics and exercises. Key issues you might consider include: • What procedures must be followed if an injury occurs from an electrical safety incident? • What are the lockout/tagout procedures at this facility? • What changes have been made in the 2009 NFPA standard? f ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. 4. Use Handbooks to Reinforce Training The handbooks increase comprehension and reinforce the information learned in the video program by explaining the main points and expanding on the original material. For increased employee information retention, go over one section at a time and stop to answer questions. The quiz at the back of the Facilitator’s Guide is provided to document employee training. Answers to the quiz are provided on a separate page. 5. Questions and Answers Provide for a Q&A session to answer any questions. It may be necessary to review some of the material when providing answers. The employee handbook, equipment manuals, and other reference tools may be helpful. Other relevant Summit titles that might be of interest: Electrical Safety: High Voltage 2- Part Series Electrical Safety: Shock Proof 2- Part Series Lockout/Tagout: 3-Part Series Static Electricity ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. g Frequently Asked Questions What are some of the updates to the 2009 NFPA 70E standard? One significant change from the 2004 standard is that the new update requires that hearing protection and leather gloves be used for all hazard risk categories. Another change requires that pants must be verified by ANSI to be flame-resistant and must be labeled as such when exposed to a Category 1 risk. This means that standard blue jeans can no longer be worn at the Category 1 risk level. If I am qualified to perform electrical work, is it still important to have another qualified person nearby? As a best work practice it is a good idea to have a qualified worker nearby while the work is being performed. This is known as the “buddy system.” This person should not be someone helping complete the job task, but someone standing by who can provide assistance in the event of an emergency. h ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Introduction Throughout time, human beings have been fascinated and terrified by lightning’s destructive power. But it wasn’t until an American genius named Ben Franklin flew a kite into a storm that we actually discovered what lightning was… an immense bolt of electricity. Building on this insight, Franklin went on to invent the lightning rod… the first time in history anyone successfully tamed this violent mass of energy. Since then, we’ve found ever more creative ways to harness electricity… and, as it’s grown to power much of our world, we’ve also needed to find better ways to protect ourselves from the potential danger that’s always there. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. In this handbook, we will discuss… • Electrical Hazards • Energized Equipment • Approach Boundaries • Personal Protective Equipment 1 Introduction continued NFPA 70E is a standard developed to keep electricians, maintenance personnel, and other workers who may be exposed to hazardous electricity safe while on the job. Created by the National Fire Protection Association, the standard isn’t a law, but it is considered by OSHA to be an important set of “best work practices.” In fact, the guidelines in NFPA 70E are frequently used by OSHA to determine if a facility meets OSHA’s General Duty Clause, which states that a facility must be “free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.” Because 2 it is a respected source for authoritative information on how to avoid injury while working near electricity, this program will provide a brief overview of some of the information contained in NFPA 70E, a standard that every electrical worker should be familiar with. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Electrical Hazards Before we discuss how to work safely, let’s first take a quick look at the two hazards we’re most concerned with when discussing electricity in the workplace: electric shock and arc-flash. Accidents involving electric shock typically happen when a worker makes physical contact with an energized electrical part. In effect, the electricity uses the worker’s body to complete an electrical circuit. Besides causing severe burns where it enters and exits the body, the current can travel along the body’s vascular and nervous systems, damaging internal organs and tissue as it goes. How dangerous is this? Every year in the United States, electrical ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. contact causes 3,600 disabling injuries and kills an average of one worker per day, making electrocution the fourth leading cause of industrial fatalities. When discussing electrocution, it’s 3 Electrical Hazards continued important to realize that it doesn’t take much current to be hazardous. If it passes through the chest, the same amount of current that it takes to light up a small 7½ watt bulb can be fatal. It’s estimated that nonlethal electric shocks occur 30,000 times every year. For t u n at ely, a r c -f l a sh incidents don’t occur this often, but they happen more often than many workers realize, and the physical 4 effects to anyone caught in an arc-flash explosion can be devastating. According to studies, 5 to 10 arc-flash incidents occur each day in American workplaces, sending about 2 to 3,000 workers to burn centers every year. What is an arcflash? It happens when a short circuit or ground fault causes a high-amperage current to travel through the air. The cause of the arc can be many things: dust or corrosion on contact ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. surfaces, wiring errors, an insulating material failure, accidentally dropping metal tools on energized parts. In less than one second, a current arcing through the air can reach temperatures as high as 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit – that’s four times the temperature of the sun’s surface. Besides letting loose a superheated ball of gas that can vaporize skin and cause severe burns, the arc creates a high intensity flash that can cause blindness, a ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. sound blast that can destroy hearing, and flying debris and particles that can act like shrapnel to anyone who’s nearby. 5 Energized Equipment When dealing with electricity, one of the most important safety decisions you’ll make is whether it is possible to deenergize the equipment to be worked on. Obviously, if circumstances allow you to take the electricity out of the system, the risk of injury goes way down: electrocution and arcflash can only occur when equipment is energized. For this reason, never work on equipment that’s “live” when you have the choice not to. To de-energize a piece of equipment and put it into what the NFPA 70E standard calls an “electrically safe work condition,” a qualified person needs to perform a 6 lockout procedure. For the complete, approved procedure at your facility check with your supervisor or your facility’s written safety pro- ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. gram. But, in general, to perform a lockout, a qualified person shuts down the equipment and removes all stored energy, then places a personalized lock on all energy isolating devices and tests that the equipment is fully de-energized by trying to restart it. When assessing whether equipment can be de-energized it’s important to recognize the difference between situations that make it infeasible to de-energize equipment and situations where it may be merely inconvenient. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Properly de-energizing equipment may take a little extra time and effort - but, whenever possible, do it anyway. Working on equipment that’s “live” when you don’t need to puts you and others at unnecessary risk. That said, there are two situations where it may not be possible to de-energize equipment before work begins. The first, when de-energizing would create additional or increased hazards. An example of this would be power that operates a life support system in a hospital. The second situation is when cutting power would not allow the worker to complete a task that needs to be performed. For example, troubleshooting or testing on electrical circuits could require that they remain energized. 7 Energized Equipment continued Before any work is performed on energized equipment, the NFPA 70E standard requires that an employer completes both a Shock Hazard Analysis and a Flash Hazard Analysis. Through information gathered from these assessments, employers are able to determine appropriate hazard boundaries and PPE when working on energized equipment. In the most recent update to NFPA 70E, labels are now required to reflect this information, providing the approach boundary distances and PPE requirements for the specific equipment the label is affixed to. 8 Before a worker begins a task that involves energized equipment, an Energized Electrical Work Permit must be filled out and approved with an authorized signature. The work permit is an effective safety tool because it helps a worker think through the job task they’re about to perform – the information required on the permit is the ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. same information they’ll need to know to keep themselves and co-workers safe while the task is being performed. Along with justification for why the work must be performed on equipment while it’s energized, other information on the permit includes: • A description of the equipment that will be worked on. • The safe work practices that will be employed. • The results of the shock hazard analysis. • The approach boundary distances. • The PPE required to safely perform the task. • The method that will be used to restrict access to unqualified individuals. • And, information discussed during the job briefing. SAMPLE: Energized Electrical Work Permit ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. 9 Energized Equipment continued The job briefing is another important way to communicate safety information and must take place before starting each job. This meeting, which is attended by all employees involved in the task, is conducted by the person in charge. According to the NFPA standard, the topics to discuss include “hazards associated with the job, work procedures involved, special precautions, energy source controls, and personal protective requirements.” If conditions change during the task that could affect safety, 10 additional job briefings are required to keep workers updated. A best work practice is to include a qualified worker in this meeting whose job is to be nearby while the work is being performed, and ready to respond if an emergency arises. This “buddy system” approach ensures that somebody who’s not directly involved in the job task can provide immediate assistance at a time when moments count and knowing what to do is critical. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Approach Boundaries To meet the NFPA 70E standard, employers are responsible for developing work practices that help keep employees safe when working around “live,” electrically charged equipment. By using charts available from the standard and information from the electrical hazard analyses for both shock and arc flash, employers develop safety guidelines based on the electrical exposure risk for a specific situation. Two of the most impor- ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. tant things every employer needs to determine are the correct approach boundary distances and the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (or PPE). SHOCK BOUNDARIES Approach boundaries are a series of established distances for a specific piece of energized equipment – their purpose is to keep employees at a safe distance and to warn them when greater precautions need to be taken. There are a total of four boundaries: 3 for shock and 1 for arc flash. When 11 Approach Boundaries continued determining distances the most important factor is the amount of voltage running through the energized equipment or part. The outermost of the three shock boundaries is called the Limited Approach Boundary – unqualified workers can only enter this boundary area if they’ve been advised and are escorted by a qualified person. Keep in mind that, although these boundaries are probably not actually marked in any visible way, where there’s an electrical hazard there must be some sort of actual barricade that keeps unqualified employees at a safe distance. This may be accomplished by using barrier tape, plastic chain, orange cones, warn- 12 ing signs, or, when signs and barriers aren’t sufficient, an attendant stationed where they can warn others to stay back. BARRIER ATTENDANT ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. The second shock boundary is called the Restricted Approach Boundary. Obviously, moving closer to the energized equipment increases the risk, and only qualified workers are allowed to cross into this area. To do so they must first meet several conditions: the qualified worker must have an approved plan that includes an Energized Electrical Work Permit; they must use proper tools and don PPE appropriate to the situation and rated for working near the voltage involved; and, they must understand how to position their body in a way that maintains a safe distance from the energized equipment and minimizes the risk of accidental contact. A Flash Protection Boundary B Limited Approach Boundary A B C D ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. C Restricted Approach Boundary D Prohibited Approach Boundary 13 Approach Boundaries continued The third boundary for shock – the one closest to the energized equipment – is the Prohibited Approach Boundary. Moving into this boundary area is considered the same as making direct contact with the energized equipment. As with the other boundaries voltage determines the actual distance, and the Prohibited Approach Boundary can be anywhere from an inch or less from the energized equipment to more than 15 feet away. Because the risk of electrocution increases as a worker moves closer, the conditions a qualified worker must meet before crossing this boundary are stricter: 14 they must have received specific training for working on exposed energized parts; they must have a documented plan (approved by authorized management) that details proper procedures for the task to be performed and justifies the need to work that close; they must complete a risk analysis which is also management approved; and, ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. they must use PPE that is rated for working directly on exposed energized parts with the voltage and energy levels present. ARC FLASH BOUNDARY To help protect a worker from arc f lash, a single Flash Protection Boundary is established. It’s important to realize that an unprotected worker standing behind this boundary is not necessarily safe from injury during an arc flash – rather, this boundary represents an estimate of where a worker without PPE won’t receive more than ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. second degree burns that can be recovered from. Standing behind this line also doesn’t guarantee that a worker is safe from the effects of arc blast – the powerful wave of energy and debris that blasts outward when an arc flash occurs. It bears repeating 15 Approach Boundaries continued that, whenever possible, the first choice for reducing the risk of hazards like this is to completely de-energize equipment. Engineering controls such as protective relays and high resistance g rounding are another important method of creating a safer work environment. But where these preferred approaches either won’t work or can’t entirely eliminate 16 electrical hazards, protecting workers through the use of Personal Protective Equipment is required. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Personal Protective Equipment OSHA’s position on wearing PPE while working around electricity is clear. Their policy states: “Protective shields, protective barriers, or insulating materials shall be used to protect each employee from shock, burns, or other electrically related injuries while that employee is working near energized parts which might be accidentally contacted or where dangerous electric heating or arching might occur.” Determining the type of PPE and level of protection required is your employer’s responsibility. To help them with this, tables provided in the NFPA 70E standard allow an employer to determine the PPE needed ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. in a given situation after first determining the level of electrical hazard present. Each hazardous situation is assigned a number from 0 to 4 – hazards with a higher number require more PPE with greater protective qualities. 17 Personal Protective Equipment continued After the correct PPE is selected, the authorized worker’s responsibility is to make sure that their PPE is in good condition before each day’s use, and then don it properly whenever a task requires it. When inspecting PPE look for any defects or damage that could affect its ability to keep you protected. Eye and face protection should provide good visibility – if they require cleaning, avoid abrasive materials that could scratch the lens surface. If 18 you use a hard hat make sure the suspension is adjusted properly and avoid applying stickers or paint that can conceal cracks or other damage. Keep protective footwear clean and free of oil and grease, and inspect for cuts, cracks or holes. While inspecting, don’t forget to turn footwear over and check the souls for pieces of metal or other embedded material that could cause a trip hazard or make the wearer vulnerable to electrical exposure. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Electrical workers always protect each hand with two gloves: a rubber insulating glove to protect against electrical exposure, and an outer leather glove that provides mechanical protection against cuts, abrasions and punctures. Visually inspect the entire surface of the leather gloves, including the fingers, for cuts or other damage. When inspecting the rubber insulating gloves, in addition to a thorough visual inspection, always ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. perform an air test before each day’s use to check for pinhole leaks that are hard to see with the naked eye. To do this test, fill the glove with air – this can be done by using a mechanical inflator or pump, or by holding the glove by the cuff and quickly swinging it around to trap air inside. With the glove under pressure, inspect the surface for visible holes, and hold the glove close to your face to listen and feel for air escaping. If the gloves 19 Personal Protective Equipment continued don’t pass inspection, before discarding them, cut the fingers off so that they won’t be accidentally re-used. Work clothes should also be inspected. Replace clothes that have tears or defects that may put you at risk, and do not don clothes that have become contaminated with grease, oil or other f lammable material. Also, make sure that flame resistant clothing is laundered correctly so that the protective properties are not compromised; any chemical residual 20 from detergent or bleach can reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of flame resistant fabrics. For work clothes, including undergarments, 100-percent cotton is the material of choice. Unless they’ve been specially treated ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. to withstand the hazards that may be encountered, never wear clothing made of synthetic materials such as acetate, nylon, polyester, or rayon; even when blended with cotton these materials can melt into a victim’s skin causing serious burns. Of course, when working around electricity workers should also avoid wearing anything made of conductive materials ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. such as jewelry, watchbands and key chains. 21 Personal Protective Equipment continued To stay current, employers must also update their best work practices and PPE choices when there’s an update in the NFPA 70E standard. For example, the most recent update to the standard occurred in 2009, and one significant change from the previous update of 2004, is that the older standard only required hearing protection and leather gloves when a worker faced a Category 2 risk or higher. The updated standard now requires wearing hearing protection and leather gloves for all hazard risk categories. Another change in the 2009 standard requires that pants worn when exposed to 22 a Category 1 risk must be verified by ANSI to be flame resistant (or FR), and labeled as such. This means that, at the Category 1 risk level, it’s no longer acceptable to wear standard blue jeans. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Summary Whenever possible, always de-energize equipment before working on it – doing so eliminates the serious risk of shock and arc flash injuries. But when de-energizing isn’t a viable option, remember these important safety procedures…. • Before beginning work complete an approved Energized Electrical Work Permit. • Conduct job briefings to keep workers fully informed. ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. • Inspect and don the appropriate PPE. • Know and follow all established approach boundaries. • Protect unqualified workers through warning signs and barriers. • Use the “buddy system” as an emergency preparedness procedure. If you have any questions about working safely around electricity discuss them with your supervisor. Electrical power provides enormous benefits… but those benefits come at a price. The risks of working around electricity are real, but you can protect yourself by following the established procedures and best work practices found in the NFPA 70E standard. 23 Notes 24 ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Quiz To review your knowledge of Electrical Safety: NFPA 70E, answer the questions below. Your name Date 1. Which of the following could cause an arc flash? Select all that apply. a. A metal tool dropped on energized parts b. Dust or corrosion on contact surfaces c. Applying a lock to properly de-energized equipment d. Faulty wiring 2. Arc flash can only occur when equipment is energized. a. True b. False 3. If you have the option, always de-energize equipment before working on it. a. True b. False 4. As part of the NFPA 70E standard, what items must be completed before performing work on energized equipment? Select all that apply. a. Permit 70A b. A Shock Hazard Analysis c. A Flash Hazard Analysis d. An Energized Electrical Work Permit 5. What type of information should be communicated at a job briefing before starting each job? a. Hazards associated with the job b. Work procedures and special precautions c. Energy source controls d. Required PPE e. All of the above ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. 25 Quiz continued 6. Which boundary line represents the closest distance that an office worker could approach without being accompanied by a qualified person? a. Restricted Approach Boundary b. Limited Approach Boundary c. Prohibited Approach Boundary d. Flash Protection Boundary 7. A person standing within the Flash Protection Boundary can not be harmed by an arc blast. a. True b. False 8. PPE should be inspected before each task. When inspecting PPE, what should you look for? a. Make sure eye and face protection are clean b. Gloves are free of holes and defects c. Footwear is clean and free of oil and grease d. Check clothing for tears or defects e. All of the above 9. When working around electricity 100% cotton is the material of choice for clothing and undergarments. a. True b. False 10. According to the 2009 NFPA 70E standard, it is acceptable to wear standard blue jeans when performing electrical work with a Category 1 risk level. a. True b. False 26 ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. Quiz Answers 1. a A metal tool dropped on energized parts b Dust or corrosion on contact surfaces d Faulty wiring 2. 3. a True 4. b A Shock Hazard Analysis c A Flash Hazard Analysis d An Energized Electrical Work Permit 5. e All of the above 6. b Limited Approach Boundary a True 7. b False 8. e All of the above 9. a True 10. b False ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. 27 As an added bonus, this wallet-sized perforated card will be included in every Electrical Safety: NFPA 70E Employee Handbook. Front of Card Restricted and Prohibited Approach Boundaries Restricted Approach Boundary -- before entering this boundary, qualified workers must: • Have approved plan that includes an Energized Electrical Work Permit. • Use proper tools and don appropriate PPE for the situation, rated for working near the voltage involved. • Understand how to position body to maintain a safe distance and minimize risk of accidental contact. Prohibited Approach Boundary -- before entering this boundary, qualified workers must: • Receive specific training for the hazards present. • Have documented plan that details proper procedures for task to be performed and justifies the need to work that close, as well as complete a risk analysis – both must be approved by authorized management. • Use PPE rated for the voltage and energy levels present. Back of Card Electrical Work Procedures / NFPA 70E Before working on electrical equipment: • Whenever possible, always de-energize equipment by following your facility’s approved lockout procedures. If you must work on energized equipment: • Fill out Energized Electrical Work Permit and have approved with authorized signature. • Hold job briefings for all involved in task, including a qualified emergency responder. • Set up barricade to keep unqualified workers at a safe distance. • Don appropriate PPE for the voltage involved. • Follow all precautions for the approach boundary you’ll be working within. • If you have safety questions, ask your supervisor. ©Summit Training Source, Inc. 28 ©Summit Training Source,® Inc. 4170 Embassy Drive SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546 (800) 842-0466 www.safetyontheweb.com