UNIT III:

SAFETY DURING INSTALLATION, TESTING AND COMMISSIONING, OPERATION AND

MAINTENANCE

Preliminary preparations - safe sequence- risk of plant and equipment - safety documentation - field
quality and safety - personal protective equipment - safety clearance notice - safety precautions -
safeguards for operators - safety.

OBJECTIVES OF THIS UNIT

The Installation (Erection) work is a major part of the project construction. Safety of personnel during
installation is very important.

Good Quality of Civil Work and Good Quality of Equipment, Good quality of erection tools and tackles
and Trained Man Power are the prerequisites for Electrical safety during erection.

Supervisors and workers must be familiar with the safety rules and precautions to be taken in general
and for installing particular plant equipment.

So the objective of this unit is to make students familiar that Safety can be assured through good
planning, adequate protective equipment

PRELIMINARY PREPARATIONS

• The preliminary preparations before commencing installation include:

• -Preparation of L1, L2 and L3 bar charts of Erection and Commissioning activities. L1 for
Erection includes following activities:
• -Finalising subcontracts for Erection.
• -Receiving and study of Plant Documentation and Equipment Documentation, at site. Establish
system of As built drawings and installation inspection records. Study of Drawings and
Manuals.
• Arranging tools, tackles, transportation, handling facility. Receiving and storage of Equipment.
• -Arranging Safety Facilities and First Aid Facility. -Training of personnel.
• -Arranging formats and registers for records.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

Q. What are L1, L2, L3 charts?

L1, L2, L3 BAR CHARTS FOR ERECTION

These charts give major activities in the first column and horizontal bars in months/weeks/days against
each activity for planned time schedule. LI covers each equipment in one or two bars. 12 covers further
activity of L1 for each equipment. L3 covers further detailed activities for each L2 activity.

Preparation of L1, L2, L3 bar charts indicating Major Safety Preconditions in Remarks Columns adds to
safety during installation

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

Systematic works leads to safety how?

The planning of activities is brought out in the form of bar charts and PERT network (Project Evaluation
and Review Techniques). The Safety Aspects must be reviewed on monthly basis and the safety reports
are used for pinpointing Corrective actions taken planned.

SAFE SEQUENCE

Q. The sequence of installation is must for safety consideration explain with an example

Installation should be planned and executed under the guidance and super-vision of experienced
personnel. The sequence of installation activities is selected with safety consideration. For example in
installation of outdoor switchyard, preferred sequence is:

• Underground earthing mesh and risers

• Foundations for structures and equipment
• Galvanised steel structures
• Overhead shielding mesh
• Overhead string insulators and flexible ACSR busbars
• Cable in trenches
• Post insulators and aluminium tubular bus-bars
• Installation of equipment on structures
• Installation of Power Transformer
• Earthing of galvanised steel structures, transformer tanks, other plants to be earthed.

In the above sequence, the overhead work is completed before commencing the installation of
equipment on the ground. While overhead shielding mesh and flexible buses are being erected, work
on the ground level is avoided.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

RISK OF PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

During the Installation work, the main circuit is not yet energised and flow of electrical energy is not
yet established.

The main power circuits, bus bars and cables are not yet at high voltage. Hence risks of electric shocks,
flashovers, arcs, explosions in main equipment and auxiliary equipment are negligibly small.

However, risks of falling of objects, falling of construction workers from height, fires due to welding
sparks, fires during handling of flammable cases, liquids and solids are particularly high and the risks
are maximum when during Installation work.

Q. Tabulate the Unsafe conditions during installations.

Table 3.2 Unsafe Conditions During Installation

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar
Q. Tabulate the various unsafe acts during installations.

A series of lapses lead to an accident during installation, e.g. Accumulation of garbage, careless welding
and falling of sparks on the garbage resulting in fire, spread of fire due to absence of fire extinguishers,
lack of firefighting training to personnel results in a major fire accident in a power station.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

 SAFETY DOCUMENTATION

The safety documentation for installation has three parts:

1. Safety System Document for the complete project covers the Safety objectives, safety organisation,
safety procedures, safety rules, work permit system etc.

2. Plant installation Document.

3. Equipment Installation Document.

These documents cover Safety Considerations and Recommendations for installation work. Safety
considerations and safety recommendations related with electric power plants and substations are
summarised in following sections.

FIELD QUALITY AND SAFETY DURING ERECTION

Careless erection work results in unsafe conditions for testing commissioning and
operation/maintenance.

The installation of each system must be done carefully and with excellance in quality. Carelessness or
weakness at any stage results in subsequent failure somewhere and unsafe condition or accident.
Following aspects are important:

1. Current Carrying Paths in Main Circuit: The function is to conduct load currents, overload currents
without overheating. These paths include: Terminal connectors, busbar joints, rigid tublar busbars,
power cable conductors, circuits breaker/isolator poles, CT poles, Terminal clamps for equipment etc.
Loose connections are unsafe.

Joints in Conducting Path. The joints have mating. surfaces. Air gap between two mating surfaces
results in formation of oxide layer on conductor surfaces. These oxide layers are of high resistivity. The
joints become progressively hot due to l2Rt losses (Joule losses) and the joint may fail resulting in fault
and mishap.

Anti-oxidant petroleum gelly must be applied on freshly polished surfaces before making the joint and
tightning the hardware.

Loose Hardware. The terminal connections, the joints etc. are fastened by using appropriate hardware
(Nuts/Bolts/ Washers/Spring washers). Absence of spring washer results in loose joint and over
heating/sparking.

2. Low voltage Conductor System. Loose connections are not permitted. The screws, connectors,
terminals should be tight and secured. Neutral points must be firmly established. Chassis earthing,
shield-earthing should be as per recommendations.

3 Corona Rings. These are located around high voltage terminals for modifying electric field and reduce
voltage stress on insulator near live terminals. The tracking of dust along insulator surface at live end
is reduced. Corona around conductor is also reduced.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

4 Clearances. During and after installation, the clearances between conductor and nearest earthed
part must be checked against recommended minimum value. It is possible that some stray
construction at site has encroached within the clearance zone.

5. Earthing of Structures. Each structure must be positively earthed by connecting to earth mesh via
earthing conductor. It is for safety of operation and maintenance staff.

6. Oil Immersed Equipment. Extra precaution is necessary while filling oil, filtering oil and operating
and maintaining oil filled equipment. Temperature should never exceed specified limit. Moisture entry
is dangerous. Oil quality should be checked periodically. Poor oil leads to faults and possible explosions.

7. Oil Leakage. Oil leakage must be quickly attended. Oil leaks are unsafe as they can lead to failure of
main equipment and fire hazard.

8.Gas Filled Equipment. Special precautions, facilities are essential while handling installation of gas
filled equipment. Gases used in equipment are of two types:

1. Insulating Gases like SF6, N2: These are inert and non-explosive. They are safer. However, leakage can
cause internal, flashover of equipment.

2. Flammable Gases like Hydrogen for generator cooling. Ammonia for flue gas neutralising, Propane
for oil burner initiation etc.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Personal protective equipment are provided to Installation Personnel and Maintenance Personnel for
safe guarding against accidents and injury from Falling Objects, Persons fall, Electric shock, Inhalation
of smoke/gases; bright light, heat, mechanical accidents.

Some PPEs are recommended for general use for every Construction Worker at Construction site and
for plant Operation and Maintenance personnel. Their use is mandatory.

Table 1 below cover lists and applications of Personal Protective Equipment recommended for safety
of personnel during Installation and Maintenance Work.

And Table 2 covers the protective items by parts of the body protected. Table 3.4 Selection of PPE for
Hazardous Condition

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

 .

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

 Saftey Clearance Notice

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar

Example of safety Clearance Notice

ELECTRICAL SAFETY & STANDARDS |Prepared By. Prof. Kunal A. Onkar