Health and safety gets a lot of press coverage, but most of it is either derisive or downright negative.
This is unfortunate, says Marcus Charter, Power Consultant at Schneider Electric, because health and safety guidelines – complemented by expert training of the type that is offered by Schneider Electric Training– are designed to protect us all, not least those who work in potentially hazardous environments, such as with electrical switchgear.
It's easy to be flippant about health and safety. We've all heard stories like the one about the children's entertainer who was banned by the local authority from using a bubble-blowing machine at parties, because the risks could not be readily quantified and controlled.
This raises the questions of whether the entertainer is qualified to assess the risks involved in the use of the bubble machine, and then to implement decisions made on the basis of this assessment. Very similar considerations apply to the health and safety issues related to the maintenance and use of electrical switchgear, although the potential hazards are, of course, very much greater than those associated with blowing bubbles at a children's party.
In fact, the health and safety issues for switchgear fall into two categories – the training and competence of the authorised persons who operate the equipment, and the management of the equipment itself.
There are, however, two other important factors that have to be considered. These are the need to ensure that supply interruptions caused by switchgear problems are minimised, and the ever-present pressure to cut maintenance budgets. Unless recognised and controlled, these factors can work against the operation of an effective health and safety regime.
We will mention these matters again later, but for the moment let us return to the subject of authorised persons. Most companies will have in place some form of assessment and auditing programme to ensure that authorised persons are competent and qualified to carry out the tasks required of them. Provided that it is well implemented, such a programme is the foundation of a safe system of work.
A key element of the programme is training with authorised persons' courses, such as those offered by Schneider Electric, developed specifically to impart the knowledge necessary for the safe operation of switchgear. Particular emphasis is given to the continuous shock hazards presented by equipment under power, and to the potential hazards associated with faults that release large amounts of energy. Delegates are left in no doubt that exposure to either of these hazards can result in severe injury or even death.
The objective, of course, is to equip the authorised person with the know-how and confidence needed to make safe decisions about working on and operating switchgear, whatever the circumstances. How many times have they been required to operate a piece of old switchgear without being fully aware of the foreseeable risks? How many times have they operated this switch because of the pressure to restore power?
Consider this scenario. It's 3 am on a Sunday, and supplies have been lost to a large industrial site. This unscheduled downtime is costing tens of thousands of pounds an hour.
The authorised person could restore supplies by operating a 30-year-old switch, and is under tremendous pressure to do so. But that switch has probably only ever been operated once a year for maintenance, and it's never been put to the test by having to clear a substantial fault. Will it work as it was designed to do, 30 years ago? Is it safe to operate?
Even the best trained authorised person needs more information to make this decision, particularly as the consequences of getting it wrong could be fatal. This scenario clearly demonstrates the vital need for an effective switchgear management regime. All too often, the budgetary pressures mentioned earlier mean that such regimes are given a low priority. This is not only false economy, it is also a shortsighted and, in many cases, dangerous position to adopt.
An effective management regime is essential to ensure that the switchgear has been properly maintained, taking full account of its age, type and dielectric medium, and that any restriction notices have been properly appraised and the appropriate actions taken. Only with the knowledge that these procedures have been correctly followed is our authorised person in a position to make confident decisions in a scenario such as the one presented earlier.
Just in case anyone should think that this insistence on switchgear management is overstated, it's instructive to look at some of the many risks posed by older switchgear:
- Lack of knowledge – users not knowing enough about the equipment to be able to assess its potential dangers.
- Overstressing – the switchgear is not capable of handling the full load current and /or prospective fault current to which it is now exposed, as these have changed since it was first installed.
- Modifications – safety modifications prescribed by the manufacturer during the life of the switchgear may not have been incorporated.
- Dependent manual operating mechanisms - mechanisms which depend on the speed and strength of the operator to make and break contacts are unacceptable, and equipment which uses mechanisms of this type must be considered unfit for use.
- Lack of proper maintenance – whether maintenance has been restricted as the result of an oversight or of budget cuts, neglected switchgear is potentially dangerous.
- Lack of anti-reflex handles – current equipment must be fitted with handles that can only be operated in one direction, unless they are removed and re-oriented.
Implementing a switchgear management programme is not difficult, but it is often useful to seek advice and guidance from an expert in the field such as Schneider Electric. In addition, useful information is provided in document HSG230, "Keeping Switchgear Safe" which is published by the Health and Safety Executive.
Hopefully, this article has demonstrated that health and safety issues, far from being a subject for trivialisation, are an essential concern for everyone whose work involves electrical switchgear. Tackling these issues has many benefits. Reduction of hazards is the most important of these, but well-trained personnel and an effective equipment management regime will also result in reduced downtime and increased security of supply. Investing in health and safety, therefore, is a very sound business proposition.
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