ETCI Safety Committee – TC5

Report for 2013

Members of TC 5 (1)

Arthur Byrne, ESB Networks (Chairman)

John Barry, Dept. of Envirn. C & L.G.

Chris Barry, Dept. of Envirn. C & L.G.

Eric Bergin, AVT Reliability

Robert Butler, CIF

Kevin Campbell, ESB BSC & Electric Ireland

Padraig Delaney, HSA

Sean Downey, CIF

Chris Fitzgerald, ETCI

Michael Hanly, ETCI

Members of TC 5 (2)

Jim Keogh, ETCI

Ted O’Keeffe, NISO

Dick O’Rourke, ETCI

Tom Reilly, ETCI

Eddie Reynor, ESB Generation

Bill Ryan, Schneider Electric

Tom Ryan, Teagasc

DamienTraynor, CFOA

Sean Ward, CER

Eamon O’Flynn, ETCI (Secretary)

TC5 Objectives

Promotion of Electrical Safety

Examination and reporting of Electrical Accidents

Development of Guideline Documents associated with Electrical Safety

Input to Legislation in relation to Electrical Safety

Maintenance of Fatal Electrical Accident Database set up on ETCI website

Input on Safety Issues to the development of new or revised International Standards and Guidelines

TC5: Activities during 2013

• Reviewed serious electrical Near Misses and Fatalities

• Promoted the implementation of a system for the reporting of supplementary information by the Fire Services in relation to fires due to Electrical Causes

• Examined the requirement to have responsibility assigned for investigation of the causes of Fatal Electrical Accidents in Domestic Premises

• Examined safety of high energy output electric fences in relation to some reported incidents in Ireland and Internationally and the development of a Guidance Document by the H.S.A.

• Improved representation on TC5 Committee

Promotion of Safety Awareness & Accident Statistics

Fatalities caused by Electricity: 2012

1. A 42 year old man was electrocuted while working on a

construction site. The man was in contact with a load that

was being moved with a mobile crane when the slinging

rope on the crane made contact with a 20kV overhead line.

Fatalities caused by Electricity: 2012

2. A man was electrocuted in his home apparently due to

contact with a faulty portable electric heater / heater

controls and wiring.

3. A man in his late 50’s who was acting as banksman was

electrocuted while erecting an LV pole adjacent to a live

MV overhead line when the pole being erected made

contact with the MV line.

Fatalities caused by Electricity: 2013 (to-date)

1. A 22 year old man was electrocuted in an ESB HV

Substation when he apparently made contact with live HV

apparatus

2. A 14 year old teenager was electrocuted when he

apparently suffered an electric shock when using a power

washer on a farm

2

4

6

8

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13

11 Customer side 16 Networks side

Electrical Fatalities: 2004 – 2013 YTD

2

4

6

8

10

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13

13 could have been avoided had there been an awareness

of overhead networks and the precautions to take

Electrical Fatalities: 2004 - 2013 YTDNetworks Side : 16

Electrical Fatalities: 2004-2013 YTD

Customer Side: 11

2

4

6

8

10

04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13

7 could have been avoided had earthing or protection

(RCD, fusing) been correct

15

30

45

60

75

1930’s 1940’s 1950’s 1960’s 1970’s 1980’s 1990’s 2000’s

29 37 71 54 75 76 60 36

Electrical Fatalities over the Decades

National Fire Statistics : 2011

9,682 8,726 580*

Fires in buildingsIn the home

Electrical

causes

38 36 4 to

11

38

5 to

9

2011

2010

Deaths

Fires

35

Smoke Detectors not in use in the

majority of fatality cases

Some Public Safety incidents…….3rd Party Damage to ESB Cables and Overhead Lines

No. of 3rd Party Incidents 2010 2011 2012 2013 (Nov)

UG cable Dig Ins 598 627 749 695

OH Lines Damages 197 205 330 277

Total Damages 795 832 1079 972

Code of Practice/

Booklets….

DVD/Videos

Stickers, Job Aid

All available free of charge

from ESB Networks – down

load from:

www.esb.ie/networks or

Tel. 1850 372 757

Selection of Injury & Near Miss Incidents that occurred during

2013 on the following slides

1 17

Public Safety Incidents - 2013

38kV Station

A 22 year old member of the public gained unauthorised access to 38kV station

Suffered an electric shock, and serious burns to his hands and feet when he made contact with live electrical apparatus

Used climbing aid to scale inner compound pallisade fence at rear corner of station site

Contact with 10kV Overhead Line

Two men received an electric shock from a 10kV overhead line when a scaffolding bar they were holding came in contact with one phase of the 10kV line. Both Men received full thickness burns to their hands.

Break-in and Fire at Substation

Fire service call regarding fire at a substation.

The cowl of the sub door had been removed and the lock cut. A number of wooden pallets were stacked around the LV switching panel and set alight.

There was substantial damage to both MV and LV equipment in the sub.

Wires thrown over MV Network

Debris from tyre wires had been thrown over the networks and had blown 3 MV fuses. The wire was dangling within 8 feet of the ground.

Serious Station Break-in

Thieves operated KKTT Switch (in separate switchroom)

2No. 630kVA transformers sabotaged

Beside river Shannon - 1900 litres of oil released

Serious Safety and Environmental implications

Bunting erected close to LV Overhead Network

Community workers erected bunting close to live LV overhead networks while using an aluminium ladder.

Overhead LV over shed roof

Single phase LT networks crossing over the roof of a shed had a tyre secured to it to prevent the PVC covered phase conductor from rubbing on the ridge tile.

Work Under Overhead Line

Track machine working under an LV line with one conductor broken.

Wire on Overhead

Piece of steel wire hooked around an Eircom service and then clipped to ESB 4x50 OBC networks so as to improve ground clearance down an alleyway.

Electric Fence wire ran over bare LV overhead line

Farmer ran a cable over bare Low Voltage networks across a road to feed an electric fence.

Any Questions?

ETCI ANNUAL WORKSHOP 2013

TC5 Annual Report