By LSMT(E) Terence Doyle - Engineering Faculty HMAS CERBERUS
Volume 49, No. 18 , October 05, 2006
In light of a number of incidents that have occurred recently, it appears that we are due for a timely reminder on electrical safety.
Electrical safety, or the lack of, can be summarised in one word; complacency. The phrases “It takes too long” or “I can’t be bothered” are becoming all too commonplace. In nearly every incident involving electricity, it comes down to the victims own complacency, especially when it comes to entering high voltage compounds or simply cutting through a lead on a power tool.
When I was educating young apprentices in a former life as a construction foreman, I always placed the emphasis on the fact that there was no such thing as a stupid question. If in doubt; ASK!!!! I know that was what I was told when I was an apprentice and it’s even more valid today with technology advancing in leaps and bounds. I even catch myself sometimes asking “what the?” and making a quick call to a subject matter expert for some info. It’s not really all that hard once you get used the fact that you don’t know everything, nobody does.
I am constantly amazed at the number of people that will poke, prod or dismantle equipment without taking the time to test for voltages that may or may not be present. Just because you can’t see electricity does not mean that you can’t be bitten.
You wouldn’t walk up to a tiger or crocodile and poke your hand in its mouth unless it was unconscious or anaesthetised; or would you? It’s surprising the amount of people that are unaware of how small an electrical current it takes to do serious if not lethal damage. The average domestic lighting circuit operates in an 8 to 10 amp range, basic you say, yet 30 milliamps is more than enough to take a life in the right conditions. So what if it takes an extra couple of minutes to get accurate information or check your immediate area for safety.
Procedures are put into place for a reason. That reason is not to make your life difficult, it’s to keep you alive and enable you to finish the day the same way you started it, in one piece with all your fingers and toes.
A very good friend of mine, lets call him Joe, once went to work with the assurance that the job he was working on had been isolated and tested. What he didn’t do was follow procedure and make sure for himself.
Later that morning while dismantling an electrical drive, he came in contact with the slipring and brushes on the supply end of the drive that was normally connected to 3.3kv or 3300 volts.
When his workmate returned from the toilet he found Joe leaning against the steel structure about 15m from where he had been working, holding what was left of his arm. It had been severed at the elbow and due to the arc flash he could not see well enough to get to a first aid station.
As you can see, one simple step in the procedure could have had Joe back home at the end of the day arm still in tact.
But you can save yourself a lot of grief if you follow some simple rules:
1. Keep your eyes open. Look for signage, advice cards and warnings.
2. If you’re not authorised or qualified; keep your hands in your pockets (unless you’re under instruction and close supervision).
3. When you’re supervising unqualified personnel watch them like a hawk and never - repeat never - leave them alone with live kit.
4. Be aware - aware of your surroundings, rules, regulations and your own limitations.
5. Follow Procedures. Tag and isolate - then double check.
6. If you’re not sure ASK!
Two cases of extremely hazardous electrical safety breaches have occurred in the past month. These emphasise just how lucky these Sailors were, especially when high voltage electricity has the ability to ‘jump’ or ‘arc’ distances of 18 metres
or more.
Strangely, both examples involved retrieving a ball.
The first incident occurred at a Training Facility - Trainees were throwing a tennis ball during class break when the ball bounced over a brick wall and landed inside the fenced-off area of a high voltage transformer.
One member decided to retrieve the tennis ball through the warning-sign-posted wire mesh fenced off area using a metal bar! Fortunately a staff member
observed and stopped his actions.
The second instance involved a member who climbed over a 3m high brick wall that surrounded a high voltage electrical sub station. Several Trainees were kicking a soccer ball during a break in activities when the ball went over the wall and landed inside the compound. The compound was locked to prevent unauthorised access and had appropriate warning signs, including the phone number to call if access was required.
Despite being instructed not to enter the area to retrieve the ball, sometime later a sailor climbed over the wall and retrieved the ball. One of the consequences of that Member’s action was to be served with a personal ‘Letter of Warning’ from COMCARE. Other consequences may lie within the Divisional System.
KEEP NAVY SAFE
