ArcFlash Rules for Teaching Labs in University

[WilliamTEvans]

I am a professor of Engineering Technology at the University of Toledo. Does NFPA 70E apply to educational labs? In other words, do students have to be protected in a motors lab from the same arc flash rules found in industry. We have labs with exposed 230 VAC and I have refused to teach with this equipment.

My course has been re-structured using less than 50 VAC which is really difficult since we can't do much with ac motors.

 

[rbalex]

Have you read the Purpose (90.1) and Scope (90.2) of 70E? You are an employee of the school; are the students employees while in the lab?

Technically, the rules only apply to you; however, any avoidable accidents that would have been prevented by observing 70E could still expose the school to liability. Talk to the school's legal counsel. We aren't attorney's.

 

[petersonra]

I agree with Mr. Alexander.

In any case, exposing your students to 70E is good training for them.

 

[fmtjfw]

It's the amps

It's the amps

The energy from an accident can be controlled by providing resistance/reactance in the circuit. Get an EE buddy to help you figure out what you need for 120/240V to prevent arc flash. [Arc flash is actually pretty hard to get for 120/240 with small enough available amps]

If you are worried about electrocutions, follow 70E, PPE for measurements; lockout for wiring.

-- OR --
treat students like apprentices -- expendable :dunce:

 

[Smart $]

... We have labs with exposed 230 VAC and I have refused to teach with this equipment.

...

The simplest solution is to change the exposed conductors to non-exposed, protected. Keep in mind non-exposed or protected is not the equivalent of not visible... meaning clear, see-through barriers can provide arc flash protection. Not so much on the visible flash if an arc were to occur, but depending on configuration, could significantly reduce the potential for an arc to occur.

Also, as mentioned are using means to control the amount of available incident energy.

 

[rbalex]

There is no question that hazards in the lab can be mitigated; however, the OP asked if the students were covered by NFPA 70E. Unless there is an employer/employee relationship, neither NFPA 70E nor FedOSHA speaks to the issue.

In a few States (California is one of them, I don?t know about Ohio) the State OSHA covers more than employees in certain cases. Under civil liabilities, since there are known hazards (the professor knows about 70E) it?s likely a tort attorney would have no problem suing someone.

As I mentioned though, we aren?t attorneys so no one here is qualified to say much more than 70E applies to employees.

 

[GoldDigger]

There is no question that hazards in the lab can be mitigated; however, the OP asked if the students were covered by NFPA 70E. Unless there is an employer/employee relationship, neither NFPA 70E nor FedOSHA speaks to the issue.

If there are upper level students who are working as lab or teaching assistants, then whether or not they are employees for any particular purpose which distinguishes treatment of employees will be a very good question for those same lawyers.

Back when I was in school whether a student who got a scholarship or stipend for that kind of work was an employee depended on whether it was billed as part of his required learning experience or just a job for compensation.

 

[WilliamTEvans]

Many thanks for the responses. Personally, I am an EE and PE and know the risk whether it is the law for students or not. Arc Flash does not show partiality in industry vs schools. I intend to keep it less than 50 V for now. Good idea on keeping the live equipment behind shields. This takes time and someday we may have that kind of equipment but not for now. I am struggling to get good labs but have started the process. If interested, take a look at:

www.cset.sp.utoledo.edu/~wevans

login with name: wevans
and password: Myeet12
then go down to EET 4350 - labs

The labs are being built this semester and we are not through with them yet.

If anyone has an idea for ac motors, please give me a note or call (cell 419-343-3681)

This problem is being ignored by many in education and motors courses are being phased out, especially the lab portion. We are using simulations, etc. This is hard to take so any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[Smart $]

My earlier post is not in disagreement. ANSI/NFPA 70E (and similar electrical safety documents*) are about mitigating hazards when work on or manipulation of electrical equipment is being performed by workers (employees)... and nothing about mitigating hazards to others that may do the same in a non-employee status. We can say plenty about that without getting into the legalities, the first of which is...

There is no question that hazards in the lab can be mitigated

* FWIW, I've been working in the nuclear power industry for the past few years. Everyone I've talked to says utility generating plant workers are not covered by NFPA 70E, the same as NFPA 70 doesn't apply to utility power plant installations. However, being the nuclear industry is documentation driven, each utility I'm aware of has a documented electrical safety program. I have two 50+ page documents sitting off to the side of my computer as I type this reply on the very subject, and each includes other (...pages upon pages of...) documentation by reference.

 

[dereckbc]

Just thinking out loud so take it for what it is worth.

There AC 3-phase motors under 50 volts, many of them. Some go up to 10 HP. You just have to think outside the box. Think Golf Carts, Neighborhood Electric Vehicles, Fork Lifts, and Radio Controlled Airplanes. See if that gives you any ideas. :angel:

 

[petersonra]

Everyone I've talked to says utility generating plant workers are not covered by NFPA 70E

In a highly legalistic way no one is covered by NFPA70E. It is a program many employers choose to adopt to meet OSHA requirements to have an ES program in place. There is no general requirement at all that the ES program include any part of NFPA70E.