2017 RETA Breeze Nov-Dec

service

The Shade Tree Mechanic, Volume XXIX Zap!

Ya ever wonder why the safety boys are so excited about keeping electrical knockouts covered in electrical panels? I know! It’s so an old lead mechanic don’t get scared to death when an overzealous kid accidently sticks a screwdriver through the missin blank an hits the bus bar. He lit up and it took a second ta figure out what was goin on. Then we shoved him ta get him ta let go o the screw driver. He was lucky. He can laugh about his mistake now. Though I always tell him, it aint no laughin matter. I thought he were a goner. Most people are not so lucky. A lotta times a shock from a 120 panel can be fatal. 480 is even more unforgivin. I try to look out fer my boys, but sometimes, things get through the cracks, this panel was installed used an had only been in the plant for a few weeks. Had the panel been a refrigeration panel, the pre-startup safety review woulda caught it. Unfortunately, it was a panel on a pump skid.

It really scared me when it happened. I think of these boys as my kids. I may have to correct them sometimes, but they’re family. If they get hurt, it’s like one of my kids gettin hurt. I think it’s time for us to expand out PSSR program to incorporate our process equipment. I also think it’s time we did a panel inspection, to make sure all the knockouts are in place. An inspect electrical boxes ta make sure covers are installed. Ya know, replacing our worn insulated tools is probably a good idea as well. Them safety boys has been talkin ta us bout arcflash for several years. I always thought they were makin a lot more bout it than was needed. But after seeing a couple of them near-miss accidents, I can see how a quick flash could do a lotta damage. I also wondered bout them arcflash clothes. When the safety boys told me I had ta wear cotton underwear, I told them they were goin to far, and what type of underwear I wore, or even if I wore

underwear weren’t their business. But they stuck ta their guns “if you get hurt, we have to deal with it, so you have to work safe”. But is what my stuff is rubbin up against really safety? It is. I learned the hard way. I got me a pair of them new work gloves and they had some manmade plastic cloth in them. I got them hot and they began to melt while I was wearin em. I burnt both hands, not bad, but enough that they hurt for a few days. I’m back to old fashion cotton! Another thing that seems to cause some shock problems is bad cords. We inspect our cords every three months, but that don’t seem to be enough. I tell the boys, check the cords every time you get them outta the cage. I’ve gotten electrical burns in the past. They hurt like the dickins. They heal slow an even when they look ok, they still ache on the inside fer awhile. I use the same rules under my shade tree. No exposed wires an lots o Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters, I plan on working under my shade tree fer a lotta years yet. I aint letting no electrical panel ruin that.

22 RETA.com