Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY AUDITING

(Presented in the IEEE-IEEMA Electrical Safety Workshop on 22
nd
January 2002 at Mumai!
India"
#$
P.G. Sreejith,
Manager (Risk services)
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services
E-mail: pillai_sreejith@hotmail.com
(If you are interested in availing our ELECTRICLRI!" #$%E#E$T !ervices& please
send e'mail in the a(ove id.)
INTRODUCTION
In India! efforts for control of ma%or chemical plant accidents e&an in the aftermath of the #hopal 'as
tra&edy in ()*+, In ()*)! the Ministry of En-ironment . /orest! 'o-ernment of India formed the important
MI01 (Manufacture . Import of 0a2ardous 1hemicals" rules, Ministry of 3aour! 'o-ernment of India
implemented an I34 (International 3aour 4r&ani2ation" pro%ect to estalish MA01 (Ma%or 0a2ard 1ontrol"
system to identify . assess ha2ards in MA0 plants! to frame ne5 le&islation for M01! etc, 4-er (000
industrial plants ha-e een identified as M0 plants in India, 6nlike natural ha2ards! chemical ha2ards can
e pre-ented y proper plannin& . in case of accidents7 the conse8uences can e minimi2ed to the e9tent
possile,
World 5ide! the total loss fi&ure has douled e-ery (0 years despite increased efforts y the chemical
process industry to impro-e safety, :he increases are mostly due to an e9pansion in the numer of
chemical plants! an increase in chemical plant si2e! an increase in the use of more complicated .
dan&erous chemicals, Within the past (0 or (; years! the chemical . petroleum industries ha-e under&one
considerale chan&es, Process conditions such as pressure . temperature ha-e ecome more se-ere,
Plants ha-e &ro5n in si2e . in-entory, :he scale of possile fire! e9plosion has &ro5n . so has the area
that mi&ht e affected y such e-ents! especially outside the 5ork oundary,
Why Safety Audits?
Safety audit is a systematic approach to e-aluate potential ha2ards and to recommend su&&estions for
impro-ement, SA is an important tool for identifyin& deterioration of standards! areas of risks or
-ulneraility! ha2ards and potential accidents in plants for determinin& necessary action to < minimi2e
ha2ards and for ensurin& that the 5hole safety effort is effecti-e . meanin&ful,
Safety audits are carried out due to -arious reasons such as=
(, Statutory re8uirement (en-ironmental concerns! >isk Analysis for ha2ardous industries! etc,"
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
2, >e8uirement of financial institution (for loans! etc,"
?, Su&&estion of an re&ulatory authorities
+, Process chan&e < plant capacity addition
;, 1han&e of mana&ement (Mer&er < Ac8uisition"
@, 'enuine mana&ement concern as a measure of impro-ement
A, Part of 40. S (4ccupational 0ealth . Safety" policy of the or&ani2ation
*, Ma%or accident in the plant < ma%or accident in the nei&horin& industry < ma%or accident in a similar
industry
), >e8uirement of forei&n partner
Many or&ani2ations in India are in the process of estalishin& the system of periodic safety audits althou&h
safety is still not a statutory re8uirement In India, :his is a -ery positi-e and 5elcome chan&e in a
de-elopin& country like ours, :he collaoration 5ith de-eloped nations also helped to re-orient the safety
perception of se-eral Indian companies, Safety audits also pro-ides an opportunity to &et updated 5ith
latest information on safety de-elopments and statutory amendments, It is a normal part of &ood usiness
practice to initiate and carry out systems of inspection and checkin& to ensure that operations are carried
out in an efficient and profitale 5ay,
:he loss potential in industry is not restricted to lar&e-scale incidents related to accidents! fires! e9plosions
and similar incidents, /or e9ample! failure or dama&e to cales and instrumentation e8uipment as a result
of a minor incident has led to len&thy do5ntime of plant! resultin& in hea-y financial loss,
:he ma%or o%ecti-e of a safety audit is to determine the effecti-eness of the companyBs safety and loss
pre-ention measures, It is an essential re8uirement of an audit system that it should ori&inate 5ith the
policy-makin& e9ecuti-e and a consensus should e arri-ed at re&ardin& the safety audit and its o%ecti-es,
/actories Act! ()+* (Section AA" makes the occupier responsile for pro-idin& a safe 5orkin& en-ironment
for the employees, Safety audit is one method of e-aluatin& the safe en-ironment pro-ided in the plant!
althou&h safety audit is not a direct re8uirement y /actories Act, 1onsiderin& the chan&in& international
le&islature trends! safety audits could ecome mandatory in India too in the near future,
:he statutory Manufacture! stora&e and Import of 0a2ardous 1hemical >ules ()*) framed under the
En-ironment Protection Act! ()*@! stipulates companies handlin& ha2ardous chemicals ao-e the threshold
8uantities specified to sumit details of their safety systems, 0a2ard identification and risk analysis are
re8uired to e carried out if the 8uantities of chemicals stored are -ery hi&her than the threshold limits,
Moreo-er! safety auditin& should e an inte&ral part of any or&ani2ationBs safety mana&ement system,
Auditin& helps the or&ani2ation to check the appropriateness of its safety policies! or&ani2ation and
arran&ements! and to check that these are ein& applied in practice,
Why Eletrial Safety Audits !ESA"?
Identifyin& potential electrical ha2ards to pre-ent or minimi2e loss of life and property is percei-ed seriously
y many chemical industries the 5orld o-er, 'eneral safety auditin& is popular 5here the o%ecti-es .
concepts are clear 5hereas ESA is a speciali2ed area that is still in the process of ein& understood y
many,
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith +
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
1hemical industries are e9posed to fires and e9plosion ha2ards due to the comustile properties of the
chemicals handled, As per the statistics a-ailale from Indian 4il 1ompanies! for a fi-e-year period! 2@?
ma%or accidents took place out of 5hich +2C 5ere due to fire, While analy2in& the proale causes for fires
. e9plosions! electrical reasons are undoutedly the top amon& the Dmost proale causesB, 0ence!
electrical safety deser-es ma9imum attention especially in hydrocaron industry! 5here classified
ha2ardous atmosphere is normally encountered and electricity constitutes one of the ma%or sources of
i&nition that could cause a fire or an e9plosion,
In factories! around *C of all fatalities are due to accidents caused y electricity, Eata compiled y
international or&ani2ations like /ire Protection Association (/PA"! 6F and the Gational /ire Protection
Association (G/PA"! 6SA indicate that nearly one fourth of all fires are caused y electrical appliances or
installations, In India! the condition is still 5orse, In-esti&ations of ma%or fire incidents in -arious types of
occupancies o-er a numer of years sho5 that nearly +0C of the fires are initiated y electrical causes
such as short circuits! o-erloadin&! loose electrical connections! etc,
4ur e9perience sho5s that either the top mana&ement or the electrical department initiates ESAs and not
the safety department, :he reason could e the lack of in depth kno5led&e of safety officers in electrical
aspects coupled 5ith their limited in-ol-ement in electrical departmentBs day-to-day functions,

Althou&h electrical ha2ards 5ill e identified and assessed in &eneral safety audits! comprehensi-e
electrical safety audits can pro-ide a thorou&h re-ie5 of the electrical system, :his could identify potential
electrical ha2ards! fla5s in desi&n system! maintenance system! etc,
#yths a$d %ats a&'ut Safety audits
Sl. N'. #yth %at
( /ault findin& e9ercise Safety audit is a techni8ue to
e-aluate to understand 5here an
or&ani2ation stands in terms of
safety,
2 More the safety audit team memers! the etter :he team composition should e
strate&ic and should consist of
competent people 5ith ri&ht
attitude,
? 3o5est 8uotation is the main selection criterion for
choosin& the safety auditin& a&ency
/actors such as competency!
8uality! crediility of reports!
history! or&ani2ational
infrastructure! positi-e client
reference are to e &i-en due
5ei&hta&e in the selection
process, A&ency should e ale
to pro-ide uniased! practical and
cost-effecti-e safety solutions,
+ 0a2ard identification is a one-time e9ercise, Geed not e 0a2ards &ro5 5ith time and 5ith
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith ,
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
done periodically since the ha2ards does not chan&e or
&ro5 in a plant unless modified or process chan&ed,
chan&e in process, As time &oes
y! statutes as 5ell as technolo&y
chan&e, :o comply 5ith updated
statutory re&ulations! periodic
compliance assessments are
needed,
; :he plants ha-e competent technical personnel, An
e9ternal team cannot en-isa&e ha2ards that the internal
safety audit team failed to identify,
An uniased! competent e9ternal
auditin& a&ency 5ill e ale to
identify ha2ards that an internal
safety audit team mi&ht not
identify due to reasons such as
familiarity! etc,
Ty(es 'f Safety Audits
Internal Safety Audit
External Safety Audit
Electrical Safety Audit by Internal Audit Team
:he disad-anta&es of internal safety audit could e the linkers-on approach! a-oidin& notin& electrical
ha2ards due to the reluctance to chan&e, Another disad-anta&e is that the team memers may refrain from
critically e-aluatin& a collea&ueBs unit, When one is familiar 5ith a ha2ardous situation! he tends to for&et
the nature of the situation o-er a period of time! especially 5hen nothin& ad-erse happens,
:he ESA team should ideally consist of=
Senior Electrical Mana&er < En&ineer
Safety Mana&er < 4fficer
Process En&ineer
En&ineerin& 4fficer
:op Mana&ement >epresentati-e
An e9ternal specialist! if needed

Since auditin& is a speciali2ed acti-ity! the identified internal team memers may e e9posed to trainin& on
DSafety Mana&ement System Auditin&B principles, E9perience has sho5n that trainin& yields particularly rich
returns in this field in the form of more meanin&ful auditin& and reportin&,
Electrical Safety Audit by External Auditing Agency
E9perts or competent safety audit a&encies are normally entrusted 5ith this task, :he ad-anta&es include
uniased reportin&! and an e9pert -ie5 of the electrical system from the safety point of -ie5, :he most
o-ious ad-anta&e of en&a&in& e9ternal auditin& a&ency is that they mi&ht e ale to identify ha2ards that
the internal team mi&ht fail to detect, Since the auditin& a&ency is e9posed to the latest safety information!
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith -
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
and 5ill e inspectin& -arious plants! the client can e9pect the est cost-effecti-e safety solutions throu&h
safety audit,

Peri'diity 'f Safety Audits
'enerally! the audit fre8uency 5ill depend on the nature and type of acti-ities 5ithin each area of operation,
A reasonale &eneral &uide is that inspections should e carried out once each year! 5ith more fre8uent
inspections for specific areas or acti-ities, >ecords of in%ury and dama&e accidents should e e9amined
and use to identify hi&h-risk areas and acti-ities and conse8uently those needin& more fre8uent inspection,
As a &eneral thum rule! audits y e9ternal a&encies are carried out e-ery three years and the internal
team does the audit e-ery year, 4ther than the routine safety audits! electrical safety audits should e
initiated 5hene-er there are capacity additions . ma%or alterations in the electrical system! fre8uent
electrical accidents! and process chan&e in the plant that may re8uire a re look at the electrical installations
in the chan&ed process section, It is recommended that the electrical desi&n re-ie5 and the implementation
should e carried out prior to initiatin& the e9ercise of ESA 5hen the ao-e mentioned chan&es are
planned < oser-ed, Many or&ani2ations still confuse themsel-es 5ith the terms ESA and electrical
en&ineerin& studies,
As per Indian electricity >ule +@! all electrical installations are to e inspected 5ith respect to Indian
Electricity >e&ulations 5ith a periodicity not e9ceedin& once in ; years y authori2ed electrical inspectin&
authorities, Electrical inspectorsB inspection and appro-al is re8uired 5hen the electrical installations are
chan&ed (added or modified" as per rule @?,
As per 4ISE standard (+;! internal safety audits are to e carried out e-ery year in refinery<installation and
3P' ottlin& plants, 4ISE- 'EG H (+; H0) pro-ided the &uidelines for carryin& out internal safety audit
checklist for electrical system,
E)E#ENTS O% E)ECTRICA) SA%ET* AUDITING PROGRA##E
ESA Pro&ramme can e roadly classified into ? ma%or areas namely=
+. Pre,Audit
-. Audit
.. P'st,Audit
:he efficacy of the audit (identification . control of electrical risks" lar&ely depends on the pre-audit and the
post-audit sections, Pre and post audit elements are user < client dependent and o-iously the audit
depends on the audit team, 6nless the ESA o%ecti-es are clearly defined and audit recommendations
considered! the ESA pro&ramme 5ill not e successful,
An effecti-e ESA pro&ramme should include elements such as competent audit team formation! pre-audit
riefin&! collection . re-ie5 of rele-ant information (pre-enti-e maintenance documentation! accident
reports! electrical inspectorBs reports! history cards"! discussion 5ith safety . electrical officers! plant -isit
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith .
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
and then the consolidation to the top mana&ement, /inali2in& the audit methodolo&y should e in
consultation 5ith the re8uirements of the auditee, :he ESA pro&ramme elements are discussed elo5,
Pre,Eletrial Safety Audit Ele/e$ts
ESA Scope of Work
Many are still unclear aout the scope of Electrical Safety audits, :he terms! Electrical ener&y audits!
Electrical en&ineerin& studies and Electrical Safety audits are interchan&ealy used e-en y many top
technical officials of industries, 6nless the scope of study is 5ell understood! the o%ecti-es of the audit
cannot e attained, Eefinin& scope of Electrical Safety audit ased on the specific re8uirement is the first
step in the process of Electrical Safety auditin&,
:ypical ESA scope of 5ork could include=
Physical inspection of the plant 5ith reference to applicale Indian standards! Indian Electricity >ules
and other rele-ant codes of Practice . identifyin& electrical ha2ards (shocks! fires! etc,",
>e-ie5in& the role of electrical safety in the total safety system,
>e-ie5 of protection de-ices < system of the electrical installation,
>e-ie5 of ade8uacy of cales! motors! etc, ased on actual load current measurements and cale
current carryin& capacities,
E9amination of ade8uacy of plant li&htnin& protection system as per national and international
standards to su&&est recommendations as per applicale standards,
>e-ie5 of the ha2ardous area classification carried out in the plant as per IS= ;;A2 and to re-ie5 the
selection! installation of special electrical e8uipment as per IS= ;;A( to su&&est recommendations as
per applicale standards,
>e-ie5 of electrical accidents to identify root cause of the accidents,
>e-ie5 the EPM (Electrical Pre-enti-e Maintenance" pro&ramme in the plant and to e9amine the
documentation! checklists! 5ork permit! test records! etc, and to su&&est recommendations as per
applicale standards,
:o identify trainin& needs of the plant employees from the point of -ie5 of electrical safety,
:o e-aluate the earthin& system (installation and maintenance" in the plant ased on IS ?0+? and to
su&&est recommendations,
>e-ie5 of the follo5in& test records! e-aluatin& the test results and to su&&est recommendations as
per applicale standards,
:ransformer oil test,
Insulation >esistance :ests,
Earth >esistance tests,
(:he checkin& of test procedures and checkin& of test result interpretations are also part of this e9ercise",
:o e-aluate the potential electrical fire ha2ards in the plant electrical installation and to su&&est fire
protection measures as per applicale standards and Indian Electricity >ules,
:o identify the ESE (Electro-Static 0a2ards in the plant and to su&&est recommendations as per
applicale standards,
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith /
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Gote= 'enerally! all the ao-e inspections! re-ie5s! etc, are carried out on a samplin& asis,

ESA Team Composition
:he ESA audit could e internal or e9ternal, Safety odies like 4ISE recommends audits y internal team
as 5ell as e9ternal teams, :he e9ternal ESA team should consist of competent electrical en&ineers that are
e9perienced in conductin& similar types of audits, :he client can ask for the resume of the ESA team
memers of the e9ternal a&encies to make sure that they &et the desired result in the areas of electrical
safety y ha-in& the ri&ht people in the audit team, :o ascertain the crediility of the a&ency! many
prospecti-e clients ask for references (5here this a&ency has conducted ESAs for them" that can pro-ide a
etter assessment of the auditin& a&ency,
:he team memer should of course e familiar 5ith all safety-related issues such as safety auditin&
elements! accident in-esti&ation! safety trainin&! etc, :he ailities to interpret rules! standards! etc, and to
su&&est practical and cost-effecti-e safety solutions! etc, are also e9pected from the audit team, Effecti-e
communication skills! competency! ri&ht attitude! 5ill to constantly update! 5ill to share information!
openness! elief in team5ork and perse-erance are the other necessary 8ualities needed for a safety
auditor, :he safety audit team leader should lead the team and communicate to the clientBs representati-e
in an effecti-e manner,
Pre-Electrical Safety Audit Questionnaire
:he details that 5ould help the audit team (especially in case of e9ternal audit" 5ill e included in the pre-
audit 8uestionnaire, Althou&h the &eneric details 5ill e made a-ailale to the audit a&ency in the initial
sta&es! the specific details 5ould help the team to prepare themsel-es to carry out the safety audit in an
efficient manner, :he pre-audit 8uestionnaire for ESA could include the follo5in& aspects=
Process details
Electrical Sin&le 3ine Eia&ram
Game plate details of ma%or electrical e8uipment
Eetails of classified 2ones in the plant
Eetails of flammale chemicals handled in the plant
Eetails of electrical accidents in the plant
Eetails of addition < e9pansion of the plant includin& electrical installation
4-er-ie5 of electrical maintenance system
Audit Preparation !eference
:he 8uestionnaire is a -ital tool for successful inspection and time spent on its preparation is as -aluale as
that taken y the audit itself, Auditin& e9perience 5ill re-eal the need for supplementin& or
modifyin& it! pro-ided that the auditors adopt a fle9ile approach to their task! and the dan&er of
confinin& attention only to those matters listed in the ori&inal 8uestionnaire must e a-oided,
1hecklists can e made 5ith reference to=
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith 0
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Statutory >e&ulations
Gon-Statutory Standards (national and international"
ESA checklists could e prepared ased on -arious applicale statutory and non-statutory standards and
codes of practice, 'ood en&ineerin& practice found durin& other ES audits in similar installations
can also e included in the checklists, International standards such as API and G/PA can also
referred 5here-er found necessary, Another important aspect in referrin& to -arious standards is
the possile confusion in reconcilin& a safety recommendation, :he factors listed elo5 are to e
considered 5hile su&&estin& a recommendation! if contradictin& statements are mentioned in
rules < standards,

1ompliance to statutory re8uirement
Safety of the people and the plant
:he e9perience &ained y the ESA team memers is a -ery crucial factor in the compilation of audit
checklists, E9perienced and competent team memers can offer many practical! cost-effecti-e
safety su&&estions and solutions,
:he checklists could contain the follo5in& sections 5ith specific checkpoints, 'roupin& the oser-ations in
the follo5in& manner helps to identify and e-aluate the areas of concern, Another 5ay of
cate&ori2ation is ha-in& the checkpoints &rouped under -arious plant sections < areas! 5hich is
the popular method, An ad-anta&e of this popular method is that a process section < unit in-
char&e can e asked to comply 5ith the recommendations y &i-in& a copy of the report section
to him, #ut for the mana&ement to understand the efficacy of the -arious electrical safety
elements! the &roupin& as indicated elo5 5ill e of use, :his 5ay of &roupin& enales the
consolidation e9ercise more effecti-e,
C'/(lia$e t' Statut'ry Rules
Applicaility of rules (Indian electricity >ules! Petroleum >ules! etc,"
1ompliance to inspectorBs reports
Sumission of accident intimation reports! forms! etc, in time
Intimation of inspector efore ener&i2in& ne5 < chan&ed electrical installation
Eletrial Sh'01 %lash 1 I$jury 2a3ards
>11#s Hselection! installation and maintenance
Aspect of Guisance :rippin& and ypassin& of >11#s
#ypasses fuses! M1# (Miniature 1ircuit #reaker"! etc,
6se of re-5irale fuses
Earthin& defects
6se of doule insulated (class II" tools! centre tapped po5er supply! e9tra-lo5 -olta&e e8uipment for confined
spaces
Accessile li-e parts
Electrical ruer mat
Wron& identification of e8uipment < feeders
Eefecti-e electrical portale tools
Are the necessary PPEs (Personal Protecti-e E8uipments" usedI
Interlocks pro-ided for multiple po5er sourcesI
Is the interlockin& system in placeI
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith 1
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Are M11 (Motor 1ontrol 1enters" <P11s (Po5er 1ontrol 1enters" < E#s (Eistriution #oards" maintained to
a-ert flash incidentsI
4perational clearance as per IE> ;(
:rippin& ha2ards due to loose calin&<cords! etc,
Ade8uacy of illumination in electrical rooms<around panels! E#s! etc,
Stand-y po5er supply (Eiesel 'enerator set"
Eletrial %ire 2a3ards
Stora&e of comustile materials near electrical e8uipment < fuse units
>11#s
Master s5itch in 5arehouses
Proper cale %oint procedures as per manufacturer
Earthin& defects
6se of non-standard fuse 5ires
#ypassin& of protection de-ices
Eeteriorated insulation
Selection! deployment of P/Es ( (Portale /ire E9tin&uishers"
Sealin& of cale passes! openin&s! affle 5alls (Passi-e /ire Protection"
:rackin& possiility
6nused openin&s in li-e panels! etc,
Possiility of &round fault < short circuit
Mechanical protection to cales
3oose terminations due to improper supports! crimpin&
Improper &land installation! 5ron& lu& si2e
4-er-rated fuses! 5ron&ly set protection relays! etc,
Eletrial Safety Trai$i$4
Geed for electrical safety trainin&
:rainin& content identification
Periodicity
1ompetency of faculty memers
4%ecti-e of trainin&
Earthi$4 Syste/
Installation as per appro-ed desi&nI
Installation and Maintenance as per IS ?0+?I
Earth resistance measured periodicallyI
:est procedure
Acceptale earth resistance -alues
Is the earthin& system modified 5hen electrical installation is modifiedI
Are neutral earth pits independent and separateI
Are earth pits identifiedI
Are t5o and distinct earth connections pro-idedI
Is the earth continuity testedI
Is ondin& and earthin& carried out to a-oid ESE ha2ardsI
C'/(ete$y a$d Ade5uay 'f Eletrial Pers'$$el
1ompetency of electrical 4.M personnel
6nderstandin& of electrical ha2ards
Are the operatin& and maintenance procedures amended after accidentsI
A5areness of latest electrical protection de-ices! ha2ards! etc,
Workmanship
Ade8uacy of electrical personnel
/re8uency and se-erity of electrical accidents
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith 2
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Gature of electrical accidents
Safety attitude
Eletrial Pre6e$ti6e #ai$te$a$e
Is there an EPM pro&ramme in placeI
Is the pro&ramme implementedI What is the slippa&eI
Are the rele-ant standards (statutes and non-statutory" referred and incorporated in the EPM pro&rammeI
Electrical :ests! >ecords! :est Procedure and periodicity (earth resistance! insulation resistance tests"
Is the EPM pro&ramme only documentedI
:ransformer tests (dielectric stren&th! acidity! slud&e deposits! dissol-ed &ases! etc," and periodicity
Periodic caliration of meters (ammeter! -oltmeter! relays! temperature &au&es" and test instruments
(insulation resistance me&&er! earth resistance me&&er! multi-meters! etc,"
Eletrial Aide$t I$6esti4ati'$ Pr'edure
Is e-ery accident < near-miss electrical accidents in-esti&ated in detailI
Is the root cause identified and included in the APP (Accident Pre-ention Pro&ramme"I
Are the recommendations incorporated in the 4.M procedures< 5ork permit
Are these accident causes &i-en importance in safety trainin& sessionsI
Are the ha2ard identification techni8ues such as %o safety analysis! /ault :ree Analysis! etc, utili2edI
I/('rta$e 'f Eletrial Safety i$ the O6erall Safety Syste/
Periodicity of comprehensi-e ESAs
6nderstandin& of electrical ha2ards
Electrical checkpoints in the safety checklist
Electrical safety items the in safety committee a&enda
Implementation priority for electrical ha2ards
Electrical Work Permit System
Electrical 4peratin& Procedures
Electrical ha2ard identification techni8ues used (Electrical 0AJ4P! Electrical Jo safety analysis! etc,"
)i4ht$i$4 Pr'teti'$
Is the 3i&htnin& protection system as per IS 2?0)I
Are the numers of do5n conductors direct and ade8uateI
Are all the structures and uildin& under the 2one of protectionI
While re-ie5in& li&htnin& protection! are oth the plan and ele-ation of structures! etc, consideredI
ESP (Electronic system Protection" for electronic system < e8uipment
Is the earthin& for the electrical and li&htnin& systems interconnectedI
Are the stora&e tanks < chimneys and other special structures protectedI
Earth electrodes- maintenance < periodic tests < acceptale -alue
A5areness of asic concepts of li&htnin& such as types of li&htnin&! predictaility factor! protection concepts!
etc,
2a3ard'us Area Classifiati'$ a$d I$stallati'$ 'f S(eial Eletrial E5ui(/e$t
Are ha2ardous areas classified as per IS ;;A2I
Are the special electrical e8uipments selected and installed as per IS ;;A(I
Are the electrical e8uipments maintained as per IS 2(+* and IS (??+@I
>e-ie5 of area classification in case of process chan&e < plant modification! etc,
Appro-al of area classification dra5in&s as per statutory rules
Maintenance of flame-proof e8uipments
6se of ordinary electrical e8uipment in ha2ardous areas
A5areness of 4.M personnel aout ha2ardous area and flame-proof e8uipments
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *3
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Eletr',Stati !ES" 2a3ards a$d C'$tr'l
Are the ES ha2ards identified in the plantI
Are the non-conducti-e parts 5here ES ha2ards are identified! onded . earthedI
Is the concept of e8ui-potential ondin& and ESE ha2ards clear to 4.M personnelI
Eoes the tanker (carryin& flammale chemicals" de-cantin& procedure! s5itch-loadin&! etc, defined and made
clear to all concernedI
Eletrial Pr'teti'$ Syste/
Are the protection relays in place and set in the main P11 < M11I
Are the relays set in accordance 5ith calculated! desi&n parameters in mindI
Are they calirated and tested periodicallyI
A-ailaility of 0>1 fuses! standard fuse 5ires! M1#s! M11#s! >11#s! etc,
Are the transformer protection de-ices in placeI (#ucholt2 >elay! 4il :emperature >elay! Windin&
:emperature relay! Silica 'el #reather! E9plosion Kent! etc,"
Eletrial Si$4le )i$e Dia4ra/ 1 )ay Out Dia4ra/ 1 E5ui(/e$t )ay'ut 1 Eletrial C'$tr'l dia4ra/
6nauthori2ed :emporary InstallationsI
6pdatedI
S3E reflects the actual installationI
Euly appro-ed y statutory authoritiesI
As part of safety auditin&! for that matter! in any auditin&! cross-checkin& helps to ascertain facts althou&h
auditin& is not a policin& acti-ity, /or instance! checkin& of the status of actual e8uipment maintenance
a&ainst documented maintenance checklist! say! earthin& of a motor, In documented checklist! it may e
marked as Din orderB ut on actual -erification! earthin& may e missin&, 4ur e9perience in carryin& out
ESAs pro-e that &enerally! maintenance checklists are compiled and filed for the sake of satisfyin& either
IS4 certification or statutory < audit re8uirements and that actual implementation is seldom reli&iously
carried out,
Audits are carried out on a samplin& asis, Althou&h lar&e samplin& helps to &et a more realistic -ie5 of
the safety aspects in the plant! this may not e practically possile due to -arious factors such as
time! etc, 0o5e-er! if the client so desires! the samplin& percenta&e can e clearly defined and
communicated to the auditin& a&ency, 'enerally in ESAs! the main areas are su-station! main
po5er transformer! distriution transformers! P11 room! 4ne or t5o M11s! 3i&htin& panel! a fe5
E#s! critical motors! etc, are inspected, 4-iously! the samplin& depends on the si2e of the plant
electrical system! criticality < ha2ardous nature of plant process! etc, :he areas that need
focussed study 5ill ha-e to e looked into in depth, :he aspects that need focussed study could
e fre8uent electrical accidents in an area<plant! electrical panel flash incidents! ma%or statutory
non-compliance! etc,

Pre,Audit #eeti$4
Sin&le point coordination is recommended from oth the sides of the audit a&ency . the client, :he person
should e 5ell a5are of the entire electrical installation and preferaly a senior electrical en&ineer, 0e
should ha-e &ood rapport 5ith all departments and should e communicated 5ith all departments to &et the
re8uired information, :he areas to e -isited and acti-ities to e inspected should e a&reed 5ith the
memers of the mana&ement concerned efore the auditin& e&ins, It is a normal practice to rief the
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith **
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
clientBs officers in the openin& meetin& the audit scope! methodolo&y! etc, :he client should also e
informed aout the possile assistance the ESA team mi&ht re8uire such as=
Permission to photo&raph electrical ha2ards to hi&hli&ht the situation
Assistance of an electrician to carry out -arious measurements < tests (load current! insulation
resistance! earth resistance" includin& the test instruments as necessary
Access to rele-ant test reports <records<inspection records<maintenance documentation<accident
in-esti&ation reports<5ork permits<trainin& records! etc,
Permission to isolate section of the electrical system or e8uipment as necessary 5ithout affectin&
production
II. E)ECTRICA) SA%ET* AUDITING
%ield 7isit
:he field <plant -isit is the most important part of the ESA pro&ramme, :his in-ol-es -isitin& the plant to
identify electrical ha2ards as per the scope of the audit, In electrical safety audits! the incomin& electrical
supply recei-in& section (outdoor sustation and main transformer" is inspected first, :hen the main su-
station housin& the P11s or M11s and the cale &allery (if present" is inspected, Ge9t are the electrical
e8uipments installed in -arious process sections! the calin& and the distriution transformers located in
the plant are -isited, :he aspects such as earthin&! li&htnin& protection! maintenance condition! loose
calin&! temporary 5irin&! electrical fire ha2ards! shock potential! etc, are critically looked-into, :he
checklist pro-ided in the DPre-audit PreparationB section is rather a comprehensi-e attempt! co-erin& almost
all-electrical safety aspects,
:he -erification of the actual installation a&ainst a-ailale dra5in& (such as electrical sin&le line dia&ram!
earthin& lay out! etc," is also carried out durin& the field -isit,

Disussi'$ 8ith Safety a$d Eletrial (ers'$$el
1larification < discussion is carried out 5ith the plant officials (electrical <safety" durin& the field -isit, A
senior electrical en&ineer and preferaly! safety officer should also e part of the e9ternal electrical safety
audit team, :his is a continuous acti-ity ri&ht from the e&innin& of the audit, 1larifications help to ascertain
facts and to understand the system in a etter manner, :he on-site interactions 5ill help to clear many
douts and to su&&est many practical solutions to the client,
Re6ie8 'f D'u/e$tati'$ 1 Re'rds
Gormally! this part is taken-up after the field -isits, All the rele-ant maintenance documentation! test
records! electrical records! electrical inspector reports! 4EM (4ri&inal E8uipment Manufacturer" ser-ice
manuals! 0istory cards are su%ected to detailed e9amination, All the rele-ant dra5in&s (electrical sin&le
line dia&ram! earthin& layout! ha2ardous area classification dra5in&s! protection system schematic!
e8uipment layout! li&htnin& protection dra5in&s" are also checked a&ainst actual installation and
commended upon! 5ith reference to applicale standards,
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *+
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
III. POST,ESA E)E#ENTS
Re('rt %'r/at
:here is no standard ESA report format a-ailale, 1onsiderin& aspects such as clarity of report! usefulness
to the client! and to streamline the report! the follo5in& format is recommended,
Sl. N'. O&ser6ed Eletrial 2a3ard 1
U$safe C'$diti'$ 1N'$,
C'/(lia$e
I/(liati'$ Re'//e$dati'$ I/(le/e$tati'$
Pri'rity

:he implication column helps the user to appreciate the ha2ard! to understand the potential and to prioriti2e
the implementation ased on its se-erity, :he report format 5here the oser-ations and recommendations
are 5ritten to&ether (non-taular format" is popular and is the one that is commonly in use no5adays, :he
taular report format helps to streamline the report! y sheddin& the unnecessary 5ritten matter! makin&
the report crisp and focussed,
:he implementation priority helps the mana&ement to take appropriate action in an or&ani2ed manner,
Se-eral clients specifically re8uested 3PA to recommend implementation priority of the recommendation,
I/(le/e$tati'$ Pri'rity Ra$0i$4
Sl. N'. Eletrial Ris0s Se6erity C'$se5ue$e I/(le/e$tati'$ Pri'rity
( -Statutory non-compliance
-/atal shock ha2ards
' Sustained fault condition
due to defecti-e earthin&
' -/ire < e9plosion due to
improper electrical
e8uipment selection <
maintenance in
flammale atmospheres
' -/ires < E9plosion due to
electrostatic dissipation
in flammale
atmospheres
-0i&h >isk
- 0a2ards that pose
immediate threat to
life . property
-/atal <catastrophic
-Penalty from statutory
authorities
' Priority A
' Immediate correction
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *,
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
2
-Eefects in protection system
-Maintenance fla5s that could
lead to e8uipment failure
<fire < flash
-4perational prolems due to
poor illumination 5ron&
identification! inade8uate
clearance! etc,
-Eeterioration of e8uipment
insulation < earthin& condition
due to lack of monitorin&
<testin&
-Medium >isk -1ritical -Priority 9
,1orrecti-e action in the ne9t
a-ailale opportunity
? -0a2ards that pose no
immediate threat to life and
property
-3ack of implementation of
maintenance pro&ramme due
to inade8uate personnel
' 3o5 >isk ' Mar&inal - Priority C
1orrecti-e action in a phased
manner recommended
-3on&-term correcti-e
measure

ESA Re('rt C'$te$ts
"anagement Abstract
:he mana&ement astract as the name implies contains the salient oser-ations noted durin& the audit and
the recommendations in a nutshell, :he top mana&ement is a usy lot and &enerally appreciates 5hen
matters are presented in a crisp and focussed manner! hi&hli&htin& the most critical aspects, :hey 5ill e
ea&er to understand those ha2ards that are harmful to their employees and to the property, Any prudent
mana&ement 5ill consider seriously potential ha2ards that can affect their usiness (directly as 5ell as
indirectly" and 5ill take immediate action, 1onsiderin& the importance of this section! e-ery care has to e
taken in choosin& appropriate 5ords and to effecti-ely con-ey the messa&e! dependin& upon the criticality
of the ha2ard,
I$tr'duti'$
:his section &enerally contains the ESA scope of 5ork! e9clusions in the audit scope! assistance pro-ided
durin& the audit! details of the audit team! clientBs officials contacted durin& the audit! audit methodolo&y!
and the audit duration, :his section can also contain summary of the clientBs safety system! safety auditin&
policy! trainin& strate&y! Accident Pre-ention Pro&ramme! and the mana&ement commitment to5ards
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *-
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
safety, :he details of clientBs usiness interests and other specific details of the plant process also could
form part of this section,
O6er6ie8 'f Eletrial Syste/
:he o-er-ie5 section contains the details of the electrical po5er supply and the po5er distriution, :his
section can also discuss the details of critical electrical installations! name plate details of critical electrical
e8uipment! recent alterations<additions carried in the electrical installation! capti-e &eneration details! etc,
:his section can also discuss aout the future e9pansion plans 5ith respect to electrical capacity,

S(eifi O&ser6ati'$s a$d Re'//e$dati'$s
:his is the most important section containin& the specific oser-ations and recommendations in the plant
oser-ed durin& the audit, Gormally! the oser-ations are noted area<plant 5ise, 1hecklist
method is found effecti-e and -arious standards (oth statutes and non-statutes" are a-ailale for
reference, :he format for this section is &i-en in this paper,
)i4ht$i$4 Pr'teti'$ Syste/ E6aluati'$
:he re-ie5 of the e9istin& li&htnin& protection system of the plant as per the applicale national (IS= 2?0)"
and international standards (G/PA A*0" is carried out in this section on a sample asis, :he -arious
maintenance aspects are also e-aluated in this section, If re8uired! the fundamental step of ascertainin&
the need for protectin& uildin&s <structures y calculatin& the risk factor is also carried out, :he e9perience
the audit team &ained 5hile auditin& other similar plants <installations are also discussed in the report for
the enefit of the client,
Eletr',Stati 2a3ards, C'$tr'l #easures
ESE (Electro-Static Eischar&es" is a critical area 5here the potential ESE ha2ards are to e identified and
necessary solutions are to e pro-ided, Makin& the client a5are of the potential accidents that can occur
due to Electro-static dischar&es! minimum i&nition ener&y re8uired for fire <e9plosion! concept of e8ui-
potential ondin& and earthin&! etc, are also crucial to make them understand the ESE ha2ards in the ri&ht
li&ht, Many plants handlin& flammale chemicals do not understand the concepts of ESE and hence do not
follo5 de-cantin& procedure that is -ery unsafe, :he reference standards used for identifyin& and
controllin& electro-static ha2ards are IS=A?*) and G/PA AA,
2a3ard'us Areas : O&ser6ati'$s a$d Re'//e$dati'$s
:his is another crucial area that needs to e e-aluated critically, Althou&h ha2ardous areas are critical! they
are mostly ne&lected in most of the ha2ardous plants, :he desi&n principle of flameproof e8uipment makes
it a special e8uipment that needs Dspecial careB, Area classification into 2ones and installin& -arious types of
electrical e8uipment are the critical factors in controllin& accidents in ha2ardous areas, 4nce the ha2ardous
areas are classified and the ri&ht electrical e8uipments are installed! the onus of maintainin& these special
electrical e8uipments ecomes the duty of the electrical maintenance personnel, In almost )0 C of the
cases! the maintenance of these electrical e8uipments is not up to the re8uired le-el,
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *.
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
:he ha2ardous area classification is carried out y process e9perts dependin& upon the possiility of
e9istence of flammale -apour<&ases as per IS=;;A2 <4ISE ((? <API >P ;00, :he selection of electrical
e8uipments is carried out as per IS=;;A( and is to e maintained as per IS=(??+@ and IS=2(+* pro-ides the
details of special features of flameproof e8uipments,
Re6ie8 'f Eletrial Aide$ts a$d C'$tr'l #easures
:he electrical accident record in the plant is analy2ed in this section, Eiscussions are also carried out 5ith
electrical and safety officers to fully understand the accident and to pinpoint the root cause, :he
accidents report format as 5ell as the root cause identification methods are analy2ed and
recommendations are pro-ided,
Re6ie8 'f %ire 2a3ards a$d %ire Pr'teti'$ #easures f'r Eletrial I$stallati'$s
:his section co-ers the identified potential electrical fire ha2ards! fire pre-ention methods and the fire
protection strate&ies to e adopted y the client, :he suitale fire detection (30S H3inear 0eat Sensin&
cale! smoke<fire detectors" and e9tin&uishin& medium (fi9e as 5ell as portale" are also recommended
dependin& upon the application, :he focus areas 5ill e the electrical installation < e8uipment 5here
potential of fire ha2ards are relati-ely hi&h such as M11<P11 rooms! transformers! po5er plants! E'
rooms! cale &alleries! 5arehouses! store rooms! office uildin&s! etc,
Eletrial #ai$te$a$e Re6ie8
:he electrical maintenance aspects in toto 5ill e re-ie5ed in this section, :he standards follo5ed
competency of 4.M personnel! tests carried out as part of maintenance! etc, 5ill e re-ie5ed in detail,
Implementation slippa&e! test -alue interpretation! appropriateness of action taken! etc, 5ill also e
e-aluated, Karious national standards (partial list pro-ided in this paper" are used for this purpose,
Re6ie8 'f Eletrial Test Re'rds a$d Test Pr'edures
:ests that are carried on sample asis are e-aluated in this section, :ests are carried out 5hen it is felt that
the -alues recorded are not credile, Gormally! the follo5in& tests are carried out,
(, Insulation resistance -alues of select cales < motors
2, 3oad current measurements of feeders<motors
?, Earth resistance tests
:he test procedures that are adopted in the plant are also -erified a&ainst national standards, 4SE
standards as 5ell as national standards pro-ide -aluale &uidance re&ardin& acceptale -alues, :he load
currents measured are checked a&ainst the current carryin& capacity of cale<motor after applyin&
applicale ratin&<de-ratin& factors to identify o-erload condition,
A$$e;ures !f'r refere$e, 4uideli$es, et."
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith */
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
:his section consists of -arious pulished reference materials that could e eneficial to the client in the
area of electrical safety, :he plant electrical sin&le line dia&ram and the key electrical e8uipment lay out
dia&ram may also e attached in this section for future ready reference,
Ph't'4ra(hs !t' hi4hli4ht eletrial ha3ards"
:his is an important section! 5hich is used to hi&hli&ht electrical ha2ards identified in the plant, :he
permission to photo&raph plant sections is taken in the pre-audit meetin&, 'enerally! auditin& a&encies
maintain confidentiality of the safety audit report as 5ell as the photo&raphs,
4nce the photo&raph is attached in the report 5ith the rele-ant caption! mana&ement appreciates the
ha2ard in a etter manner than 5hen it is e9pressed in te9t form,
#a$a4e/e$t 9riefi$4
:he mana&ement riefin& at the end of safety auditin& is another crucial factor in the effecti-eness of
auditin& ecause it is the top mana&ement 5ho needs to e con-inced aout the conse8uences of
Electrical ha2ards, /or effecti-e mana&ement riefin&! the auditor should possess a comination of
effecti-e communication skill! thorou&h understandin& of the ha2ards and the capaility to offer safe . cost-
effecti-e solution, Audits may also result in 8uestions needin& policy decisions and proposals for capital
e9penditure, It is therefore important that the oard and the senior mana&ement are seen to e the
authority for the formal audit system and ha-e committed resources- manpo5er and money- to implement
the chan&es a&reed, It is also essential that a senior mana&ement representati-e is directly in-ol-ed in the
re-ie5 of the audit report leadin& to an action plan and in suse8uent formal re-ie5s of pro&ress on the
plan,
1onsolidation of the audit is the most important part of the ESA pro&ramme, If the mana&ement is not
con-inced of the seriousness <conse8uence of the ha2ard! the safety recommendation 5ill not e
implemented, 1ompetent officer (preferaly! the ESA team leader" 5ith effecti-e communication skills is
ideal, 1onsolidation also includes &roupin& the micro oser-ations into macro le-el cate&ori2ation, Macro
aspects could e classified into ; ma%or areas=
+. Desi4$ %la8s
Inade8uate protection,
Go < updated Electrical Sin&le 3ine Eia&ram,
Inappropriate ha2ardous area classification < selection of electrical e8uipment,
Improper li&htnin& protection,
Electrostatic 0a2ards,
Inade8uate Earthin&,
Selection of non-standard cales< motors < transformers,
Go passi-e fire protection in cale passes,
-. Eletrial #ai$te$a$e As(ets
Gon-standard maintenance practices,
4nly documentation a-ailale to comply 5ith IS4 re8uirement,
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *0
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Go periodic tests on earthin& system! transformer oil! insulation resistance tests! etc,
Go periodic caliration of protection relays< test . measurin& instruments,
#ypassin& of >11#s (>esidual 1urrent 1ircuit #reakers",
4rdinary copper 5ires used instead of 0>1 (0i&h >upturin& 1apacity" fuses,
4penin&s in feeders< distriution oards,
3ack of identification marks on E#s (Eistriution #oards"! %unction o9es,
Poor maintenance of flameproof e8uipment,
.. Trai$i$4 I$ter6e$ti'$
3ack of asic understandin& of electrical ha2ards,
>epeated (hi&h fre8uency! lo5 se-erity" electrical accidents,
Electrical accidents are not in-esti&ated in detail,
<. Defets i$ Syste/s = Pr'edures
#ypassin& of electrical 5ork permit procedure,
Wron& tanker (carryin& flammale li8uids" decantin& procedure (ESE ha2ards",
#ypassin& of the interlockin& system for multiple po5er sources,
>. #a$a4e/e$t C'//it/e$t
Employin& non-competent persons< 5ron& attitude of employees,
Gon-compliance to statutory re&ulations,
Electrical safety not prioriti2ed in the o-erall safety system,
#elie-es that DGothin& happened to us till no5! so nothin& is &oin& to happen to usB,
Electrical accidents are not in-esti&ated in detail and are considered ine-itale,
Electrical safety is percei-ed as too technical to e handled y safety department and
hence considered to e separate, Go interference of safety department in electrical
acti-ities,
Durati'$ 'f Eletrial Safety Audits
:he duration of ESA depends on the si2e of the plant <uildin&, Gormally! the pre-audit meetin&!
understandin& the process and electrical distriution takes almost 2 hours and a 8uick round in a
small plant 5ill take another 2-? hours totalin& to a half day, :he initial plant -isit helps the audit
team to identify areas of concern! 5hich 5ill e e-aluated in detail durin& the field -isit, /ield -isit!
discussion 5ith electrical 4.M! safety officers 5ill take almost *0C of the audit time and is the
most important element of the ESA pro&ramme, >e-ie5in& the records! maintenance documents!
etc, 5ill consume appro9imately (0C of the audit time, Pre-Audit meetin&! the initial 8uick plant
-isit! photo&raphy! and riefin& mana&ement 5ill take the rest (0C of the total auditin& time, :he
time re8uired for report preparation is certainly time consumin& and depends of the 8uantum of
5ork,
I$teri/ Re('rt
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *1
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Since the final report 5ill take some time for preparation! an interim report containin& the salient
oser-ations noted in the audit and the recommendations is sent to the client 5ithin a period of (; days,
:his 5ill enale the clientBs top mana&ement to take action on most critical safety prolems 5ithout delay,

C'$fide$tiality 'f Re('rt
'enerally! the safety audit a&encies maintain confidentiality of the report,
%'ll'8,u( audit
A monitorin& system is re8uired to ensure that recommendations are communicated and understood that
the re8uired 5ork! or chan&es! is implemented, Methods for achie-in& this 5ithin the allotted time scale
-ary ut 5ill include direct reports to senior mana&ement or to appropriate 5orks< pro%ects technical
committees, :his could e an a&enda in the safety committee meetin&s,
U(dated Eletrial Safety I$f'r/ati'$ Tra$sfer thr'u4h ESAs
Temperature #etection and electrical accident Control
Many safety conscious or&ani2ations are usin& non-contact type! laser &uided thermometers to detect
temperature rise in electrical panels! e8uipments! etc, :his hotspot detection tool if used effecti-ely can
increase reliaility y identifyin& potential prolem areas in ad-ance 5ithout initiatin& a shutdo5n, :he
concept of the use of thermometer is ased on the principle that D&enerally! electrical failures are preceded
y anormal heat uild-upB, :hermometers can e used for dia&nostic and pre-enti-e inspection of
electrical e8uipment,
6S study sho5ed that 2@C total electrical failures are due to loose connections and poor terminations,
Indian scenario as per an e9pert cannot e less than ;0C, Immediate effect 5ill e o-erheatin& of %oints
and terminations due to increased contact resistance,
0otspots can form due to=
6se of improper lu&s < incomplete crimp
Poor contact
#olts carryin& current
Eirty contact surface
E9tra Joints
1ut 5ire strands to accommodate smaller lu&

0i&h temperatures (or hotspots" could indicate=

0i&h contact resistance
3oose< ti&ht connections
6ne8ual loadin&
4-er loadin&
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith *2
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
Althou&h this -ersatile temperature-measurin& instrument is used in many plants! it is oser-ed that the
proper interpretation and action taken on temperatures e9ceedin& normal -alues re8uires impro-ement, A
fe5 tips for temperature -alue interpretation! e9tracted from a manufacturerBs application &uide are &i-en
elo5 for &uidance,
(, ?0 de&ree centi&rade L amient indicates a serious fault condition and needs in-esti&ation,
2, :emperature difference et5een phases H ; de&ree centi&rade or more- a potential prolem,
:he temperature detection at electrical connections! etc, ecomes -ery crucial considerin& the fact that the
effect of temperature on insulation life 5ill reduce y ;0C if the ma9imum temperature is e9ceeded y (0
de&ree centi&rade,
Protection from Electrical Arc $ires
>ecently! an inno-ati-e electrical safety de-ice called A/1I (Arc /ault 1urrent Interrupter"! desi&ned to
pre-ent electrical fires caused y arcin& in lo5 -olta&e circuits has een de-eloped in America, After the
in-ention of '/1I ('round /ault 1urrent interrupter" <>11# (>esidual 1urrent 1ircuit #reaker" forty years
ack! A/1Is are considered the first ma%or ad-ance in electrical protection, It is reported that the American
&o-ernment has made it compulsory to install A/1Is in all ne5 American homes y 2002,
/ires in electrical 5irin& reak out at 5ire<cale %oints! end terminations! etc, ecause of mechanical
dama&e to insulation! o-erloadin&! insulation deterioration! etc, result in hi&h temperature uild-up resultin&
in fires, Arcin& &enerates hi&h intensity heat and e9pels urnin& particles that can easily i&nite comustile
materials, Acin& faults are supposed to ha-e the potential of initiatin& fires,
A fe5 of the typical conditions 5here arc faults may start include=
Eama&ed 5ires
Worn electrical insulation
3oose electrical connections
4-erheated or stressed electrical cords and 5ires
A/1Is are desi&ned to detect the arcin& patterns of serial and parallel or arcs to earth and to trip the circuit,
It is en-isa&ed that this electrical safety de-ice 5ith its uni8ue Darc detection circuitryB 5ould consideraly
control electrical fire accidents,
SU##AR*
:otal in-ol-ement and commitment of the top mana&ement is asolutely essential for the success of any
safety audit pro&ramme ri&ht from the audit initiation sta&e, :hey ha-e to demonstrate the acti-e support to
the safety mana&ement system y pro-idin& the re8uired resources! e it manpo5er or materials, :he top
mana&ement has to instruct all the rele-ant employees to take part in the safety audit and to pro-ide all
necessary help to make the auditin& successful, :he mana&ement system is fundamental to loss
pre-ention, Many prudent mana&ement are e9periencin& the o-ious enefits from the concept of S:EP -
Safety :hrou&h Employee Participation 5hich is -ery crucial for the success of any safety pro&ramme,
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith +3
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
A properly desi&ned! planned and e9ecuted electrical safety audit pro&ramme can rin& out many ha2ards
that could sa-e life . property, An auditor is e9pected to help the auditee to identify the potential electrical
ha2ards! to make the auditee understand the conse8uences and also to help them throu&h the process of
implementation of Electrical Safety recommendations,
Safety audits are an important part of a companyBs control system, :he auditin& schemes does not remo-e
from the mana&ement and super-isors the necessity for re&ular checkin& and recheckin& to ensure that
people under their control are 5orkin& in a safe manner, :heir application and use do not remo-e the need
for proper care and responsiility at all le-els in day-to-day operations,
An or&anisation institutin& safety audits must define the o%ecti-es and scope of the audit! its fre8uency! the
elements it should contain and the methods to e used,
An or&anisationBs culture determines the numer and se-erity of accidents! ho5 they are handled and the
numer and ma&nitude of accidents, JapanBs accidents se-en times lesser than those in the 6S ecause of
the difference in Dculture climateB in the t5o countries, It is natural that the philosophy of the top
mana&ement cascades do5ns throu&h the or&ani2ation and reflects on e-ery aspect of its functions,
Acceptin& accidents! as part of doin& usiness is mismana&ement A pra&matic approach 5orks etter than
a do&matic one,
As some one has ri&htly said! DSafety is &ood usiness . like most usiness situations! has an optimal le-el
of acti-ity eyond 5hich are diminishin& returnsB, If ade8uate initial e9penses are made on safety! plants 5ill
e inherently safe from ma%or accidents, :o conclude! the mana&ement system is fundamental to loss
pre-ention and hence! Safety . 3oss Pre-ention pro&ramme in an or&ani2ation stand or fall y the attitude
of the top mana&ement,
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P,', Sree%ith
Mana&er (>isk Ser-ices"
1holamandalam AMA >isk Ser-ices 3td,
1hennai
IGEIA
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith +*
Cholamandalam AXA Risk Services Ltd.
CARS Article on Electrical Safety Auditing/ sreejith ++