Northeast Utilities Substation Access Transmission Contractor Access Expectations & Requirements
Substation Access Minimum Expectations for S/S Entrants Includes minimum necessary knowledge and skills required to work in a Northeast Utilities substation Meant to augment the contractors training programs This program does not make you electrically qualified Clear requirements, clear accountability All entrants must be validated or trained on requirements
WHY YOU SHOULD WEAR F-R CLOTHING AND BE PROPERLY TRAINED
Levels of Entry Type of Work Type of Entry Escorted Entry required if... I Observation/ Inspection/ Simple Deliveries (in accordance with minimum safe working distance for UNQUALIFIED persons)... entrant has NOT completed Unescorted Access training (or validation) II Nonelectrical Physical Work (in accordance with minimum safe working distance for UNQUALIFIED persons)... entrant has NOT completed Unescorted Access training (or validation) III Electrical Work (Physical & Nonphysical) (in accordance with minimum safe working distance for QUALIFIED persons) And Certain Other Work (described below)... entrant has NOT completed Unescorted Access training (or validation) Unescorted Access allowed if...... entrant has completed Unescorted Access training (or validation)... entrant has completed Unescorted Access training (or validation)... entrant has completed Unescorted Access training (or validation) Escort Privileges allowed if...... entrant has completed Escort training (or validation) & been granted Escort Privileges for Type I Work... entrant has completed Escort training (or validation) & been granted Escort Privileges for Type I & II Work... entrant has completed Escort training (or validation) & been granted Escort Privileges for Type I, II, & III Work
Type 1 Work Observation/Inspection/Simple Deliveries Tours for public officials Visual observations and inspections (e.g., safety, engineering) Visual verification of drawings (not involving conductive measuring devices) Unloading boxes off a pickup truck by hand Parking a vehicle inside the gate of a substation Pre-bid walk downs
Type 2 Work Non-electrical Physical Work Performing vehicle, building, or grounds maintenance Digging by hand, including taking soil samples Operating a forklift, backhoe, or other mechanized equipment (not crane) Operating a portable generator that is electrically independent of the substation Servicing the telecommunications system Delivering materials & cleaning up environmental spills
Type 3 Work Electrical Work (Physical and Nonphysical) All electrical-related maintenance and construction Crane and boom operation Any other Type I or II activity that actually encroaches closer than the UNQUALIFIED distance is considered Type III Type III Workers are limited to those with the appropriate electrical background or experience.
Type of Entry Escorted Entrants require an approved Escort (described below) of their same skill level or higher level to be with them at all times. Unescorted Entrants have completed specified training and been judged capable of entering a substation and performing work activities at their respective skill levels by themselves. Unescorted Entrants are not automatically granted Escort privileges.
Type of Entry Escorts have completed additional training in the duties and responsibilities of being an Escort, and have been granted Escort privileges in their respective skill levels by their own supervision. Escorts may escort persons of their own and lower skill levels. (For example, a Type II Escort may escort Type I and II Workers but not Type III Workers.)
Module A Pre-Entry (Escorted) Requirements
Minimum PPE for S/S Entry ANSI approved safety glasses with side shields ANSI approved Hard Hats FR clothing (100% FR) Appropriate footwear (EH Rated, Safety Toed work boots)
OSHA Unqualified Work Distances Voltage Distance 0 50,000 volts 10 69,000 volts 11 115,000/138,000 volts 13 230,000 volts 15 345,000 volts 20
Gates shall be kept closed and locked...
Gates shall be kept closed and locked.....before and after entering the Station
Observe all Warning signs...before Entering Station
OSHA Qualified Work Distances Voltage Phase to Ground Phase to Phase 50 V to 600 V Avoid Contact Avoid Contact 1K V to 15 KV 2 1 2 2 23 KV/28 KV 2 4 2 7 34.5 KV 2 4 2 7 69 KV 3 0 3 6 115 KV 3 2 4 3 345 KV 8 6 12 6
Precautions and Prerequisites DO: Keep body parts, clipboards, and other items outside of unqualified clearances Type II & III entrants: tools, vehicles, machinery, etc. Consider arc of car doors and length of shovel handles
Precautions and Prerequisites DO Guard against inadvertent entry into the unqualified electrical clearance zone from falling, stumbling, slipping, tripping, dropping items, etc. Type II & III entrants: consider equipment and vehicle setup to eliminate chance for tipping over into zone Be aware of housekeeping issues (tripping hazards, wet floors, etc.) Do ask for and participate in a pre-entry safety briefing Do a hazard assessment Do be careful of keys, knives, pagers, cell phones, and other items on clothing
Actions not allowed Don t: Type I & II entrants: Keep clear of Control Panel Maintain safe working distances if entering battery rooms Maintain safe working distances if need to go behind control panels Don t install electrical protective equipment Don t extend antennae Don t use metal tape measures or aluminum ladders Don t assume. If in doubt, treat it as energized.
Recognize Exposed Live Parts Power Transformer & Buss
What power can do to you Power of electricity in non-electrical terms 115,000 volt switchyard with 50,000 amps of available fault current = 5,750,000,000 watts = 7,707,744 horsepower Electrical Contacts Current flows best through blood vessels (path of least resistance) Entrance points and exit points Through heart: usually fatal (takes only 164 milliamps!) All electrical contacts, however slight, require immediate examination by a doctor because effects may be delayed or may not become apparent until much later
Step Potential Step potential is the voltage between the feet of a person standing near an energized grounded object. It is equal to the difference in voltage, given by the voltage distribution curve, between two points at different distances from the "electrode." A person could be at risk of injury during a fault simply by standing near the grounding point.
Touch Potential Touch potential represents the same basic hazard, except the potential exists between the person's hand and feet. However, since the likely current path runs through the arm and heart region instead of the lower extremities, the danger of injury or death is even greater.
Arc Flash Think of an arc flash as a short circuit through the air. In an arc flash incident, an enormous amount of concentrated radiant energy explodes outward from electrical equipment, creating pressure waves that can damage a person's hearing, a high-intensity flash that can damage eyesight, and a superheated ball of gas that can severely burn a worker's body and melt metal. The pressure waves can also send loose material like pieces of damaged equipment, tools, and other objects flying through the air.
Equipment Failure: ½ an arrestor
Shrapnel from ½ an arrestor
Other Hazards within S/S s Trips, slips and falls Insects Other on-site work activities Landscapers - beware of digging outside substations Snow shoveling/snow blowing snow pack may reduce clearances Be aware of piling snow and direction of blower chute and snow spray Don t form a ramp or hill for getting over the fence Assume all conductors are energized
Precautions associated with batteries Terminal shorts crossing terminal with a conductive object (tools, pipes, clipboards, etc.) can cause explosions Real potential is not the shock but the explosion Explosive gases hydrogen No hot work or sparking tools
Security and Emergency Actions Keep gates locked Beware of and report suspicious persons Be briefed on what to do if a medical emergency occurs (911, location, type of injury, etc.). Discuss emergency plan in each pre-job safety briefing.
Your Responsibilities Self-accountability Know your limits and limits of this entry level Do not exceed these limits Stay with your escort If in doubt, don t do it. Ask. Seek assistance
What now Requirements for certification for escorted entry in the respective type of work (i.e., Type I, II, or III) Document this training Obtain Substation Access Sticker from NU Liaison To obtain unescorted access, or escort privileges, you must complete modules B & C
Module B Unescorted Access Requirements Audience: All persons who have validated Module A and are seeking validation of substation unescorted access privileges for Type I, II, or III work. This module mirrors the training that will be provided after the validation period ends to persons seeking unescorted access privileges. Persons seeking validation of escort privileges are also required to validate Module C.
Requirements to enter unescorted Validation of Module A Medical Training Medic First Aid (or equivalent) CPR Demonstrated proficiency in this module s content
Voltages Commonly found in S/S s AC 120; 480; 2300; 4160; 13,800; 34,500; 69,000; 115,000; 345,000 volts Highest AC voltage entrants can expect: 345,000 volts DC 50 and 250 volts Highest DC voltage entrants can normally expect: 250 volts (verify with NU Owners Rep.) DC powers some overhead cranes (crane rails may be energized)
Substation Equipment The following 10 slides display equipment entrants are likely to encounter
Batteries Carrier Cabinet
Batteries 130VDC
Mimic Bus
Oil Circuit Breakers, Insulators & Buss
Power Transformer
Switchgear and Energized Buss
Reactors Circuit Getaway Cables
Emergency Generator and Propane Fuel Tank
115kV Capacitor Bank
115kV ABB SF6 Gas Breaker
How to determine different voltages Recognize transmission and distribution system components. If unable to determine the voltage with certainty, assume the highest voltage in the substation Consult with NU Owners Rep., check one lines, etc.
Hazards and Precautions for working in an area with similar-looking equipment Easy to go to wrong piece of equipment Cubicles that look alike (transformers, metal-clad switchgear, etc.) Symmetrical layout/mirror image has caused many injuries Check and double-check nomenclature each time you approach
Protective Equipment necessary for unescorted access Safety glasses with side shields, hardhat, 100% FR clothing, and appropriate footwear (EH rated, Safety Toed) If in the vicinity of switching and tagging operations, even though beyond minimum safe working distance for UNQUALIFIED persons, wear FR clothing and same PPE as person doing switching and tagging Rubber gloves, face shield, hearing protection, or other PPE may be required for certain activities Cover-up is not insulation it only protects from brush contact
Entry and Exit Notifications Sign log books upon arrival Activate and Deactivate Alarms as Applicable Dispatch Centers SOC CONVEX/ESCC NU Electrical Maintenance Supervision/DSSE Generating station control room Other Equipment Owners Alarms may have to be activated/deactivated
Ability to perform a Hazard Assessment A Hazard Assessment is the process of identifying all the actual and potential hazards of a proposed activity and taking steps to protect against these hazards Why am I doing this activity? What could possibly go wrong? How could it affect me or others? How likely is it to happen? What can I do about it? Hazard Control Priority Engineering Controls (eliminate or isolate the hazard, provide safety devices) Administrative Controls (provide warning devices, provide training, develop safe procedures, conduct housekeeping, etc.) PPE (the last resort)
Other Things to Consider Lighting Your effect on other work activity Other work activity effects on yours Vehicles and equipment Clearances Public Solvents and other chemicals (MSDS)
Security and Emergency Response How to initiate emergency response Verify communication device Who to call Location (street address) Nature of problem Sign Log books
Non-Electrical Work Civil work Weed control Painting Material delivery Spill cleanup Phone repair Fence repair And many others
Potential Impacts of Non-Electrical Work Crane failure Dig-ups Vehicle & equipment operation
Sign out and notify Dispatch when leaving the station Reactivate Alarm, if applicable
Always Lock gate upon departure
Your Responsibilities Self-accountability Know the limits of your experience and expertise and the limits of this entry level Do not exceed these limits Know the duties and responsibilities described in this module If in doubt, don t do it. Ask. Seek assistance.
High Voltage Switch Operation With Arc
What now Requirements for certification for unescorted entry in the respective type of work (i.e., Type I, II, or III) Document this training Obtain Substation Access Sticker from NU Liaison To obtain escort privileges, you must complete module C
Module C Escort Privileges Requirements Audience: All persons who have validated Modules A and B and are seeking validation of ability to serve as substation escorts for Type I, II, or III work. This module mirrors the training that will be provided after the validation period ends to persons seeking escort privileges.
Requirements to be an Escort Validation of Modules A and B Demonstrated proficiency in this module s content Written documentation of the above
How to become aware of ongoing work within a S/S Contact local DSSE, Electrical Maintenance Supervision, the SOC and/or Convex (ESCC in NH), as appropriate. Conduct a hazard assessment that includes: Clearances and tags Configuration of equipment Equipment out of service Site specifics of substation
Conducting Tailboards The pre-entry safety briefing must cover the following appropriate to the activity the entrants will be performing: Scope, limits, and sequence of the entry and the activity the entrants will be performing Hazards associated with the entry, the entrants activities, and from others work activities Materials, tools, and equipment that will be used Assignments Procedures the entrants are to follow.
Conducting Tailboards.. Methods for controlling energy sources and other hazard exposures Personal protective equipment requirements Emergency procedures Expectation that entrants call a Time Out if situation changes, the unexpected occurs, or if unsure.
JHA Note: Prior to conducting a pre-entry safety briefing for complex or involved work activities, it may be necessary for the escort and/or job supervisors to conduct a formal written Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) that could serve as the basis for the preentry safety briefing.
Accountability for Escorted Entrants Roster Conduct a pre-entry safety briefing Ensure escorted entrants are properly attired Stop the job if life-threatening or imminent danger situations are observed. Escorts are to refrain from engaging in activities that will prevent or distract them from giving adequate attention to their escort responsibilities.
Your Responsibilities Self-accountability!!!!!! Know the limits of your experience and expertise and the limits of this entry level Do not exceed these limits Know the duties and responsibilities described in this module If in doubt, don t do it. Ask. Seek assistance.
What now Requirements for certification for escort privileges in the respective type of work (i.e., Type I, II, or III) Document this training Obtain Substation Access Sticker from NU Liaison