Sparks Electrical News August 2016

CONTRACTORS’ CORNER

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NO EXCUSES FOR INDUSTRY ELECTRICAL INCIDENT INJURY AND DEATH

Eskom, has contributed to his expertise in this field. Ngwenya has identified three definitive causes that increase risk and contribute to unnecessary electrical injury or death. He cites these as inadequate training; complacency; and perceived time constraints. “There is simply no excuse for any of these,” Ngwenya says. Surgetek, a South African specialist in lightning and surge pro- tection, electrical safety, test and measurement equipment and, more recently, personal protective equipment (PPE), is committed to reducing electrical injuries and deaths. Ngwenya says he has found a partner in his employer – one that shares his vision of zero electrical injuries and deaths in South Africa. With Surgetek’s back- ing, he now has the platform to promote safety protocol adherence; to bring new electrical safety equipment and PPE to market; and to provide adequate training to all personnel – new and experienced.

ees and refresher training for more seasoned employees. In addi- tion, we use training to remind electrical industry personnel of the importance of following safety protocol – aimed to minimise the complacency aspect.” Ngwenya aims to drive this through to the experienced technicians, engineers and senior personnel. He adds that, contained within customer-specific equipment safety training, emphasis on overall safety methods and proce- dures are constantly reinforced. “For example, there is nothing so critical that it has to be done immediately – there is always time to don the required, approved PPE and follow all safety protocols, while using the necessary safety equipment – correctly. We need this message to be clearly understood,” he emphasises.

Enquiries: +27 11 792 1303

Individuals to blame Ngwenya points out that every organisation conduct- ing work in the electrical sector is governed by inter- nal rules and regulations that enforce compliance with the Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) Act. This is to minimise risk to personnel and safeguard them during the course of their work. “However, no individual can be policed 24/7,” he points out. “This means that the onus to comply with all protocol gov- erning electrical work ultimately falls to individual employees, some of whom are ill-prepared and, con- versely, others over-confident. The consequences are electrical injuries and fatalities.” Training, reinforcement and proper attire The company conducts customer-specific, knowl- edge-based training on all its products at dedi- cated training facilities at its Randburg office. “We advocate training for all customers’ new employ-

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THE number of incidents causing injury or death in the electrical in- dustry is totally unacceptable and can be avoided, says Sikhumbuzo Ngwenya, high voltage divisional manager, Surgetek. “There are no jus- tifiable reasons why any safety-related electrical incident should ever occur,” he adds. A registered professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), Ngwenya’s significant industry experience as a network security planning engineer focusing on power line outage studies, fault levels, contingency plans, emergency pre- paredness plans, essential loads, management and execution of manual and automatic load shedding at utilities electricity provider, Sikhumbuzo Ngwenya, high voltage divisional manager, Surgetek, is adamant that the electrical injury and fatality rates can be brought to zero through proper and adequate training.

INNOVATION MAKES MICROGRID CONTROL SMARTER

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Innovative low-voltage circuit breaker makes small-scale microgrids a cost- effective option providing an all-in-one solution I n a world first, ABB, a leading power and automation technology group, is making it pos- sible for microgrids to be protected, controlled and managed using smart circuit break- ers. A software-based innovation for the company’s Emax 2 smart circuit breaker makes microgrid architectures simpler and more cost-effective than ever before. Microgrids coordinate distributed energy resources, integrating renewables with conventional power sources, networking with the grid or operating self-sufficiently. Low- voltage microgrids are helping accelerate the roll out of renewable energy by integrating small scale wind or solar energy production of up to 4 MW with battery energy storage systems. Giampiero Frisio, managing director of ABB’s protection and connection business, says, “This is another technological first for ABB, building on the first ever combined circuit breaker and power manager Emax 2. Innovation is needed to make microgrid installations simpler and more cost-effective; and to help end-users get more value from their investment. By embedding all the

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intelligence needed to manage a small microgrid safely and productively, Emax 2 delivers a game-changing solution.” With the addition of embedded functions such as an automatic transfer switch, Emax 2 is now equipped to manage the different power sources that make up a typical microgrid. The new upgrades to ABB’s Emax 2 cir- cuit breaker will enable it to combine advanced protection, programma- ble logic, full connectivity, easy integration and comprehensive microgrid energy management in a single device. ABB is working with equipment suppliers and consultants ahead of the technology’s roll-out in the sec- ond half of 2016. This all-in-one solution integrates standard and advanced microgrid functionalities to meet a broad range of on- and off-grid requirements, improving quality and saving costs. A complete series of protections ensure a single unit can cover all loads and generators, with adaptive protections that recognise network changes and automatically set new thresholds to guarantee coordination in all conditions. Software embedded in the Emax 2 also optimises the microgrid where locally generated power, energy storage, loads and util- ity power work together. ABB algorithms measure and evaluate energy consumption, enabling constant power loads or peak power reductions, depending on users’ requirements. Frisio adds: “Emax 2 will make managing power consumption and renew- able energy sources simpler and more effective. It will also help end-users to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that renewables present.”

Enquiries: +27 10 202 5000

SPARKS ELECTRICAL NEWS

AUGUST 2016