70E Work place safety practice

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Davids1964

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Location
Virginia
We posed a question to our GC/Electrical Enigineers about Arc Fault Analysis on a major renovation on our building which consitsted of all new switch gear and electrical panel equipement throuhout. The question was, is there an Arc Fault Analays being conducted on the buildings electrical equipment? There answer was that its the owners resonisblity to conduct this information even though it was not broght up during contract negotiations. My question is: if one of the construction workers get injuried or has a fatality weather it be a plumber, carpenter, or electrician who would be respnosible for that accident while under construction? The owner cannot do an analysis for building that has not been turned back over to them. Surely the GC or the electrical contractor would have to accept responsiblity. Will OHSA go after the GC and electrical contractor if the workers did not follow safety practices of 70E? Can anyone elaborate on this catch 22 or am I missing something.
 

iwire

Moderator
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Location
Massachusetts
Surely the GC or the electrical contractor would have to accept responsiblity.

They don't get a choice in it if a worker is injured and safety rules where not followed.

Will OHSA go after the GC and electrical contractor if the workers did not follow safety practices of 70E?

I would expect so, and they might also go after the customer for allowing it to happen.
 

Jraef

Moderator, OTD
Staff member
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
Occupation
Electrical Engineer
What I have been told, in a class conducted by a recently retired OSHA inspector, is that OSHA can and often does go after EVERYONE, including immediate supervisors of the injured person. So the owner of the building cannot subrogate his responsibility by hiring a GC, the GC cannot subrogate it to an EC, and EC firm cannot subrogate it to a site supervisor, and the site supervisor cannot subrogate it to the employee. Everyone up the chain is responsible, it's just that not all parties can affect the necessary contracts to make it happen. So the site supervisor can, IN WRITING, notify the EC firm that there is no Arc Flash Study done, the EC firm can then notity the GC and say, for example, that all work must cease until it is done, the GC can do the same to the owner, the owner can then argue with whomever he likes about who has to pay for it, but he is the one most likely to suffer the most if the project stops.
 

zog

Senior Member
Location
Charlotte, NC
Same catch 22 we see while gathering data for an arc flash study. The EC doing the work needs to figure out what PPE is required and this is s time where the tables com ein handy. There is a short circuit study somewhere (Had to be to select the equipment) and based on the protective functions of the OCPD's you can figure out if you are within the limits of the tables, so use the HRC's.
 

charlie b

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Staff member
Location
Lockport, IL
Occupation
Retired Electrical Engineer
. . . based on the protective functions of the OCPD's you can figure out if you are within the limits of the tables, so use the HRC's.
I have to wonder how often an installation, and a planned maintenance task, actually do fall within the limits of the tables. I am inclined to guess that the answer is "close to never." And that is not a marketing gimick. I know how to perform an arc flash analysis, and my company does have the software, but I prefer to assign that task to the vendor who provides the distribution equipment.

 

zog

Senior Member
Location
Charlotte, NC
I have to wonder how often an installation, and a planned maintenance task, actually do fall within the limits of the tables. I am inclined to guess that the answer is "close to never." And that is not a marketing gimick. I know how to perform an arc flash analysis, and my company does have the software, but I prefer to assign that task to the vendor who provides the distribution equipment.


Once you get away from the main switchgear where there are feeders with INST protection and lower fault currents you are usually OK.
 
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