ELECTRICAL PROTECTIVE HIGH TENSION GLOVES BASIC INFORMATION AND TUTORIALS

What are high tension gloves?

High voltage gloves are a form of PPE that is required for employees who work in close proximity to live electrical current. OSHAs Electrical Protective Equipment Standard (29 CFR 1910.137) provides the design guidelines and in-service care and use requirements for electrical insulating gloves and sleeves as well as insulating blankets, matting, covers, and line hoses.

Electrical protective gloves are categorized by the level of voltage protection they provide. Voltage protection is broken down into the following classes:

n Class 0—Maximum use voltage of 1000 V AC/proof tested to 5000 V AC.

n Class 1—Maximum use voltage of 7500 V AC/proof tested to 10,000 V AC.

n Class 2—Maximum use voltage of 17,000 V AC/proof tested to 20,000 V AC.

n Class 3—Maximum use voltage of 26,500 V AC/proof tested to 30,000 V AC.

n Class 4—Maximum use voltage of 36,000 V AC/proof tested to 40,000 V AC.

Once the gloves are issued, OSHA requires that they be maintained in a safe, reliable condition. This means that high voltage gloves must be inspected for any damage before each day’s use, and immediately following any incident that may have caused them to be damaged.

This test method is described in the ASTM section F 496, Specification for In-Service Care of Insulating Gloves and Sleeves. Basically, the glove is filled with air, manually or by an inflator, and then checked for leakage.

The easiest way to detect leakage is by listening for air escaping or holding the glove against your cheek to feel air releasing.

OSHA recognizes that gloves meeting ASTM D 120-87, Specification for Rubber Insulating Gloves, and ASTM F 496, Specification for In- Service Care of Insulating Gloves and Sleeves, meet its requirements.

In addition to daily testing, OSHA requires periodic electrical tests for electrical protective equipment and ASTM F 496 specifies that gloves must be electrically retested every 6 months. Many power utility companies will test gloves and hot sticks for a reasonable fee.

RECOGNIZING HAZARDS IN ELECTRICAL WORKS BASIC INFORMATION AND TUTORIALS

The first step is to recognize and identify the existing and potential hazards associated with the work you need to perform. A task and hazard analysis and pre-job briefing are two of the tools you can utilize to ascertain the risks involved in your work for the day.

It’s a good idea to include everyone who will be involved in the task or associated work to discuss and plan for the hazards. Sometimes a coworker will think of hazards that you have overlooked, and it will ensure that everyone involved will be on the same page.

Careful planning of safety procedures reduces the risk of injury. Determine whether everyone has been trained for the job they need to do that day. Do you need to present a safety training focused on specific risks that are present today?

Decisions to lockout and tagout circuits and equipment and any other action plans should be made part of recognizing hazards. Here are some other topics to address:

n Is the existing wiring inadequate?
n Is there any potential for overloading circuits?
n Are there any exposed electrical parts?
n Will you be working around overhead power lines?
n Does any of the wiring have damaged insulation that will produce a shock?
n Are there any electrical systems or tools on the site that are not grounded or double insulated?
n Have you checked the condition of any power tools that will be used to confirm that they are not damaged and that all guards are in place?
n What PPE is required for the tasks to be performed?
n Have you reviewed the MSDS for any chemicals present on the site or that will be used that could be harmful?
n Will any work need to be performed from ladders or scaffolding and are these in good condition and set-up properly? Is there any chance of ladders coming in contact with energized circuits?
n Are the working conditions or equipment likely to be damp or wet or affected by humidity?

AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARD INSTITUTE (ANSI) AND ITS RELATION TO SAFETY

American national standards institute

The ANSI is a nonprofit organization that oversees the development of voluntary standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international standards so that American products can be used worldwide.

For example, standards make sure that people who own cameras can find the film they need for them anywhere around the globe.

The ANSI mission is to enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. business and the U.S. quality of life by promoting and facilitating conformity and voluntary consensus standards and maintaining their integrity.

ANSI accredits standards that ensure consistency among the characteristics and performance of products, that people use the same definitions and terms regarding materials, and that products are tested the same way.

ANSI also accredits organizations that certify products or personnel in accordance with requirements that are defined in international standards. The institute is like the umbrella that covers thousands of guidelines that directly impact businesses in almost every sector.

Everything from construction equipment, to dairy standards, to energy distribution, and electrical materials is affected. ANSI is also actively engaged in accrediting programs that assess conformance to standards, including globally recognized programs such as the ISO 9000 Quality Management and ISO 14,000 Environmental Systems.

The ANSI has served as administrator and coordinator of the United States private sector voluntary standardization system since 1918. It was founded by five engineering societies and three government agencies.

Today, the Institute represents the interests of its nearly 1000 company, organization, government agency, institutional, and international members through its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Accreditation by ANSI signifies that a procedure meets the Institute’s essential requirements for openness, balance, consensus, and due process safeguards.

For this reason, American National Standards are referred to as “open” standards. In this context, open refers to a process that is used by a recognized organization for developing and approving a standard. The Institute’s definition of “open” basically refers to a collaborative, balanced, and consensus-based approval process.

The criteria used to develop these open standards balance the interests of those who will implement the standard with the interests and voluntary cooperation of those who own property or use rights that are essential to or affected by the standard.

For this reason, ANSI standards are required to undergo public reviews. In addition to facilitating the creation of standards in our country, ANSI promotes the use of U.S. standards internationally and advocates U.S. policy and technical positions in international and regional standards organizations.

OHSA FREQUENT VIOLATION CATEGORIES BASIC INFORMATION

OSHA relies heavily on data and statistics to formulate its regulations and focus its attention on workplace safety. The most frequently violated OSHA construction industry standards include the following categories:

Aerial lifts (OSHA 1926.453)
Electrical general requirements (OSHA 1926.403)
Electrical wiring design and protection (OSHA 1926.404)
Electrical wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use (OSHA 1926.105)
Eye and face protection (OSHA 1926.102)
Fall protection practices (OSHA 1926.502) and fall protection training requirements (OSHA 1926.503)
General duty requirements (OSHA 5 A 1)
General safety and health regulations (OSHA 1926.20)
Head protection (OSHA 1926.100)
Ladder safety (OSHA 1926.1053)
Recordkeeping requirements (OSHA 1926.1101)
Scaffolding safety practices (OSHA 1926.451) and scaffolding training requirements (OSHA 1926.21)

There are many safety compliance issues for the average small company to digest. But OSHA is not some big, bad wolf that lurks in the shadows waiting to pounce on unsuspecting employers.

OSHA seeks to identify clear and realistic priorities and to provide employers with the tools and opportunity to protect their workers by emphasizing safety and health. OSHA’s purpose is to save lives, prevent workplace injuries and illnesses, and protect the health of all American workers.

Whenever possible, OSHA’s primary emphasis is on the implementation of hazard control strategies that are based on prevention, and reducing hazardous exposures at their source. For these reasons, OSHA focuses the majority of its field activities on workplaces and job sites where the greatest potential exists for injuries and illnesses.

OZONE METER BASIC INFORMATION AND TUTORIALS

What is an ozone meter?


Description and Application.
The detector uses a thin-film semiconductor sensor. A thin-film platinum heater is formed on one side of an alumina substrate.

A thin-film platinum electrode is formed on the other side, and a thin-film semiconductor is formed over the platinum electrode by vapor deposition. The semiconductor film, when kept at a high temperature by the heater, will vary in resistance due to the absorption and decomposition of ozone. The change in resistance is converted to a change of voltage by the constant-current circuit.

The measuring range of the instrument is 0.01 ppm to 9.5 ppm ozone in air. The readings are displayed on a liquid crystal display that reads ozone concentrations directly. The temperature range is 0°-40° C, and the relative humidity range is 10%-80% RH.

Calibration.
Calibrate instrument before and after each use. Be sure to use a well-ventilated area since ozone levels may exceed the PEL for short periods. Calibration requires a source of ozone.

Controlled ozone concentrations are difficult to generate in the field, and this calibration is normally performed at SLTC. Gas that is either specially desiccated or humidified must not be used for preparing calibration standards, as readings will be inaccurate.

Special Considerations.
• The instrument is not intrinsically safe.
• The instrument must not be exposed to water, rain, high humidity, high temperature, or extreme temperature fluctuation.
• The instrument must not be used or stored in an atmosphere containing silicon compounds, or the sensor
will be poisoned.
• The instrument is not to be used for detecting gases other than ozone. Measurements must not be performed when the presence of organic solvents, reducing gases (such as nitrogen monoxide, etc.), or smoke is suspected; readings may be low.

Maintenance. 
The intake-filter unit-Teflon sampling tube should be clean and connected firmly. These should be checked before each operation. Check the pump aspiration and sensitivity before each operation.