Intelligent Power Today Magazine

Reduce the risk of arc flash hazards with CSA Z462

BY ROBERT BURGESS, Lineman’s Testing Laboratories

Safe electrical maintenance practices and on-going personnel training can minimize the likelihood of electrical injuries and fatalities due to electrical shock, electrocution, arc flash and arc blast. At risk are employees who work on or near exposed energized electrical conductors or circuit parts including electrical maintenance personnel, operators, troubleshooters, electricians, linemen, supervisors, site safety personnel or anyone exposed to energized equipment of 50 volts or more. The majority of hospital admissions following electrical accidents are due to arc flash burns, not
electrical shock...

Infrared and electrical safety: meeting safety requirements using IR windows and thermal imaging

BY COLIN PLASTOW, FLUKE Electronics

By installing IR (infrared) windows, panes or ports, technicians using thermal imagers can inspect live electrical equipment without removing protective covers. Unlike a port or pane, the additional protection afforded by infrared (IR) windows comes from their crystal optic construction, which is designed to better protect technicians under fault conditions resulting from unexpected component failures or work on other parts of the system. This substantially reduces hazard ratings and, in most cases, allows the thermographer to work more safely, minimizing the need...