Electrical Safety What s New in 2015? Developed by Schneider Electric Canada
What is CSA Z-462-15 CSA Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety provides safety related requirements for the practical safeguarding of workers exposed to electrical hazards in the workplace. 2015 is the third edition of the standard. It remains technically harmonized with NFPA 70E. 2
Application of the Z-462 To this date, no jurisdiction in Canada has made the Z462 standard a mandatory document. It is considered a best practice reference. Some provincial Health and Safety authorities have referred to it in guidelines. WorkSafeBC Alberta OHS Code New Brunswick is considering adopting the standard. 3
Updates Clause IV All electrical safety program requirements were moved to Clause 4.1.5. Rationale: The requirements for an employer to establish and implement an electrical safety program are now the first requirements in the standard. This revision emphasizes that an employer s Electrical Safety Program is the most important organizational component of electrical safety. 4
Updates Clause IV Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) An employer is required to implement the electrical safety program as part of their overall OHSMS. Rationale: Systematic and sustained safety performance is best achieved within an OHSMS. 5
Electrical Safety Program Qualified person Training Emergency Procedures Risk Assessment Maintenance Job Safety Planning Measure & Monitor OHSMS Contractor Safety Policy Auditing 6
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.1.5.2 Maintenance New Clause: The electrical safety program must now include elements that consider condition of maintenance of electrical equipment and systems. 7
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.1.5.7 Risk Assessment Procedure The phrase Hazard Identification was deleted. The revision emphasizes the requirement to establish an electrically safe work condition as a priority. The revision also introduces the concept of a hierarchy of risk control methods that are found in other standards such as CSA Z1000, CSA Z1002 and ANSI Z10. 8
Hierarchy of risk control Most effective Least effective 1. Elimination 2. Substitution 3. Engineering controls 4. Systems to increase awareness 5. Administrative controls 6. PPE 9
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.1.8.3.2 Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) Protection Was added to require a worker to use Class A GFCI protection when operating or using cord- and plugconnected tools related to maintenance and construction activity supplied by 125-volt, 15-, 20-, or 30-ampere circuits. Rationale: To broaden the requirement for GFCI protection to all maintenance and construction activity, whether outdoors or indoors, as these activities subject the cord- and plug-connected equipment to a higher likelihood of physical damage. 10
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.2.2.2.3 Lockout Retraining Clause 4.2.2.2.4 was added to require that lockout training be documented The requirements were revised to require retraining in the employer s lockout procedure when the procedure is revised or at intervals not to exceed three years, whichever comes first. Rationale: The retraining interval was revised for consistency with the retraining requirements of Clause 4.1.6.4.3. 11
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.3.2.2.4 Normal Operation New Clause: Normal operation of electric equipment is permitted when all of the following conditions are satisfied: a) The equipment is properly installed b) The equipment is properly maintained c) All equipment doors are closed and secured d) All equipment covers are in place and secured e) There is no evidence of impending failure Rationale: To provide requirements relative to the normal operation of electrical equipment. 12
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.3.2.3 Energized Electrical Work Permit The conditions under which an energized electrical work permit is required were revised. (a) The approach boundary that triggers the requirement for a permit was revised from the limited to the Restricted Approach Boundary. (b) The Arc Flash Boundary no longer triggers a requirement for a permit; rather, a permit will be required when the worker interacts with the equipment when conductors or circuit parts are not exposed, but an increased likelihood of injury from an exposure to an arc flash hazard exists. 13
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.3.2.3.3 Exemptions to Work Permit Exemptions to a work permit were added and the requirements were revised into a list format. The added exemptions include: Thermography was added to the visual inspection exemption category, provided the Restricted Approach Boundary is not crossed Access and egress to an area with energized electrical equipment if no electrical work is performed and the Restricted Approach Boundary is not crossed General housekeeping and miscellaneous non-electrical tasks if the Restricted Approach Boundary is not crossed 14
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.3.5.4 Arc Flash PPE The Clause was revised slightly to indicate that either, but not both, the Incident Energy Method or the Arc Flash PPE Category Method is permitted to be used on the same piece of equipment. Rationale: The revision to permit either, but not both methods clarifies what was already permitted in the 2012 edition. The prohibition regarding use of incident energy to specify an Arc Flash PPE Category ensures that the two methods are used independently, correcting a common practice in the industry. The Arc Flash PPE Category method (formerly the Hazard/Risk Category method) and Table 5 was not designed to be used with an incident energy analysis; Annex H Table H.2 is designed for this use. 15
Updates Clause IV Clause 4.3.7.3.15 Selection of personal protective equipment for various tasks The Hazard/Risk Category Method is now the Arc Flash PPE Category Method. It is now a three-step process. Table 4A Arc-flash hazard identification for alternating current (ac) and direct current (dc) systems Table 4B Arc-flash PPE categories for alternating current (ac) systems. Table 4C Arc-flash PPE categories for direct current (dc) systems 16
Arc flash PPE category method 17
Updates Clause V A reference to the new CSA Z463 Guideline for maintenance of electrical systems was added in the informational notes. Clause 5.2.3 Equipment maintenance New requirement: The equipment owner or the owner s designated representative shall be responsible for maintenance of the electrical equipment and documentation. 18
Updates Clause V Clause 5.3.5 Protective devices New informational note: Improper or inadequate maintenance can result in increased opening time of the overcurrent protective device, thus increasing the incident energy. Rationale: To ensure awareness of the effect of the lack of maintenance on incident energy. Clause 5.11.4 Test instruments New requirement: Test instruments and associated test leads used to verify the absence or presence of voltage shall be maintained to assure functional integrity. Rationale: To ensure maintenance of test instruments utilized in the verification of the absence or presence of voltages. 19
Updates Annexe H Annex H Guidance on selection of protective clothing and other personal protective equipment. Table H.1 was edited in accordance with the revision from the Hazard/Risk Category Method to the Arc Flash PPE Category Method. Clause H.4 and associated Tables H.4 and H.5 were deleted as it was not considered to add value to the Standard. 20
New Annexe U Annex U - Human Performance and Workplace Electrical Safety Annex U introduces the human performance aspect of risk management and explains how this concept can be applied to workplace electrical safety. 21
Thank You! Patrice.Lacombe@schneider-electric.com 22