Non Hostile Electrical Safety Savings ?

[Don Allen]

The British Health and safety Executive have come out with this [http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg236.pdf] document "Maintaining portable electric equipment in low-risk environments" Worth a read if you are involved in testing and tagging in non hostile environments.

I know management do not understand this topic but if they did risk analysis and scheduled visual inspections they could save a lot of money.

There is a thread on the Blue Room forums that covers this and the British HSE estimate that 30 million pounds are spent on unneccesary testing and tagging each year![/url]
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Lighting Designer and manufacturer of Theatre Electronics

[RoderickvG]

But that is the UK.
In the current WHS Regulation, which I know hasn't been adopted in WA yet, there are a few clauses about this.
Let me quote form the WHS Regulation:
Clause 144 Meaning of “electrical equipment”
(1) In this Part, electrical equipment means any apparatus, appliance, cable, conductor, fitting, insulator, material, meter or wire that:
(a) is used for controlling, generating, supplying, transforming or transmitting electricity at a voltage greater than extra-low voltage, or
(b) is operated by electricity at a voltage greater than extra-low voltage, or
(c) is part of an electrical installation located in an area in which the atmosphere presents a risk to health and safety from fire or explosion, or
(d) is, or is part of, an active impressed current cathodic protection system within the meaning of AS 2832.1:2004 (Cathodic protection of metals—Pipes and cables).

Clause 150: Inspection and testing of electrical equipment
(1) A person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace must ensure that electrical equipment is regularly inspected and tested by a competent person if the electrical equipment is:
(a) supplied with electricity through an electrical socket outlet, and
(b) used in an environment in which the normal use of electrical equipment exposes the equipment to operating conditions that are likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span, including conditions that involve exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust.
Maximum penalty:
(a) in the case of an individual—$3,600, or
(b) in the case of a body corporate—$18,000.
(2) and (3) not relevant for this discussion
(4) The record of testing:
(a) must specify the following:
(i) the name of the person who carried out the testing,
(ii) the date of the testing,
(iii) the outcome of the testing,
(iv) the date on which the next testing must be carried out, and
(b) may be in the form of a tag attached to the electrical equipment tested.

Clause 151 Untested electrical equipment not to be used
A person conducting a business or undertaking must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that electrical equipment is not used if the equipment:
(a) is required to be tested under clause 150, and
(b) has not been tested.
Maximum penalty:
(a) in the case of an individual—$3,600, or
(b) in the case of a body corporate—$18,000.
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Think it is too expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur

[phild]

So Roderick, what are your thoughts on test and tagging of permanently installed patch panels, like the Jands WM or LSC Redback Wallmount series? There is some conjecture within the electrical contractor community as to whether these need to be tested and more importantly tagged, as they makeup a part of the venues fixed wiring system......
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Never play leap frog with a unicorn

[RoderickvG]

It is a tricky one.
What will be important is how and where it is used.
AS/NZS 3760 states in the Scope 1.1(j) "Flexible cords connected to fixed equipment in a hostile environment"
A 'hostile environment' is defined in 1.4.12 as:" One in which the equipment or appliance is normally subject to events or operating conditions likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span".

My interpretation of that is that patch panels are rarely installed in a 'hostile environment' so the requirement to test & tag would not apply. But it all comes down to where it is installed.
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Think it is too expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur

[Andy Ciddor]

[phild]

Thanks Roderick, and of course Andy (couldn't help yourself, could you ) . Those are my thoughts exactly. What I have been seeing lately is a lot of schools where the local sparky has insisted on a full test and tag for every line in the system. Now nothing wrong with that on a safety aspect, but these schools are flat out buying spare bubbles. I'll bet he's not shy in putting in his bill.
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Never play leap frog with a unicorn

[Andy Ciddor]

[Don Allen]

Clause 150: Inspection and testing of electrical equipment
(1) A person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace must ensure that electrical equipment is regularly inspected and tested by a competent person if the electrical equipment is:
(a) supplied with electricity through an electrical socket outlet, and
(b) used in an environment in which the normal use of electrical equipment exposes the equipment to operating conditions that are likely to result in damage to the equipment or a reduction in its expected life span, including conditions that involve exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, mechanical damage, corrosive chemicals or dust.
Maximum penalty:

My heading included the term Non Hostile and reading Clause 150 they appear to be saying the same thing.

Now with regards patch panels, AS/NZS 3017:1996 Electrical installations - Testing guidelines may appear to be the standard to cover patch panels , as they specify earth resistance, insulation resistance, polarity and incorrect circuit connections as test required, hovere there is no scheduled retests, only before being placed into service and after modifications.

AS/NZS 3760:2010 is more applicable if the patch panel is treated as cord set, however most people (electricians) testing and tagging patch pannels do not take a lead to the other end of the "cord set" so how can they do a visual, and carry out the earth resistance, insulation and polarity tests?

Although patch panels are installed in theatres, it is not usually a hostile environment and as others have pointed out, what is needed is a visual inspection prior to every use of a patch lead and some formal documentation that this is being done, such as a work procedure or scheduled visual workplace inspection.

I am definitely in favour of testing and tagging in a hostile environment WHEN done in conjunction with staff involvement with workplace visual inspections before every use, done in conjunction with an induction process for new employees and a scheduled workplace inspection.

For non hostile environments I have the data to prove it is unneccessary if a workplace inspection is correctly carried out.
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Lighting Designer and manufacturer of Theatre Electronics