Sunday, January 07, 2024
Here are some reminders about E Light Electric's policy concerning electrical safety. You can also refer to the Safety, Health, and Environmental Policy located on the SHEP page of www.elightinformatoin.com for the full policy and requirements.
It is very important you understand that an energized work permit is required every time you do work on a system that is NOT in an electrically safe work condition. The energized work permit must be submitted to and approved by the Director of Education and Loss Prevention and the Vice President of Operations.
An exception to this rule is if you are currently certified by NFPA as an Electrical Safety Worker, you can perform testing and troubleshooting without an Energized Work Permit. Some things to remember when using this exception:
(A) You still need to fill out an energized work permit and submit it if you discover something needs replaced or repaired while you are troubleshooting. This work is not considered testing and trouble shooting and you will need fill out an energized work permit and get it approved before beginning.
(B) If you are doing testing and troubleshooting and you have a current NFPA Electrical Safety Worker certification, you will still need to do an energized risk analysis, an energized JHA and briefing and select and wear all the PPE required by NFPA 70E and E Light Electric Services policy. As an NFPA certified Electrical Safety Worker, you have demonstrated through experience and successful completion of the 100-question proctored exam from NFPA that you understand the requirements for NFPA 70E, you can use NFPA 70E to determine the risks involved and select the hazard controls and PPE to mitigate the risks. By having the certification from NFPA you are responsible for analyzing the risks and mitigating the risks.
Only qualified and authorized personnel may perform any energized work. You can by qualified and authorized without having the NFPA Electrical Safety Worker certification, but you must ALWAYS complete and submit for approval an energized work permit before performing any energized work, including testing and troubleshooting.
The Vice President of Operations AND The Director of Education and Loss Prevention must approve all Energized Work Permits before work can begin.
The reason the work must be done energized must be explained on the energized work permit.
If the work is being performed energized only because the Owner wants it to be done energized, then the Owner must first be briefed on all the possible risks and the Owner must sign the energized work permit agreeing they understand the risks and they are taking full responsibility for the risks.
NFPA 70E only allows energized work for the following reasons:
Article 110.4
(A) Additional Hazards or Increased Risk.
Energized work shall be permitted where the employer can demonstrate that de-energizing introduces additional hazards or increased risk.
(B) Infeasibility. Energized work shall be permitted where the employer can demonstrate that the task to be performed is infeasible in a de-energized state due to equipment design or operational limitations.
(C) Equipment Operating at Less Than 50 Volts. Energized electrical conductors and circuit parts that operate at less than 50 volts shall not be required to be de-energized where the capacity of the source and any overcurrent protection between the energy source and the worker are considered and it is determined that there will be no increased exposure to electrical burns or to explosion due to electric arcs.
(D) Normal Operating Condition. Normal operation of electric equipment shall be permitted where a normal operating condition exists.
If the work is being done for any reason other than those listed above in item 6, then the owner must be briefed on all the risks involved in the energized work and they must sign the energized work permit to confirm they accept full responsibility for the energized work. Authorized persons have access to NFPA Link on their smart phones. E Light has provided this so that you can access NFPA 70E so you can perform work safely. Your NFPA Link also includes notes, comments, and explanations written specifically by E Light management to help you understand the requirements and E Light policy and requirements. E Light pays for this service so that you have all the information you need to safety and efficiently perform your work. If you need help using NFPA Link, please ask Curt Elliott, Ted Smith, or Blake Ely for help.
Thank you
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