Arc Flash and Safety Newsletter banner
In This Issue
December Survey Results: Holiday Safety?
January Survey: Electrical Safety Audits?
CSA Z462 Revision
OSHA Fines this Month
Burn Up the Myth
Arc Test Dates
Updated 2012 Classes
New Magazine Article on Gloves
Electrical Safety in the News
Past Magazine Articles
WA State CEU Update
ASTM Potential Certification Program F18.55
NFPA 70E 2015 Edition Meeting

ATTEND the IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop

There are only a few things we attend every year. We want all our trainers to attend this EVERY year.

IEEE ESW 2010

 

January 30 - February 3, 2012, Daytona Beach, Florida  

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Arc Rating >8 See Colors
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e-Hazard Trainer Speaking Events

e-Hazard Trainers including Hugh Hoagland, Bill Shinn, Lee Hale, Drake Drobnick, Al Havens, Daleep Mohla and others speak at events all over the world. Here are some events where you can find us:

 

 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop 

Daytona Beach, FL

Jan 31-Feb 3, 2012

Hugh Hoagland & 

Mikhail Golovkov

 

1st Annual Pacific Coast Safety Fest 

Dublin, CA

Feb 27 - March 2, 2012

Hugh Hoagland

 

Safety, Health & Environmental Professional Development Conference

ASSE Audubon Chapter & Tri-State Safety Ind'al Council

Univ of Southern Indiana

Evansville, IN

May 8-9, 2012

Bill Shinn

 

Upcoming Classes

 

NFPA 70E 2012 Electrical Safety in the Workplace 

LOW VOLTAGE QUALIFIED

  NFPA 70E-2012 

 

 Phoenix, AZ

February 9, 2012

 

Seattle, WA

February 21, 2012

 

Louisville, KY

March 12, 2012

 

Denver, CO

March 20, 2012

 

Reno, NV

April 17, 2012

 

Oklahoma City, OK

May 8, 2012

 

Louisville, KY

September 24, 2012

-----------------------

 

HIGH VOLTAGE QUALIFIED

 

Louisville, KY

March 13, 2012 

 

Louisville, KY

September 25, 2012

---------------------------

 

TRAIN THE TRAINER

 

LV HV Train The Trainer 

Louisville, KY

March 12 - 15, 2012 

 

LV HV Train the Trainer

Louisville, KY

September 24-27, 2012

------------------------

 

 CONTACT US TO SCHEDULE FUTURE TRAININGS

IEEE IAS Workshops
Daytona Beach, FL
January 30-February 3, 2012

IEEE Mega Workshop Calgary 2010
Edmonton, Alberta
March 19-21, 2012
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Quick Links
 

JANUARY 2012

Dear ArcLetter Member,

 

The ArcWear™ e-Hazard.com Electric Arc and Safety Newsletter provides a quick update on Arc Rated and Flame Resistant Clothing issues and news from OSHA and standards committees. The newsletter is FREE, reaches over 13,000 people and will bring you up to date on the issues that surround flame resistant clothing for flash fire hazards and the electric arc. For previous newsletters or to sign up, visit http://www.arcwear.com or http://www.e-Hazard.com

December Survey Results 


Do more electrical safety accidents occur

duing the holidays at your place of employment?

(17 respondents)

 

December 2012 Survey Pie Chart2 

 

 

Frequency of Electrical Safety Audits Survey
 
What is your frequency of
electrical safety audits?
 
CSA Z462 REVISION

 

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The 2nd edition of CSA Z462 has been extensively revised and updated.  The new edition adds a considerable amount of guidance and resource material in addition to significant technical revisions.  The new edition has also been aligned with the changes and revisions to the upcoming 2012 Canadian Electrical Code, Part I.

 

Click here to order your copy from CSA Standards.

 

e-Hazard training materials on CSA Z462 will be available Feb 15!

 

 

Fines by OSHA on Electrical Hazards

Most citations include electrical hazards. 

 

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Burn Up the Myth:
IE / I&C Technician Training

Q: Fuse used My staff are digital instrumentation technicians who will never see any voltages greater than 120VAC.  What entity requires training for these type individuals (right now, we're going to the training because our Electrical group says we need to, but can't prove a basis for the training, and because it makes sense from a safety point-of-view)?  What is the training actually required for these type individuals?  Does initial training differ from refresher training?  How often is refresher training required?   

   

A:  Instrument techs are normally "exposed to" voltages higher than what they commonly "work on".  This is the key.   The first issue is shock and understanding when they might be "exposed to" 480V shock exposures; (usually older equipment is the culprit where there is supply and control voltage in the same compartment). 

 

The second issue is 480V arc flash.  We have several instances where workers are working on control wiring in MCC's and a 120V minor arc flash turned into a major 480V arc flash when it ionized air gap in the 480V. 

 

 OSHA requires training of all "recognized hazards".  Shock on 120V kills more than 12,500V according to NIOSH. Arc Flash hazards are greatest on 480V systems.  There is likely little or no arc flash exposure on 120V systems unless the worker is also "exposed to" 480V.  I'm for meeting OSHA requirements on training and not over doing it, BUT I have investigated a few incidents of dead IE/I&C techs who thought they knew everything and had a 480V arc flash,  so this work is a hazard.  Even 120V control wires can kill in the right conditions.  Safety training is law, not just an internal (company) compliance requirement.

 

Working on 120V is a hazard often ignored.  Specific training is required for ALL "qualified persons" by OSHA. It doesn't spell out what you have to train on specifically but they must be trained. 

 

We worked a case of an untrained and unqualified supervisor in Arkansas forcing an electrician to do work unsafely which resulted in the electrician's death.  That supervisor had not attend training.  He lost his job and was also investigated for homicide charges. 

 

  Fuse used

 

 Email e-Hazard or ArcWear with a question!

ArcWear™ Arc Testing Dates
 
Feb 13-17
Mar 26-30
Apr 23-27
May 28-Jun 1
Jun 25-29
July 16-20
 
ASTM F1959, ASTM F2178, ASTM F887 fall protection arc testing and mannequin testing are scheduled at the Kinectrics Lab in Toronto on the dates above.   
Ship materials or clothing to:   
Hugh Hoagland
ArcWear.com
13113 Eastpoint Park Blvd.
Suite E
Louisville, KY
40223
PH: 502-333-0510
arctesting@ArcWear.com   
We must receive materials or clothing one week before the test date for sample preparation, or make arrangements to ship to the lab in Canada. New and non US/Canadian Customers must make payment before test date.  Testing is offered on a first come/first served basis with priority for consulting customers. 
Policies:
  • $100 per material for prep/washing and cutting panels; ($200 for items arriving less than 7 days before test date to cover preparation overtime)
  • $200 for shipping a signed hard-copy report internationally

No guarantee is made of when testing will occur; we do all in our power to test within one month of receipt.  

 

All ArcWear.com testing is performed at Kinectrics High Current lab in Toronto, Canada.  Kinectrics is an ISO 17025 accredited lab by the Standards Council of Canada.
                        
Updated 2012 Classes
2012 Class Cover E-Hazard courses and accompanying workbooks are updated with improvements - even from the last  Train the Trainer class just held in December.  Over 350 trainers have been through the Low Voltage (LV) and High Voltage (HV) Train the Trainer course with e-Hazard, and are qualified to teach using e-Hazard materials.  More trainers use e-Hazard training materials than all our competitors combined. 

 

Come to a class or attend our Train the Trainer course and experience the e-Hazard difference.  Competitors welcome.
 
 Low Voltage & LV Refresher
 High Voltage & HV Refresher
LV & HV Train the Trainer
 Operator's Class
 NESC - Coming Soon
We also schedule on-site / custom  classes at your place of employment.  e-Hazard can design a training program around your company's unique electric safety program needs. We've designed specific training for several industries around the country and around the world including petrochemical, waste management, welding, automotive, communications, military, metals and much more.
 
 
 
New Magazine Article in OHSOnline
 
"Gloves in Arc Flash: A Big Change in NFPA 70E  Here is my latest article that was just published in the OHS Online Magazine on rubber insulating gloves and leather protectors.
Electrical Safety News

 NFPA 70E Closing Date for 2015 Proposals and First Meeting Date Announced

01-17-2012 14:10:12 PM

NFPA 70E announced today the first meeting date for the 2015 cycle.  Proposals due 6/22/2012 and meeting will be August 22-25, 2012 in Denver, CO. Click here to visit the NFPA 70E Next Edition Page...�

 

12-29-2011 20:46:53 PM

Caterpillar has not released details but is working with authorities following an electrical accident at the Peoria facility.  One of the victims is in the hospital with serious burns to his arm, leg and abdomen.  The other has been released.  The two victims were working for another company at the Caterpillar factory. Click here to read [...]...�

 

12-28-2011 00:30:56 AM

This is a classic good news/bad news story. Entergy's Pallisades Nuclear Plant was shut down by an arc flash, electrical fault.  The good news is that "no workers were injured".  In the past, a worker or two would have been hurt AND the plant would have  been shut down.  What might make spectacular news with [...]...�

 

12-28-2011 00:23:29 AM

Another grocery store arc flash. This is very sad and the lack of understanding is even worse.  It was a definitely arc flash but also a possible shock.  So many don't realize the energy in 480V electrical systems in just about EVERY electrical room.  Grocery stores, malls etc. http://www.theday.com/article/20111208/NWS04/111209555/1047/nws...�

 

12-28-2011 00:18:00 AM

Not enough information in this article but with previous citations on electrical guarding, combustible dust and carbon black, it could be combustible dust explosion or arc flash or both. Sad thing is flame resistant clothing would have likely prevented most of the burns in either case.  Clothing which meets NFPA 2112 or ASTM F1506 will [...]...�

 

12-28-2011 00:11:01 AM

An IBEW electrical contractor working on the Caterpillar site sustained arc flash burns in an electrical incident.  Knowing IBEW rules and Caterpillar rules it is most likely he was wearing arc rated clothing and following most of NFPA 70E. http://www.pekintimes.com/mobiletopstories/x2019337075/Two-injured-at-Caterpillar  ...�

 

12-27-2011 22:34:29 PM

Sharing arc flash information is the purpose of this blog.  We seek the best and least commercial information sources of arc flash. IAEI (International Association of Electrical Inspectors) Magazine has several articles on arc flash and has one page dedicated to helping find them. http://www.iaei.org/magazine/tag/arc-flash/...�

 

12-16-2011 16:28:22 PM

NEMA announced today that Kentucky adopted the NEC 2011 as law with no exceptions, this fundamentally makes Arc Flash Labels law in KY.  NEC gives adequate guide to how arc flash labels must be installed in Article 110.16. Read the NEMA Story on NEC adoption in KY....�

 

12-16-2011 13:46:43 PM

Superior Glove Newsletter article on non-shock arc flash and other hazard gloves.  These are for operators or ground crews exposed to arc flash possibilities but with no shock hazard. Click here to read Hugh Hoagland's arc flash glove hazard article....�

Past Magazine Articles

 

INCIDENT PREVENTION MAGAZINE: 

"Five PPE Safety Challenges", Sep-Oct 2011

"High Visibility and Arc Ratings for Flame Resistance", Jan-Feb 2009

"NESC 2007 Flame Resistant Clothing", Jan-Feb 2008

"Top Five PPE Mistakes", Sept-Oct 2006

 

ISHN MAGAZINE: 

"Arc Flash:  Feel the Heat", November 1, 2011

"Training Strategies:  Prev
enting Electrical Fatalities
", May 23, 2011

"Shock and Awe", November 5, 2009

"Arc Flash Safety", July 1, 2007

"High Energy Safety", October 1, 2004

"ISHN's Power 101", January 4, 2012

 

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY MAGAZINE:

"Gloves in Arc Flash: A Big Change in NFPA 70E", Jan 1, 2012

"Making Sense of Electrical PPE", October 1, 2011

"Using Dielectric and Electrical Hazard Shoes", April 2, 2011

"Arc Flash Label Best Practices", September 14, 2010

Arc Flash Training & PPE Protection", August 3, 2009

"Arc Protection Around the World", August 7, 2008

"Disposable FR Garments: What Are the Differences?",May 4, 2007

"A Far Better 70E", August 1, 2004

"Facing Up to the Arc Challenge", May 1, 2003

 

 EC&M MAGAZINE:

"Choosing the Proper PPE for Electric Arc Exposure", Mar 1, 2010

"Disposable FR Garments:  What Are the Differences?", Jan 1, 2008

 

ELECTRIC ENERGY ONLINE:

"Protecting Workers, Saving Lives: OSHA Apparel Standard 1994 to Today",May-June 2004

 "Electric Arc Hazards and Clothing", Fall 2001

 

 

Additional WA State Classes for CEU Credits

Recently several more classes were added to those approved by the State of Washington for electrical continuing education credits.  Thus there are four choices:  

 
 
 
 
ASTM Potential Certification Program - F18.55
Please see the file at the link below as it discusses a potential certification program based on the F18.55 standards.  At this time, ASTM is looking at the interest level in such a program.  After reading the file, reply to Jeff Adkins @ jadkins@astm.org.

 Click here to visit ASTM Potential Certification Program - F18.55 
 
2015 NFPA 70E Edition Proposal and Meeting Dates

 

Proposals for NFPA 70E-2015 are due June 22, 2012.

Click here to download the Word Document proposal form from NFPA.

 

First Draft Meeting of the 2015 edition of NFPA 70E in Denver from August 18-25.

 


Click here to visit the Next Edition tab of NFPA 70E. 
Our newsletter is sponsored by many companies around the world.  If you have ideas for articles or have questions, don't hesitate to write.

 

Sincerely,

Hugh Hoagland
ArcWear.com
13113 Eastpoint Park Blvd. Suite E
Louisville, KY 40223
Office: 502-333-0510