Fundamentals of electrical Safety

S .Ganesh Babu.

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A WORD ABOUT LINGERING DANGER:

Electricity above 50 volts is to be considered dangerous.

Usage of electricity has become a fundamental necessity. There is a consequential rise in electrical accidents and avoidable fatalities. Total safety while handling electricity by all the stake holders needs to be ensured. It is to be understood that Electricity will not pardon when handled carelessly. Awareness, education and training has become a must for those handling the supply of electricity and also the consumers.
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Dangers from electricity:

Fire Hazards Electric shocks. Electric Flash over. Electric faults. Explosions.
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 Indian

Electricity act and rules formulated and enforced to ensure safety.

Safety of supplier and user.
Safety precautions during erection, testing, operation and maintenance. Impose several safety requirements on electric supply undertakings, manufacturers, contractor, owner , user, of electrical installations / undertakings.

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PRECAUTIONS IN USE OF ELECTRICITY

Before embarking on any repair/ rectification works:

All electrical circuits to be treated as live and active.

Ensure that the spot of work is isolated and free from external interference.
Ensure that the tools and Plants to be used are in reliable condition in all respects. Ensure precaution that no danger arises from such an installation.
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Requirements for a safe operation and usage:

Sufficient rating of the equipment. Proper and good insulating material. With stand fault current or short circuit capacity. Mechanical strength. Safe in operation. To be well maintained after installation and commissioning. The equipment and the apparatus to conform to the relevant Indian Standards.

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GENERAL HINTS ON SAFETY

All electrical equipments to be treated as potentially dangerous.

Use hand gloves while working on live system.

All voltages to be treated and handled with utmost care. Trouble shooting and giving connections to 440v ckts or higher rating should be done under an electrical supervisor. Obtain work permit to work on electrical defects.
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Work only on one circuit at a time. Use adequate protective gear while working on live circuit. Rubber gloves should be maintained in good condition.

Fuses of proper amperage should be used on the line.

Non-conductive ladders should be used. Familiarize with the conditions at hand. Do not depend upon the insulation of the electrical wire to give protection from shock.
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Treat all electrical equipment designed for 440 V and above as though it were live even though it is known or believed to be dead or de-energised.
Keep the area around the electrical equipment dry and obtain dry board to stand on.

As far as practicable, do not work on electrical equipment having moving parts while in operation. Open appropriate switches and tag them before working on electrical circuit/equipment or dismantle any machinery driven by electrical motors.
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Pull out all the fuses if provided as an additional precaution. Avoid replacing fuses heavier than the capacity of the circuits. All electric equipment must be properly earthed. Broken plugs, sockets, switches, loose and worn out cables should not be left as they are. Remove finger ring, bracelets and metal wrist watch while working with electrical equipment. Place tags on switches that are opened to permit work on electrical equipment.
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Never close a switch without having full knowledge about the circuit concerned and the reason for which the tag was placed. Never operate oil immersed switches with oil container in lowered position.
Confirm yourself that that the circuit breaker is open before attempting to draw out the circuit breaker assembly from the bus bar in metal clad circuit breaker. Replace all cover plates, power cabinets and other enclosures after repairs. Use safety belts when climbing a pole and working on an elevation. Check the safety belt before each use.

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Ground and short circuit any line at the nearest point to the work spot on both sides.
Handle cell phone or signal wire with care since they may carry high inductive voltage. While working on 440 V and above, ensure two men work on the pole together. One must keep himself in the clear and in a position to aid his pole mate if necessary. Personnel working on hot circuit from an insulated bracket in the aerial platform truck should ensure that loose material being handled do not ground them to the machinery.
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Ensure that temporary insulation conforms to generally accepted safety practices, with sufficient clearances over rail road, roadways and proper type of equipment should be installed in gaseous areas.
Suitable barricade should be installed around exposed temporary high voltage electrical equipment. Barricade and marker must be provided for unattended open ground conduits or tunneled location.

Watch carefully for flammable material seepage into manhole and ensure absence of gaseous vapors that may affect the person on work.
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Ground all electrical power tools and examine the electrical extension cables for defects before using. Use only 24 V for hand lamps.
Avoid making loose connection or inserting naked wire into the socket. Ensure that earth wire is connected. Do not make temporary connection with loose wire hanging around.

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ELECTRICAL SHOCK PHENOMENA

This is a sudden stimulation of the nervous system due to flow of electric current. Can be caused by direct contact with live conductor or a flash over. Primary shock is of such a magnitude that may produce direct physiological harm, which may result in fibrillation (irregular heart beat) and respiratory tetanus (continuous contraction of muscle). Secondary shock is of such a magnitude which may not cause physiological harm but may cause involuntary muscle reaction. Results are annoyance alarm, aversion and loss of balance due to involuntary muscle reaction.
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Dry skin is much more safer than wet skin and so are dry surroundings. Skin with perspiration has low resistance. Wet walls and wet insulation are dangerous. Ear to ear shock is most dangerous. Hand to hand shock is very dangerous. Hand to foot shock is very dangerous. Shock not involving heart, brain and involving only remote skin is less dangerous. Skin with cuts, wounds, bruises has low resistance.

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Severity of electric shocks

Depends on several factors Magnitude of current flowing through part of the body (Ma) Magnitude varies with time during sub transient. Wave form of current flowing through the body (DC or 50 Hz AC or impulse or high frequency) Rate of rise of current flow (mA/ms). Path of current through human body .
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Time duration of current flow through the body (milli seconds to a few seconds)

Capability of the person to withstand the effect of shock, state of heart, brain and health. Phase of heart cycle at the instant of the shock

Whether the body is thrown off by muscle reaction or gets attached by muscle contraction/paralysis
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Body structure must be earthed.

Prevention of shocks.

Conductor should be insulated/enclosed/made inaccessible. Clear distance to be maintained from high voltage conductors. Use safety insulating shoes and insulation hand gloves. Working on live line should be avoided. Ensure that the conductor is disconnected and discharged before commencing work.
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Safety Procedures
Procedures and paper work for the following should be enforced.
Permit

to work to work

Access

Entry

passes gate pass,etc

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Material
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Safety

Erection, commissioning and maintenance should be carried out with written permission The steps to be taken by concerned authorities to ensure safety are Isolation of the parts from live parts during the period of work Danger notices and safety notices at work spot Neighboring switches to be locked to avoid switching by third person

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The working area should be isolated and earthed from all ends/incomers/out goers Proper tools, safety devices to be provided The workers should be well trained First aid should be made available Charging of the repaired bay should be allowed only after completion of work, removal of earthing and cancellation of the permit by the authorities.

Follow the safety rules faithfully.

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Permission from authorized persons for doing specific work should be obtained. Repair/maintenance of high voltage apparatus should be made dead and isolators opened and locked. Earthing switches to be closed and locked. HV conductors to be discharged and connected securely to earth Danger boards to be displayed prominently at the switching terminal Do not use anything that is wet.

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Barrier should be provided to the section under maintenance to indicate clearly the maintenance zone to differentiate it from live zone. Be familiar with all sources of supply and circuits and ensure that all feeding circuits to the point of work are disconnected. Ensure permit is not issued to persons not conversant with nature of work. The person who issues the work permit should ensure that all basic rules of safety are complied with.

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Training and painting of earth metal enclosures, connection of circuits to or from live HV systems, live line testing and live insulator washing may be carried out only in accordance with special instruction issued for the purpose by the authorized authorities.
Barrier should be provided to the section under maintenance to indicate clearly the maintenance zone to differentiate it from live zone. Be familiar with all sources of supply and circuits and ensure that all feeding circuits to the point of work are disconnected.

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Ensure permit is not issued to persons not conversant with nature of work. The person who issues the work permit should ensure that all basic rules of safety are complied with.
Cleaning and painting of earth metal enclosures, connection of circuits to or from live HV systems, live line testing and live insulator washing may be carried out only in accordance with special instruction issued for the purpose by the authorized authorities.

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Live line work on HV over head may be carried out in accordance with rules i.e.:

by trained personnel with recommended approved tools and with all precautions The work should be carried out in presence of senior authorized person and with due approval to carry out the work Check safety clearance between nearest live point and other physical objects during maintenance viz. ladders, platforms, lifting devices, metal bars, etc.
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Keep earthed screen between live zones and maintenance zones Live line working should only be carried out if shut down is not permissible and if trained personnel for such work are available Aim at safety procedures Not even a single person should get injured Eliminate electric shocks
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Installation of earth system

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Generally earthing mat is considered the first activity in sub-station or other electrical installation work Earth mat work includes burying of earth rod, earthing mat, risers, etc. All recommended parts are to be connected to the earth mat to keep the step and touch potential at safe level. Ensure all the parts for the system above the ground level are carefully laid and connected
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Follow strictly the erection documentation for :

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Structure earthing Tower earthing and earthing of over head earthing shield Apparatus and cabinet earthing Earthing switches terminal Disconnector earth switch terminal Equipment earthing Transformer neutral earthing Transformer tank earthing Surge arrestors terminal earthing Cable rack earthing Capacitor neutral earthing Shunt reactor terminal earthing Earthing of fencing, doors, screens, lamp posts, cabinets, etc.
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Ensure the sequence of operation of circuit breaker, isolator and earthing switch:

While opening a circuit

Open circuit breaker first Open isolator next Close earthing switch

And While closing the circuit:

open the earthing switch first, close the isolator, then close the circuit breaker
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Safety Provisions applicable to medium voltage/high voltage

All conductors except OH line should be completely enclosed in metallic casing which is electrically and mechanically continuous All metal work, enclosures, supports of the installation other than the conductor should be connected to the earthing system. Electrical installations/apparatus where inflammable materials are produced/stored/handled should comply with the requirements of flame proof, dust tight, tightly enclosed electrical fittings depending upon the hazardous zone as per relevant specification.
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Sub-station installation

Whether the installation is in accordance with the relevant standards/approved drawings Phase to phase and phase to earth clearances are as per standards All equipment are efficiently earthed and connected to required number of electrodes The required ground clearance to live terminals shall be ensured Suitable fencing with gate and lockable arrangement is provided Required number of caution boards, fire fighting equipment, operating rod, rubber mats, etc. are kept in sub-station
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In case of indoor sub-station, whether sufficient ventilation and training arrangements are provided All cable trenches are provided with non inflammable covers Free access to authorized personnel for all equipment for normal operation To ensure that all name plates are fixed and equipment are duly pained. All construction material and temporary connection are removed Oil level, bus bar tightness, transformer tap position, etc are in order Marking of LA earth pits for easy identification and provision of earth electrodes troughs and cover slabs are provided

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To ensure earth electrodes are of GI pipe or CI pipe or copper plate. For earth connection brass bolts and nuts with lead washers are provided in the pipes and the plates Earth pits are free from rubbish and dirt and stone jelly and earth connection are visible and easily accessible HT and LT panel and switch gear are all vermin and damp proof and all unused openings or holes are blocked properly The earth bus bars have tight connection and corrosion free joint surfaces Control switch fuses/isolating handle are provided at an accessible height from the ground Adequate head room is available for indoor transformers for easy maintenance and topping of oil etc
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Ensure that the bushing are free from cracks and dust Accessories of transformer such as buchholz relay, breathers, vent pipe, etc. are in order. Connection to gas relay are in order Oil and winding temperature are set for specific requirement in the transformers In the case of cable cellars, adequate arrangement to pump out water due to seepage or other reasons, should be ensured. All incoming and outgoing circuits and HP and LT panel are clearly and indelibly labled for identification. Every telecommunication line on support carrying a HV or EHV line shall, for the purpose of working thereon be deemed to be a HV line
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EQUIPMENT GROUNDING
All electrical equipment, and systems should be grounded in accordance with IS:3043 : 1987 and IEC Standards. The conductor used for grounding should conform to the following criteria:

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Be permanent and continuous. Facilitate operation of circuits protective devices. Shall have sufficient low impedence to limit the voltage to the ground to a safe level at all frequencies, and anticipated fault currents.. Of sufficient capacity to carry the fault current during the period of fault.
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The equipment grounding conductor shall be of suitable size adequate to carry the fault current. Increase in conductor size is recommended in case of long runs of the conductor so as to limit the voltage drop to 5% of the rated voltage. The portable equipment Should be grounded by means of a separate green colored equipment grounding conductor within portable chord. The metal enclosures of all electric equipment including temporary power distn. Boards should be connected to earth and the earth resistance shall be consistently monitored an so also the continuity of the earthing. Temporary power distribution boards shall be provided with suitable fire fighting supports. Residual current devices (earth leakage circuit breakers) at the point of supply for 240v hand held portable tools/equipments shall be s.ganesh babu provided.

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EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL:

GUIDELINES.

Grounding of metal parts to continuously discharge static current. Wrist straps and other connections used to ground the employees should be solidly grounded where static safe workstations are used for semi-conductor, electronic or explosive work sites. Bonding will equalize the potential between two adjacent non current conducting metal enclosures. Only approved grounding clamps are to be used for static bonding and grounding. Alligator clamps are to to be used. Construction aiding power equipments shall not be exposed to moisture/ wetness, and shall not be operated when wet.
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Large enough warning signs, visible from all approaches, to be displayed prominently near exposed current areas particularly in hazardous zones. Training in First aid and artificial respiratory methods shall be imparted to all operating personnel. Suitable educational posters on artificial respiratory method shall also be displayed near electric installations. Understanding the nature of location for electrical installation is a must. Locations where inflammable gases, ignitable vapors, and dust prone areas shall be provide with suitable selected installations which are immune to these ingredients.
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All tools and power operated supports shall be inspected regularly in a planned manner. The leads, connecting terminals, earth chord and controls shall be included in the inspection.

Persons engaged on electric equipment shall be provided with electric safety shoes and rubber gloves/apron.
Only trained, qualified and authorized staff shall install or repair electrical equipment. No temporary repairs to electrical system shall be encouraged.

Correct rating of the fuses shall be ensured.

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Emergency Assistance and Rescue

A serious electric shock results in any of the following conditions:

Serious injury resulting in loss of consciousness, significant trauma Altered mental status like confusion, low/slurred speech

Other injuries such as lasceration, muscle strain, burn, etc.

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These incidents should be reported to the safety team in the site which shall be trained to administer first aid and arrange for medical assistance in the shortest time possible.
In case of emergency, cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) performed by only trained personnel should be initiated The reason for the electric shock after it is notified shall be investigated for the reasons and remedial measures.

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Training

All personnel carrying out electrical work shall be periodically trained and training should be documented with respect to specific equipment and tasks for which the employees is qualified. On the job training is always a necessary component of a qualification program. The depth of training and quantum of training to be provided should be determined by the hazards associated with the personnels respective tasks.
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The subject area for which training is to be imparted are:

Safety related work practices as per DSI standards Techniques essential to de-energise electrical system, identification of live parts, clearance distances nominal voltage of exposed live parts, etc. Procedures for locking out and tagging energized electrical circuits and equipment safely

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Other subjects such as :

Electrical safety requirement for work places

Use of testing and measuring equipment

Safety plans and work authorization documents

Use and care of personal protective equipment

Hazard categories and personnel requirements

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In addition to the training provided for carrying out electrical related jobs and non electrical workers, whose job assignment require them to work close to exposed circuit electrical circuits operating at 50 V or more to ground, should receive supplementary training in the following subject areas :

The proper handling of portable tools and appliance cords. Procedures for resetting over current protective devices. Techniques for approaching distances to overhead conductors. The meaning of electrical safety warnings and barriers. Electrical hazards associated with water. The proper response to electrical shock.
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Safety Regulations
Electrical Safety

Every electrical industry shall accord top priority for safety and criteria governing the safety Safety manuals containing safety rules and procedures shall be prepared by every entity owing and/or operating electrical equipment, installation, line and cable A copy of the manual shall be provided to each employee engaged in electrical job and to the safety officers Every location station/works shall have local safety rules, procedures, instructions applicable for the location
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Cross boundary Safety Rules shall be prepared jointly by the entities concerned to cover electrical safety, where HP and EHP equipment belonging to more than one entity are installed at a location. When deenergization of equipment or line in a system of one entity, when needed to be carried out by the switchgear located in the system of another entity, these safety rules shall be adhered to.

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Motivation for exact and total compliance of the safety rules at all times shall be inculcated by every organization.
Scheme of incentives or deterrent punishment shall be instituted. All accidents shall be thoroughly investigated and analyzed by experts to find weakness/defects of the system configuration/apparatus which has caused the accident.
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Where an electric spark can cause an explosion or fire, the entire process, space and equipment shall be covered by Electrical Safety Rules, even if the process is mechanical or chemical by nature Safety to building, structures, and mechanical equipment related to electricity directly or indirectly shall be covered under the Safety Rules and Procedures. Safety audit shall be conducted by all entities for the installations in the respective jurisdiction for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of Safety Standards.

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Periodical Inspection and testing of installation:

Where an installation is already connected to the supply system of the supplier, every such installation shall be periodically inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 5 years either by the electrical inspector or by the supplier as may be directed by the state government on its behalf, or in the case of installations belonging to are under the control of central government, in mines, oil fields, and railways. The periodical inspection and testing of HV and EHV installations belonging to the supplier shall be carried out at intervals not exceeding 5 years by the inspector or any officer appointed to assist the inspector.

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Provision for isolation of supply A switch, circuit breaker, isolator, or a dis - connector shall be provided for disconnecting supply to any feeder, piece of equipment, machine, apparatus, or any item of installation. Identification tags for the switch shall be clearly painted / labeled. The switch shall be placed at an accessible place. All employees shall be made to familiarize with the switch and apparatus that it controls.
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Safe access and safe exit

All installations such as sub station, engine room of the generating station, electrical rooms of factories shall have safe access and safe exit passages.

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Insulation to be provided to all conductors

All conductors to be provided with insulation with the following minimum specifications:

Adequate thickness to withstand system voltage with safety margin Withstanding impulse voltage caused by lightening surges

To withstand maximum temperature at full loads considering the maximum ambience temperature at the location Resistant to chemical corrosion and atmospheric condition
Retention of the above mentioned qualities over a period of life
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Electrical maintenance

Maintenance on electrical equipment to be done by qualified and skilled persons. No item shall be omitted during reassembly, and no foreign materials shall be left inside the equipment. Defects noticed earlier while in operation and during maintenance shall be rectified Installation of all partly inspected and damaged installations replaced. The IR value shall be measured and for low values of IR. remedial action shall be taken.
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All loose contacts shall be rectified All corroded, eroded and damaged parts shall be replaced Contacts in circuit breakers shall be inspected and replaced if necessary The IR value of oil in the transformer, CT and circuit breaker shall be measured and replaced/filtered in case of necessity. Effectiveness of earthing shall be ensured Maintenance work shall be carried out in adequate lighting, ventilation and working space
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STAFF DISCIPLINE

The duties shall not be carried out by the staff under intoxicated condition The in - charge shall ensure that medically unfit staff members do not handle electrical apparatus Smoking shall be prohibited where electrical installations are there, in battery rooms and where inflammables are stored. Persons suffering from diseases like epilepsy, Parkinson disease, paralysis, etc. shall not work standing on structures, scaffolds, ladders or any elevated location or in the vicinity of water reservoir, well and rotating equipment Unauthorized persons shall not be allowed to stay in locations of electrical installations
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All work shall be pre planned and haste shall be avoided Work shall not be permitted to be carried by persons who are tired or exhaust on complex apparatus or hazardous equipment All workmen shall carry out work with awareness of safety rules and due concentration All staff members shall be encouraged to discuss and offer relevant suggestions for improving safety procedures
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All workmen shall aim at :

Safety for fellow workmen Safety for public Protection of equipment Good quality of work to ensure future safety
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Minimum distance to be maintained by staff from live equipment at various voltages:Voltage Kv

800 400

Minimum distance (Mtrs)

10.3 7.5

220
132 66 33

4.5
3.5 3.0 2.75

11
LT

2.6
1.5

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Protection of personnel and public:

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The design, construction, operation and maintenance of any electrical installation shall be such that no danger is caused to the personnel or general public under all conditions like Abnormal weather conditions Continuous moist and corrosive atmosphere Fault condition
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General safety and clearances

Neutral Conductor

Ensure the electrical continuity The cross section shall not be less than half of the phase conductor in a 4 wire system and less than that of phase conductor in case of a 2 wire system

The neutral shall be earthed at the transformer

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Minimum clearances of the lowest conductor above the ground

Street crossing:

Low and medium voltages High voltages

5.8 Mtrs 6.1 Mtrs

Lines along the street:

Low and medium voltages High voltage Mtrs.

5.5 Mtrs 5.8

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Lines at other places:Low, medium and high voltages Up to and including 11 KV:If bare 4.6 Mtrs As above but insulated 4.0 Mtrs Above 11 KV up to 33 KV 5.2 Mtrs 33 KV to 66 KV 5.3 Mtrs 66 to 132 KV 5.9 Mtrs 132 KV to 220 KV 6.8 Mtrs 220 KV to 400 KV 8.6 Mtrs 400 KV to 765 KV 12.0 Mtrs

Note: In general clearances in air shall be corrected for altitude.

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Clearance from buildings:-

Vertical clearance:

Not less than 2,5 Mtrs. Shall be measured from the highest point of roof and lowest catenary point of the line.

Horizontal clearance:

Not less than 1.2 Mtrs. Shall be measured at maximum deflection from the vertical due to wind pressure.
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Clearances for low and MV lines from buildings:

The vertical clearance shall not be less than 2.5 Mtrs. The horizontal clearance shall not be less than 1.2 Mtrs. The vertical clearance shall be measured from the highest point of the roof and at the lowest catenary point of line. At any point along the line the vertical clearance shall not be less than the stipulated value. The horizontal clearance shall be measured at maximum deflection from the vertical due to wind pressure.

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Clearances of HV and EHV lines from buildings:-

For vertical Clearances:

For high voltages up to and including 33 KV:For EHV line:-

3.7 Mtrs

3.7 Mtrs +0.3 Mtrs for every additional 33 KV or part thereof.

Horizontal clearance on the basis of maximum deflection of the conductor due to wind pressure, shall not be less than:For HV lines up to and including 11 KV:11 KV and up to and including 33 KV:EHV line:1.4 Mtr 2.1 Mtr

2.1 Mtrs +0.3 Mtrs for every

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additional 33 KV or part thereof.

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Transporting or storing of materials near OH lines :

No rods, pipes or similar material shall be taken below or in the vicinity of any bare OH conductor/lines if they are likely to infringe the provisions for clearance They shall not be brought within a distance equal to the flash over distance plus a reasonable margin No material, sand, stone, earthwork, agricultural produce or grass shall be piled, dumped, or stored below or in the vicinity of bare OH line which may reduce the required safety clearances. Similarly, trees shall not grown in the vicinity of OH lines
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Crossing or location of telecom and power lines:

Whenever an OH line crosses or in the proximity to any telecom line, whoever lays the line later shall arrange to provide protective devices/guarding arrangement. One month notice shall be given by the telecom authorities for laying a telecom line across an existing OH power line. The telecom authorities shall also provide relevant details of protection and drawings to the utility. A similar procedure will follow when the utility lays his line which needs a crossing. Angle of crossing shall be 60or more.
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Minimum clearances between power line and communication line

Voltage LV and MV 650 V to 11 Kv 11 KV to 33 KV

Minimum clearance (Mtrs) 1.8 2.3 2.6

33 to 132 132 to 220

220 to 400
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4.88
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Crossing of OH power lines

S.No Nominal System Voltage in KV Min clearance in Mastrs between line of voltage mentioned in 1st col and another line at a nominal system voltage (in KV) of

11 to 66 1 2 3 4 5 6 Low and Medium voltage 11 to 66 110 to 132 220 400 765 2.5 2.5 3.1 4.6 5.5 8.0

110 to 132 3.1 3.1 3.1 4.6 5.5 8.0

220 400 765

4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6 5.5 8.0

5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.5 8.0

8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0

Note : Guarding shall be provided if the clearance between circuits is less than the prescribed values. However, the clearance shall not be lower by more than 20% even when guarding is provided.
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Railway Crossing

The Angle of crossing shall be 60 or more. The crossing span shall not exceed 80 of the corresponding normal design. The minimum prescribed clearances between the lowest power conductor and the railway track and the maximum sag condition shall be maintained. The minimum distance between footing of the nearest tower and the railway track shall not be less than 1.5 times the height of the tower.
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The railway crossing span shall be strung with double fusion or double suspension strings fitted to the towers on the either side of the crossing span.
The foundation, tower structures, power conductors, and earth wire shall be designed with a factor of safety of 2 under normal conditions and 1.5 under broken wire conditions. The tower shall be earthed by providing two earth pits on either side.

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Clearances in out door installations

Voltage KV

For various items of equipment and rigid conductors in air Phase to Phase (cm)
400

Phase to phase spacing in isolator and switches

Phase to Earth (cm)

350

Isolator (cm)
415

Switch with arcing horn (cm)

500

400

220
132 66 33 22

335
201 122 92 61 46

167.5
122 76 61 46 31

335
257 153 76 76 61

396
366 214 122 107 92

11
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31

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Clearances in open type out door switch gear and bus bar connections
Rated Voltage KV Minimum clearance to earth in air (cm) Safety Minimum clearance Sectional between phases (cm) Clearances (cm)

6.6 11 22 33 66 110 132 220 400

14 18 26 38 69 87 107 178 385

18 23 33 43 79 99 122 206 440

305 305 275 277 305 335 351 428 650

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Minimum clearance in bus bar in oil or compound

Rated Voltage KV

Minimum clearance to earth (cm)

Minimum clearance between phases (cm)

Upto 0.6 3.3 6.6 11 22 33

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1.2 1.2 2 2.5 4.5 6.6

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Min clearances in air in indoor switchgear

Rated Voltage KV

Minimum length of Insulator (cm)

Minimum Minimum clearance clearance to between earth (cm) phases (cm)

Up to 0.415 0.6 3.3 6.6 11 15 22 33

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2 2 5 9 12.5 15 20 21

1.6 2 5 6.5 7.5 10 14 22

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Clearance between phases, between phase and earth, and creepage distance to earth

Rated Voltage KV

Creepage Minimum distance to clearance earth over to earth cable end (cm) (cm) 5 13

Minimum clearance between phases (cm) 5

Upto and including 11 KV Above 11 KV and upto and including 22 KV Above 22 KV and upto and including 33 KV
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7.5

16.5

10

10

20

12.5

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The minimum clearances between lines and guard wires shall be as follows :

Up to 33 KV 132 KV 220 KV

1.20 Metres 1.75 Metres 2.00 Metres

sgb

400 KV 765 KV
s.ganesh babu

3.00 Metres 4.00 Metres

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Minimum clearances between phase and tower material At the time of maximum deflection due to wind pressure

Voltage KV
Up to 22 33 66 132 220 400 765

Clearance cm
30 39.4 67.5 123.6 198.4 351.4 661.7

sgb

s.ganesh babu

82

Clearances over river crossings under maximum flooding conditions where there is no navigation

Voltage KV Up to 220 400

Clearance cm 300 453

sgb

s.ganesh babu

83