Full Report Project Safety

8/8/2019 Full Report Project Safety

1/10

SEM 1 2010/2011

ELECTRICAL SAFETY AND HAZARDS

EEPB 423

(GROUP PROJECT REPORT)

QUESTION NO: 2

GROUP NO: 1

KHAIRUN IZALYDIA BT ABDUL JALIL EP 078835

ABDULLAH FAISAL BIN ZAINURI EP 079363

WAN MOHD SHAHRULFARH BIN WAN SHAMSUDDIN EP 078782

NORSHAHIRA BT KHAIRUDIN EE 078890

NUR AIN BT ABD HAMID EE 078973


2/10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PEER EVALUATIONS 1

CASE STUDY SELECTED 3

OVERALL VIEW OF CASE STUDY 4

EVENTS LEADING TO OCCURRENCE OF INCIDENT 6

RECOGNIZING, EVALUATING AND CONTROLLING HAZARD 7

SUGGESTED WORKPLAN FOR SAFETY PROCEDURES 9

CONCLUSION 10

REFERENCES 10


3/10

CASE STUDY SELECTED : 02

BACKGROUND

A group of workers were carrying out palm fruit harvesting work in a plantation when the

incident occurred. In the process of cutting the palm fruit from a tree, the victim accidentally

cut into a LV 3x95mm aerial bundle cable. The victim received an electrical shock through the

aluminum pole which he had used as part of his cutting tool. Victim died at the place of

incident.

3


4/10

OVERALL VIEW OF CASE STUDY

As we have already learned, electricity requires a complete path (circuit) to continuously

flow. Electricity travels in closed circuits, normally through a conductor. Shock results when the

body becomes part of the electrical circuit where current enters the body at one point and

leaves at another. Typically, shock occurs when a person contacts with:

1. Both wires of an energized circuit.2. One wire of an energized circuit and the ground.3. A metallic part in contact with an energized wire while the person is also in contact with

the ground.

There are many ways in which electrical accidents happen. Besides construction workers

that faced risks in their working site, agricultural workers are particularly subject to the hazards

of electricity because tall equipment, such as grain augers, combines, raised dump truck beds

and aluminum pole can become entangled in overhead power lines. Accidents have also

occurred with overhead power lines when moving all these equipments.

Based on the case-study background, the employee died at the place of incident because he

received an electrical shock through the aluminum pole which he had used as part of his cuttingtool. Basically, the third cause as mentioned above is the main cause that leads to the

occurrence of the incident.

Electricity is the flow of electrons from one atom to another in any material. Materials that

allow electricity to flow easily are called conductors. Most metals, such as copper and

aluminum, make good conductors of electricity. Insulators are materials that do not allow

electricity to flow through them. Good examples of insulators are glass, plastic, and rubber.

Unfortunately, our bodies can allow current to pass through them, causing anywhere from a

mild tingling sensation to cardiac arrest and burning.

4


5/10

In addition, the employee should aware that overhead and buried power lines at site are

hazardous because they carry extremely high voltage. Fatal electrocution is the main risk, but

burns and falls from elevations are also hazards. Using tools and equipment that can contact

power lines increases the risk. Thus below are a few equipments that can contact power lines:

1. Aluminum paint rollers2. Backhoes Concrete pumpers3. Cranes4. Metal building materials5. Metal ladders6. Raised dump truck beds7. Scaffolds

5


6/10

y Electric shock can only occur when contact is made between two points of a circuit-when voltage is applied across a victim's body.

y Power circuits usually have a designated point that is "grounded"-firmly connectedto metal rods or plates buried in the dirt to ensure that one side of the circuit is

always at ground potential (zero voltage between that point and earth ground).

y A ground faultis an accidental connection between a circuit conductor (aluminumpole) and the earth (ground).

y Special, insulated shoes and mats are made to protect persons from shock viaground conduction, but even these pieces of gear must be in clean, dry condition to

be effective. Normal footwear is not good enough to provide protection

from shock by insulating its wearer from the earth.

y Though dirt is a poor conductor, it can conduct enough current to injure or kill ahuman being.

EVENTS LEADING TO OCCURRENCE OF INCIDENT

1. The main course of victim received an electrical shock was because the victim used analuminium pole as a cutting tool.

2. Aluminium is a very good conductor. Thus, when the victim tried to cut down the palmfruit, he accidentally cut the aerial bundle cable which was hanging onto the tree. There

was no insulator present that could act as a shield against the conductor of the cable,

therefore lead to direct contact between the aluminium pole and the conductor of

cable, and the victim created a path to the ground.

3. Another reason which may cause the incident is that there was no sign board or warningboard around that area that could alert the victim about the existence of the cable

which supposed to be the employers and authorities responsibility before proceeding

the work.

6


7/10

4. Besides that, the victim was not wearing proper personal protective equipment, PPEsuch as rubber glove and rubber boot that could act as an insulator that limit the current

to avoid electrical flow to the ground.

5. Although the workers worked in a group, the distance of each worker from the othermight be too far. The other workers might not notice that the victim had been in contact

with the live cable and causing the victim in contact for long enough for casualty.

6. Victim might receive electrical flow from his hand through the chest and flowing to theground through the leg. Electrical shock that passed through the chest caused the heart

to beat even faster than normal. Thus, the victim experienced a heart failure and it

eventually stopped beating.

7. Every worker should be given a brief of safety measures and an instruction to performemergency treatment before the paramedic. In this case, the victim experienced a heart

failure which caused the victim not breathing. The oxygen was not circulating in the

body long enough which caused the death of the victim.

8. The paramedic was taking too much time to arrive to the scene as the plantation wasnot equipped with proper emergency exit/road for this kind of accident. Thus, the victim

was unconscious for over 15 minutes.

RECOGNIZING, EVALUATING AND CONTROLLING HAZARD

Recognizing the Hazard

a) Equipment used to pluck the palm fruit.b) Parasite plants between the cable line and palm fruit.c) Proper used of PPE.

7


8/10

Evaluating the Hazard

a) An aluminum pole used as an equipment to pluck the palm fruit has no insulator at theholder Therefore aluminum, a good conductor allowed the current to pass through the

workers body then to the ground as a complete circuit which caused the worker to be

electrocuted.

b) Parasite plants surrounding the cable line and palm fruit had caused some troubles forthe worker to pluck the palm fruit that lead to miss-aim and accidentally cut the cable.

c) The worker himself did not wear proper protective equipment while handling his worksuch as proper glove and boot that has its own resistivity to limit the flow of current.

Controlling the Hazard

EMPLOYER:

a) Provide equipment with proper insulated material to reduce the risk of hazard to theuser.

b) Make sure that the area of work is safe and clear.c) Provide training and supply PPE to the worker.d) Consult with authority that in charge with the cable line before performing the work.

EMPLOYEE:

a) Aware of any possible hazard around the working area and take a serious safetyconsideration.

b) Wear PPE provided by employerc) Follow safety procedures given by the employer.

8


9/10

SUGGESTED WORKPLAN FOR SAFETY PROCEDURES

Procedure

To avoid the incident from happen again, a new design of work procedure should be followed

by the workers for their safety. The procedures are:

i. Wear personal protective equipment suitable for the job which includes gloves, rubbershoes and safety helmet.

ii. Always work in pairs with maximum distance from each other is 5 meters , for thepurpose of the workers can see each other and provide initial help if accident occurs.

iii. Workers should indicate location of any power cables in the plantation before startsworking in the plantation.

iv. Make sure there is no possible electrical path through the workers by using PPE.v. Checks all equipments used are in good condition and not using any conductive

material.

vi. Starts to work only after all potential hazard is identified and keeping safe distance fromthe power cables.

Safety measures

Before start any works to harvest the palm oil in the plantation, there are several safety

measures that need to be followed:

i. Wear all personal protective equipment.ii. Do not use any harvesting equipment that uses electric conducting material as a pole.

As precautions to avoid workers electrocuted.

iii. Do not harvest the palm oil that is less than 1 meter from the power lines.iv. Put signs around the power cables path to alert all personals. The signs must use bright

color and clear wording.

v. All workers must attend work safety course and CPR training.

9


10/10

vi. All workers must be informed of the location of first aid kit and important number tocontact during emergency.

CONCLUSION

To conclude, electrical safety in the workplace is the most important job of an electrical

worker. No matter how much training one has received or how much employers try to

safeguard their workers, electrical safety is ultimately the responsibility of the electrical worker.

The human factor associated with electrical accidents can be immeasurable. Everyone has the

right to work in a safe environment. No one can replace a worker or loved one that has died or

suffered the irreparable consequences of an electrical accident. Therefore, through cooperative

efforts, employers and employees can learn to identify and eliminate or control the electrical

hazards

REFERENCES

1) Kenneth G. Mastrullo and Ray A. Jones, Jones & Bartlett Learning, The Electrical safetyProgram Book, 2003.

2) Ek Greenwald, John Wiley & Sons Publisher, Electrical Hazards and Accidents: theirCause and Prevention, 1991.

10

Full Report Project Safety

Documents

Transcript of Full Report Project Safety