EnergySafe Magazine Spring 2017, issue 48 | Page 9

09
Spring 2017
energysafe issue 48
Electrical
News
Apprentice lucky to be alive after shock
By Michael Miskulin, Acting Manager,
Electrical Installation Safety
Another serious incident involving an
apprentice electrician occurred late August.
A third-year electrical apprentice received
serious injuries while working on a live switchboard.
The apprentice was replacing a single phase
circuit breaker with a new Residual Current Circuit
Breaker with Over Current Protection (RCBO) to a
live distribution switchboard.
The switchboard involved in the incident was
a 250amp 48 pole switchboard, compromising
a main isolator and a center fed bus chassis, a
combination of single and multi-phase circuit
breakers fitted to it.
This electrical installation work was
being performed at a large commercial site
The Blue Book
2017 released
By Loc Vuong,
Senior Network Safety Engineer
The 2017 Blue Book has been revised
by the Electrical Safety Committee
established under section 8 of the
Energy Safe Victoria Act 2005.
The Code of Practice on Electrical Safety
for Work On or Near High Voltage Electrical
Apparatus (The Blue Book) is revised and
republished every five years to ensure the
safety standards for work on or near high
voltage electrical apparatus are fit for
purpose, reflect industry best practice
and are improved where possible.
Since the publication, the 2017 edition
has made 18 amendments.
Below is a summary of these changes.
1. Definitions of ‘Operating authority’
and ‘station’
2. Wording of some sections changed to
better reflect intention and improve clarity.
3. New subsection 3.14 provides guidance
on victim’s rescue.
4. The principles of section 4 ‘Training and
authorisations’ applies to not only high
voltage (HV) apparatus, but also low
voltage (LV) apparatus.
5. New paragraph in subsection 4.1 to cover
workers under a training program.
6. Subsections of section 5 rearranged into
operational order.
7. Subsection 6.1 was rewritten and Figure
2 was replaced with Figures 2A and 2B,
illustrating SAD – beyond reach concept
and SAD –expected reach concept,
respectively.
8. New paragraph on subsection 6.2.2
defines ‘Safe approach distance –special’.
9. Safe approach distance (SAD) for 132kV,
220kV and 275kV in table 5 were slightly
increased to be consistent with Australian
undergoing refurbishment.
The apprentice was working live.
When the apprentice attempted to replace
the single phase circuit breaker with a new
RCBO he initiated an arcing fault resulting
in an electrical explosion.
The 25 year old received burns and was
admitted to hospital in a serious condition.
He is now home, recovering from his injuries.
Energy Safe Victoria, WorkSafe and
Victoria Police are undertaking investigations
into this incident.
ESV’s key messages
» » Stay alive, NEVER work live.
› › Never work live on switchboards or
electrical installations. Always disconnect
the electricity supply before starting work.
» » Lock Out, Tag Out (LOTO)
Standards.
10. Two new notes added to Table 5
to better reflect intention and ensure
consistency. Refer to section 9.6 for
alternative Live work minimum approach
distances and requirement for posting a
safety observer.
11. New subsection 7.2 requires written
HV switching instructions wherever
practicable.
12. Principles of section 9 ‘Acess for
work on or near high voltage electrical
apparatus’ was changed to better reflect
intention and improve clarity.
13. Subsections of section 9 were
re-arranged to reflect the operational
order of work.
14. New subsection 9.2.4.4 clarifies
that HV live work and work under an
access authority shall not be performed
concurrently on the same structure.
15. New subsection 9.2.7.2 reinforces
the good working practice to record
earths on electrical access permits, or
to document them in accordance with
organisational procedures.
16. New subsection 9.3.2 ‘Planning for
testing of high voltage apparatus’ was
created as a result of re-arranging
section 9.
17. Subsection 9.3.4 ‘Persons permitted
to sign onto sanctions for testing’ was
changed to better reflect the intention and
improve clarity.
18. New paragraph in subsection 9.7.1
requires that whenever practicable,
isolation points should be tagged.
This re-enforces the recognised safe
work practice.
As part of the ongoing review, ESV
is seeking comments and suggested
improvements on the 2017 edition of the
Blue Book.
The latest edition of the Blue Book
2017 is available on ESV’s website. There
you can also find the ‘Comments on the
Blue Book’ form.
› › Identify. Isolate. Test
» » As the superviser of an apprentice, the onus
is on you.
› › Apprentices must be effectively and
appropriately supervised.
Read more on our Apprentice Safety Campaign
and watch the presentations on the ESV website.
2014 Victorian
Service and
Installation Rules
first amendment
released
By Peter Allan, VSIR Managment
Committee Chairman
The 2014 Victorian Service and
Installation Rules (VSIR) has had its
first amendment.
This update was essential to incorporate
minor revisions to the document originally
published in 2014. The amendments ensure
its contents remain in line with other industry
standards, and correct previous minor
publishing errors.
The Rules aim to provide Victorian
electricity customers with industry agreed
“reasonable technical requirements” that
meet all legislative and Electricity Distribution
Code requirements for the supply and
metering related aspects of any connection
to the Victorian Distributors electricity
supply networks.
The revised Rules have been subject to
extensive industry consultation during their
development in conjunction with Energy
Safe Victoria (ESV), National Electrical and
Communications Association (NECA), Master
Electricians Australia (MEA) and the Institute
of Electrical Inspectors (IEI). A copy