Final Beena
Final Beena
Final Beena
As soldering iron is one of the most frequently used equipment, its improper
handling can cause very painful injuries to self as well as others working in the
lab.
Different AC sources expose humans working in robotics lab to shocks. Shock is
relatively more severe as the current rises. For currents above 10 milliamps,
muscular contractions are so strong that the victim cannot let go of the wire that
is shocking him. At values as low as 20 milliamps, breathing becomes difficult,
finally ceasing completely even at values below 75 milliamps. As the current
approaches 100 milliamps, an uncoordinated twitching of the walls of the heart's
ventricles occurs which results in death. Above 200 milliamps, the muscular
contractions are so severe that the heart is forcibly clamped during the shock.
Although endurance to exposed electric shocks differs from people to people in
general, 0.1 ampere (amp) of electricity going through the body for just 2
seconds is enough to cause death. For example, a current of 100 mA applied for
3 seconds is as dangerous as a current of 900 mA applied for a fraction of a
second (0.03 seconds).
Overheating and arcs are caused in equipment due to high current through the
equipment which is rated for lower currents. Use of fuses and proper grounding
of equipment may prevent overheating and arcs.
The major dangers of overheating and arcs are major burns and fire respectively.
Task 3
Explain using diagrams how fuses, circuit breakers, earthing, double
insulation and residual current devices protect against electrical
hazards.
If a device measures current you must say how it measures currents.
If a device uses magnets to activate then you must explain how the
magnets are used to activate the device.
If two or more devices work in very similar ways to each other then you
must say which device is better at protecting against electrocution and
in what ways.
Fuse- A fuse is a device which is employed to protect other circuit elements from
currents which are higher than the rated value. It consists of a wire made of a
material of low melting point and resistance and thus if a very high current flows
through it, the wire melts and breaks the circuit and hence protects the other
components from any damage.
Fuse measures current based on the heating effect of electric current. Since the
heat generated is directly proportional to the current flowing, a high current
leads to a high temperature and a current high enough to increase the
temperature beyond the melting point results in the circuit breaking.
Double Insulation- Live parts or wires that are protected by double insulation do
not require an earth connection. As two layers of insulating material protects the
wires, the chance of dangerous voltage being exposed is reduced and shocks can
be avoided even without an earthing.
These are particularly needed where current flow is very high, for instance in
heavy duty machines used in industries or transformers in power houses.
As with any procedure, revisions are commonplace. Workers should always check
to ensure they are working from the latest revision when using a procedure.
The safest way to avoid electrical hazards is to de-energize the conductors to be
worked on or near, and, assure that they cannot be re-energized. This is known
as putting the conductors in an electrically safe work condition and should
always be your first consideration.
An electrically safe work condition will be achieved and verified by the following
process:
1) Determine all possible sources of electrical supply to the specific equipment.
Check applicable up-to date drawings, diagrams and identification tags.
2) After properly interrupting the load current, open the disconnecting device(s)
for each source.
3) Wherever possible, visually verify that all blades of the disconnecting devices
are fully open or that draw out type circuit breakers are withdrawn to the fully
disconnected position.
4) Apply lockout/tag-out devices in accordance with a documented and
established policy.
5) Use adequately rated voltage detector to test each phase conductor or circuit
part to verify if they are de-energized. Before and after each test, determine if
the voltage detector is operating satisfactorily.