Electrical Safety

1
04/94

Committed to
Safety

Electrical Safety Background A high potential
near miss incident occurred at Yibal recently
that could have resulted in a fatality. A
technician was removing plastic used to protect
electrical motors during a cooler wash. Another
technician de-isolated the electrical supply and
started the fan motor. The fan began to rotate
just 12 cm above the first technicians head.
Injury to the technician was narrowly
avoided. The high potential of this incident
highlights the need for strict adherence to
electrical lock out procedures. In this example,
adherence had become lax over time and became
accepted practice. Recommendations To Prevent
Recurrence Electrical equipment must be isolated
to ensure that energy sources are brought to a
Zero State. All work on electrical equipment
should be carried out under the authority of a
Work Permit. (For more information, see Chpt 3,
Section 4.4 of the HSE Manual Work On Electrical
Equipment, Electrical Safety Operational
Procedures PDO ERD-64-07 and Electrical Safety
Rules PDO-ERD-64-02). Asset Holders are
requested to perform regular checks to assure the
workers are adhering to Electrical Isolation
Procedures. Learning Points Strict adherence to
electrical lock out procedures may become lax for
a variety of reasons. The acceptance of
substandard practices puts workers at an
unacceptable level of risk. Compliance to the
lock out procedures must be monitored to ensure
procedures are being followed. Compliance to the
procedure should be commended and non-compliance
corrected.