Safety

1. Safety Alert 04/94 Committed to Safety Electrical Safety Background A high potential near miss incident occurred at Yibal recently that could have resulted in a fatality. A technician was removing plastic used to protect electrical motors during a cooler wash. Another technician de-isolated the electrical supply and started the fan motor. The fan began to rotate just 12 cm above the first technician’s head. Injury to the technician was narrowly avoided. The high potential of this incident highlights the need for strict adherence to electrical lock out procedures. In this example, adherence had become lax over time and became accepted practice. Recommendations To Prevent Recurrence Electrical equipment must be isolated to ensure that energy sources are brought to a Zero State. All work on electrical equipment should be carried out under the authority of a Work Permit. (For more information, see Chpt 3, Section 4.4 of the HSE Manual “Work On Electrical Equipment”, “Electrical Safety Operational Procedures” PDO ERD-64-07 and “Electrical Safety Rules” PDO-ERD-64-02). Asset Holders are requested to perform regular checks to assure the workers are adhering to Electrical Isolation Procedures. Learning Points Strict adherence to electrical lock out procedures may become lax for a variety of reasons. The acceptance of substandard practices puts workers at an unacceptable level of risk. Compliance to the lock out procedures must be monitored to ensure procedures are being followed. Compliance to the procedure should be commended and non-compliance corrected.