Causes of Electrical accidents

• Electrical accidents can occur in a variety of settings, including homes, workplaces, and public
spaces. Here are some common causes of electrical accidents:
1. Faulty equipment: Faulty or malfunctioning electrical equipment can cause electrical accidents.
This may include appliances, tools, or machinery that have not been maintained properly.
2. Overloading circuits: Overloading circuits by plugging in too many appliances or electrical
devices to a single outlet or circuit can cause a short circuit or a fire.
3. Damaged insulation: Damaged or degraded insulation on electrical wiring can cause electrical
current to leak out and cause shock or electrocution.
4. Contact with power lines: Contact with power lines can be fatal. People working near power
lines or using equipment near them can accidentally come into contact with live wires, leading
to electrocution.
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5. Water and electricity: Water is a conductor of electricity, and contact with water can cause
electrical accidents. This may include using electrical appliances near water sources, such as
bathtubs or swimming pools.
6. Human error: Human error, such as improper installation or handling of electrical
equipment, can cause electrical accidents. This may include attempting to fix electrical
equipment without proper training or using equipment that is not intended for the task at
hand.
7. Natural disasters: Natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, or earthquakes can damage
electrical systems and cause electrical accidents.
Human Body’s Resistance to Electricity
 Factors affecting the severity of electrical
shock
• The severity of an electrical shock can be affected by various factors. These
include:
1. Amount of current: The amount of electrical current flowing through the body is a
crucial factor in determining the severity of an electric shock. The higher the current, the
more severe the shock. Even a small amount of current can be dangerous if it flows
through the heart or brain.
2. Duration of exposure: The longer the exposure to the electrical current, the more severe
the shock. Even a low amount of current can cause severe injury or death if the duration
of exposure is long.
3. Path of current: The path of the electrical current through the body can affect the
severity of the shock. If the current passes through vital organs such as the heart or
brain, it can be more severe.
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4. Voltage: The voltage of the electrical source can affect the severity of the
shock. Higher voltage can cause more severe injuries than lower voltage.
5. Frequency: The frequency of the electrical source can also affect the severity of
the shock. High-frequency electrical currents can be more dangerous than low-
frequency currents.
6. Health and age of the person: The health and age of the person can affect the
severity of the shock. People with pre-existing medical conditions or those who
are very young or very old may be more susceptible to the effects of an electric
shock.
 Actions to be taken when a person gets
attached to live part
• If someone gets attached to a live part, it is essential to take immediate action to
help them. Here are the steps to take:
1. Shut off the power source: Turn off the power source to the electrical system
if possible. If you cannot access the power source, call emergency services
immediately.
2. Call for help: Call emergency services right away and provide as much
information as possible, such as the location of the incident, the severity of the
situation, and the condition of the person who has been shocked.
3. Do not touch the person: Do not touch the person who has been shocked, as
you may also be electrocuted. Use a non-conductive object, such as a wooden
stick or a piece of plastic, to move the person away from the electrical source.
 Cont..
4. Check for breathing and a pulse: Check to see if the person is breathing and
has a pulse. If they are not breathing or do not have a pulse, begin CPR
immediately.
5. Cover the person with a blanket: Cover the person with a blanket or a jacket to
help them stay warm until emergency services arrive.
6. Provide first aid: If the person has burns or other injuries, provide first aid if
you are trained to do so.
7. Stay with the person: Stay with the person until emergency services arrive and
follow their instructions.
 Significance of Safety precautions and
management responsibility
• Electricity can cause shocks and fires. Unsafe conditions may exist in electrical plants and
equipment during construction and operation and maintenance.
• Unsafe conditions may lead to accidents, fires, loss of life, loss of property and prolonged
outage.
• It is the prime responsibility of the site management to eliminate unsafe conditions, create
safety organization, implement safety rules, train personnel, established field safety
procedures, arrange first aid and hospital facilities; and prevent accidents.
• Field quality and safety organization is established at site and responsibilities are assign to
manage.
• Work permit system must be established and followed strictly. Work permit is issued for
carrying out work in plant. Before issuing work permit, the plant is switched off, isolated and
earthed so that maintenance persons are not subjected to electric shock.
 Cont..
• Safety rules and acts must be followed during civil works, erection, testing commissioning, operation and
maintenance. Each activity must be done with understanding, skill and perfection.
• Site persons must be trained to do the work safely. All non current carrying parts must be earthed. The earth
resistance of earthing system must be low.
• Connections of current carrying conductors must not be loose. Insulation should be dry and healthy. Clearance
must be adequate. Earthing must be ensured.
• Fire prevention and fire fighting systems must be provided in every electrical planted in hazardous zone.
• Plant must be earthed fence, security, good house keeping and adequate safety provisions for improving safety.
• Field Quality Audits (FQA) and Field Safety Audits(FSA) are carried out during erection, testing, commissioning,
operation and maintenance. Defects and deficiencies observed during the FQA and FSA are removed.
Cont..
 Safety regulations
• CEA safety regulations 2010
• Electricity Act 2003
• Setting up State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) has been mandatory.
 Safety Measures
• Use only electrical gadgets with ISI mark and carry out all electrical works by certified electricians.
• Inspect electrical wiring regularly and renew deteriorated wiring.
• Do not near or touch the electrical poles, stay wires, fencing etc., during rainy seasons.
• Do not use electric poles as support to pandals of displaying advertisement board.
• Do not construct buildings near electric lines, consult the electricity board officials before planning for same.
• Do not go near the fencing of electrical transformers/substations.
• Do not park lorries near transformer structure or electric line and carry out loading and unloading of
materials.
• Do not drive vehicles, carry ladders ets, which are of greater height beneth the electric lines.
• While digging the ground for other works, care should be taken while working near underground electric
cables
 Safety procedures during the erection phase
• Civil work have been completed.
• Equipment, accessories, hardware have been received.
• Contract for erection has been finalized and contractor has mobilized tools, tackle, personnel, erection facilities
etc.
• Tools, tackle slings, cranes, materials handling equipment are tested OK worn out slings must be scrapped
unreliable crane must be replaced. Construction facilities must be checked every day and repair work must be
carried out immediately.
• Erection drawings and documents are available.
• Safety documents are received and understood.
• Safety conditions are satisfied.
• Insurance coverage has been confirmed for installation work/ personnel.
• Construction water, power and other facilities are available.
• Security has been established.
• Personal protective equipment are provided and are used while working.
 Safety procedures during the commissioning
phase
• Commissioning must be carries out by expert team in association with operating
personnel.
• Check every equipment every subsystems every auxiliary for correctness,
completeness, satisfactory test results and safety.
• Do not bypass interlock, sequence system, protective system, safety system, fire
protective system.
• Do not energize for regular operations unless all the system are tested OK and
operation and safety systems are service.
• Do not assume that plant is safe until essential performance tests have been
completed satisfactory.
 Indian electricity supply act 1948
• The Indian Electricity Supply Act was passed in 1948 and has been amended
several times since then. The Act provides a framework for the regulation and
development of the electricity industry in India. Here are some of the key
provisions of the Indian Electricity Supply Act, 1948:
1. License Requirement: The Act requires all entities involved in the generation,
transmission, and distribution of electricity to obtain a license from the appropriate
government agency.
2. Tariff Regulation: The Act provides for the regulation of tariffs charged by electricity
companies. The government has the power to fix or approve tariffs for the sale of
electricity.
3. Inspection and Audit: The Act allows the government to inspect and audit the accounts
of electricity companies to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
 Cont..
4. Consumer Protection: The Act provides for the protection of consumers' rights by
requiring electricity companies to supply electricity to consumers at reasonable prices
and to ensure the quality of the electricity supplied.
5. Safety Regulations: The Act provides for safety regulations to ensure that electricity
companies and their employees follow safety procedures to prevent accidents and
injuries.
6. Electricity Regulatory Commissions: The Act provides for the establishment of
Electricity Regulatory Commissions to regulate the electricity industry and to protect
the interests of consumers.
7. Dispute Resolution: The Act provided for the resolution of disputes between electricity
companies and consumers or other parties through a regulatory mechanism.
 Factory act 1956
• The Factories Act, 1948 is a law passed by the Indian Parliament that regulates
the working conditions in factories in India. The Act has been amended several
times, including in 1956. The Factory Act, 1956 made some changes to the
original Act and added provisions to protect the health and safety of workers.
Here are some of the key provisions of the Factory Act, 1956:
1. Health and Safety Provisions: The Act lays down health and safety provisions for
workers, including provisions for lighting, ventilation, cleanliness, and sanitation in the
workplace.
2. Working Hours: The Act prescribes the maximum number of hours that a worker can
work in a week, and provides for overtime pay for workers who work beyond the
prescribed hours.
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3. Employment of Women and Children: The Act regulates the employment of
women and children in factories, and sets limits on the working hours and
conditions for these workers.
4. Welfare Provisions: The Act provides for welfare provisions such as canteens,
restrooms, and first-aid facilities for workers.
5. Safety Committee: The Act requires that factories employing more than 250
workers establish a safety committee to oversee safety measures and address
safety concerns.
6. Leave Provisions: The Act provides for leave provisions such as annual leave
with wages, sick leave, and maternity leave for female workers.
 Procedure of shut down for substation and
power lines
• The shutdown procedure for a substation and power lines involves a series of steps to
ensure the safety of personnel working on the equipment and the public in the vicinity.
Here are the general steps that may be followed for a planned shutdown:
1. Notify Affected Parties: Before shutting down a substation or power lines,
the affected parties, such as customers or other stakeholders, should be
notified of the planned shutdown and the expected duration of the outage.
2. Prepare for Shutdown: The substation or power lines should be prepared for
shutdown by following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the
equipment. This may involve disconnecting and isolating the equipment from
the power source, and ensuring that all safety measures are in place.
 Cont..
• Shutdown Sequence: The substation or power lines should be shut down in a specific sequence to prevent
damage to the equipment and ensure the safety of personnel. The sequence may vary depending on the type
of equipment and the specific procedures of the utility company.
• Verify Shutdown: Once the equipment has been shut down, it should be verified to ensure that it is completely
de-energized and safe to work on.
• Maintenance and Repair: The shutdown period may be used for maintenance and repair work on the
substation or power lines. This work should be carried out according to the relevant procedures and standards.
• Restore Power: Once the maintenance work is completed, the substation or power lines should be energized in
a controlled sequence, following the relevant SOPs.
• Post-Shutdown Checks: After the substation or power lines have been energized, post-shutdown checks should
be carried out to ensure that the equipment is operating correctly and there are no safety issues.
 Certificate of requisition for shut down
• A certificate of requisition for shutdown is a document used in industries where equipment, machinery, or
processes need to be shut down for maintenance or repair work. The purpose of the certificate is to ensure that the
shutdown is planned and executed safely, and that any hazards associated with the shutdown are identified and
addressed.
• The certificate is typically issued by a responsible person, such as an operations manager or a maintenance
manager, and includes details of the shutdown, such as the equipment or process to be shut down, the reason for
the shutdown, the date and time of the shutdown, and the expected duration of the shutdown.
• The certificate also includes details of the safety measures that need to be taken before, during, and after the
shutdown. This may include isolating electrical or other energy sources, purging or venting of hazardous materials
or gases, draining fluids, and locking out or tagging out equipment.
• Before the shutdown, the certificate of requisition for shutdown is reviewed and approved by a safety team or a
safety officer to ensure that all necessary safety precautions have been taken. Once the shutdown is complete, the
equipment or process is tested to ensure that it is safe to restart and the certificate is closed out.
 Procedure of work permit at site to do any kind of work on Electrical Plant/Equipment/Auxiliary.

• Work permit is for safety of personnel and plant. It is issued by “ Issuing Authority” (Commissioning Manager/Site
Manager/Plant Manager) to the permit holder(particular responsible person) for specific work in specific zone for
specified period.
• The specific zone is disconnected from rest of the system by opening all incoming and outgoing circuit breakers and
isolators, earthing switches are then closed and the safety interlock keys are retained by the issuing authority. Thereby
the work zone remains isolated and accidental energization is totally prevented.
• after completion of the work, the work permit is returned to the issuing authority. After visual check of the site zone
that no tools, ladder, persons are left at site and circuit can be safely energized.
• The work permit is cancelled and the safety interlock keys of earthing switch, isolator and circuit breakers are given
back to the concerned supervisors.
• For work on a teed transmission line, instruction regarding shut down must be given to three terminal substations. The
date and time of shutdown, confirmation about operating the circuit breakers and isolators, names the person
responsible, must be noted in the log book in the form of safety records.
 Cont..
• Work permit is not issued unless the person is familiar with the nature of work and knows the safety rules.
• Following precautions are recommended:
 Check the safety clearance between nearest live point and other physical objects during maintenance (e.g. bus bars to
ladders, platforms lifting devices metal bars etc.). Safety clearance must away be maintained, otherwise flash over can
occur keep earthed screens between live zones and maintenance zones.
 Precaution to be taken before working on medium and low voltage system: the consequences of shock or serious burn
from short circuit associated with medium or low voltage system may be very serious or in some circumstances fatal.
Whenever practicable, therefore. Work on medium and low voltage apparatus, conductors and equipments shall be
done while they are dead and earthed.
• Work on live medium and low voltage apparatus conductors or equipment should be undertaken only by
competent person.
• Live line working may be carried out only when shut down is not permissible and if trained personnel live
line equipment, etc. are available.
 Cont..
• Limited Work Permit (LWP) is issued:
 When repair work is carried out on particular equipment in a particular zone of the plant(and overall
plant need not be shut down)
 When a particular equipment/zone is to be tested and other plant need not be shut down.
• Permission to Test (PTT):
• Testing is generally necessary after major repair/maintenance or modification in plant.
• Permission to test is issued to testing engineer by the site manager. During the testing of
equipment/plant, the normal operations are withdraw. Testing are conducted in particular
sequence in accordance with test protocol during the testing additional precautions are
necessary.
• The testing gives acknowledgement by signing on copy of PTT. The PTT is cancelled after
return of the PTT by test engineer.
Line clear certificate
• A line clear certificate, on the other hand, is a document that is issued
by an authorized person or team to a worker or a contractor before
carrying out work on an electrical installation or equipment.
• The certificate is used to ensure that the electrical installation or
equipment is safe to work on and there is no risk of electric shock.
• The certificate specifies the details of the work to be carried out, the
equipment and installation to be worked on, the precautions to be
taken, and the time frame in which the work must be completed.
 Fire Extinguishers
• Fire extinguishers are devices that are used to put out small fires or to control them until the fire department
arrives. They contain various extinguishing agents that can be used to put out different types of fires, such as
water, foam, dry chemical, CO2, and wet chemical.
• Fire extinguishers are rated based on the types of fires they can be used on and the size of the fire they can
put out. The most common ratings are Class A, B, C, D, and K.
• Class A extinguishers are suitable for fires that involve ordinary combustibles, such as wood, paper, or cloth.
• Class B extinguishers are suitable for fires that involve flammable liquids, such as gasoline or oil.
• Class C extinguishers are suitable for fires that involve electrical equipment, while Class D extinguishers are
suitable for fires that involve flammable metals.
• Class K extinguishers are designed for fires involving cooking oils and fats commonly found in commercial
kitchens.
 Cont..
• It's important to note that not all fire extinguishers are suitable for all types of
fires. Using the wrong type of extinguisher can make the fire worse or even create
new hazards, such as spreading the fire or creating toxic fumes.
• Fire extinguishers should be installed in easily accessible locations and should be
regularly inspected, tested, and maintained to ensure they are in proper working
order. Additionally, it's important to have proper training on how to use a fire
extinguisher and to follow all safety guidelines to prevent injury and further
damage in the event of a fire.
 Cont..
• Fire extinguishers are important tools for fire safety and can be classified into two categories:
fixed installation and portable devices.
• Fixed installation fire extinguishers are typically found in larger buildings and are installed in
specific locations to provide fire protection in high-risk areas. These extinguishers are often
connected to the building's fire alarm system and can be activated automatically or manually.
Common examples include water mist systems, foam systems, and dry chemical systems.
• Portable fire extinguishers, on the other hand, are handheld devices that can be easily
moved and used to put out small fires. They are often found in homes, offices, and public
places and come in a variety of types, including water, foam, dry powder, CO2, and wet
chemical. It's important to note that different types of fires require different types of
extinguishers, so it's important to choose the appropriate type for the specific fire risk.