What does a sop do ?

[hawkeye23]

When an employee follows a company sop while turning on or off breakers of 60-600amp would he be considered a qualified worker under 70e ? Should there be more training involved ? This is after a arc flash study is done.

 

[petersonra]

When an employee follows a company sop while turning on or off breakers of 60-600amp would he be considered a qualified worker under 70e ? Should there be more training involved ? This is after a arc flash study is done.

what additional training is required?

the form of training is generally not specified.

it could be in writing, verbal, or video, or some combination.

 

[kwired]

When an employee follows a company sop while turning on or off breakers of 60-600amp would he be considered a qualified worker under 70e ? Should there be more training involved ? This is after a arc flash study is done.

I'd say he is qualified for a particular task, but not necessarily qualified as an electrical worker if that is what is in question.

 

[Jraef]

I think the details are important here too. "Turning on and off breakers of 60-600A"; what do you mean? Opening a panel with exposed live conductors and flipping breaker handles, or using an external handle on the closed door or dead-front of an enclosed panel? If anything is exposed, the SOP would need to clarify that the qualification of the person opening that panel must include very specific and detailed procedures, typically part of an ELECTRICAL worker's training program, but not, for example that of a millwright or mechanic.

But if the operation is from the outside of a panel or dead front of a panel, and as long as the SOP includes recognition and adherence to the labeled hazard risk of the panel and/or PPE requirement, as identified in the risk assessment that has been performed, then why not? Nobody intended this to require a LO/TO procedure to need an electrician every time a belt needs adjustment or a cleanup needs to take place, as long as there is no exposure to potentially live conductors.

 

[Smart $]

Just exactly what does the SOP acronym stand for in your usage?

I am asking because under certain circumstances, the NEC requires documented switching procedures (aka Switch Operation Procedure). This may or may not be incorporated in the company's safety program documentation.

 

[hawkeye23]

SOP is standard operating procedure. I ask those questions because I think under 70e an employee should be trained a little more than reading a sop after being showed once. Is this a task for a qualified worker? I don,t know the rules just seems to me there should be training before opening or closing large breakers even if there is no exposed conductors.

 

[petersonra]

SOP is standard operating procedure. I ask those questions because I think under 70e an employee should be trained a little more than reading a sop after being showed once. Is this a task for a qualified worker? I don,t know the rules just seems to me there should be training before opening or closing large breakers even if there is no exposed conductors.

Other than training them on how to safely perform this task what additional training do you think is required?

 

[S'mise]

...But if the operation is from the outside of a panel or dead front of a panel, and as long as the SOP includes recognition and adherence to the labeled hazard risk of the panel and/or PPE requirement, as identified in the risk assessment that has been performed, then why not? Nobody intended this to require a LO/TO procedure to need an electrician every time a belt needs adjustment or a cleanup needs to take place, as long as there is no exposure to potentially live conductors.

I agree with you but the rub is that PPE is usually required outside the closed panel or disconnect. The intent seems to warrant an electrician since most millwrights or mechanics dont wear the proper ppe or trained about arc flash.

 

[GoldDigger]

Other than training them on how to safely perform this task what additional training do you think is required?

Maybe realizing that closing a breaker into a presumed and unrepaired fault is a bad idea?
If there are routine nuisance trips, then the ability to recognize a trip that does not fit that scenario would be nice. Even if they do not need to have any idea how to actually fix it.

 

[petersonra]

Maybe realizing that closing a breaker into a presumed and unrepaired fault is a bad idea?
If there are routine nuisance trips, then the ability to recognize a trip that does not fit that scenario would be nice. Even if they do not need to have any idea how to actually fix it.

If this is covered in the SOP, why would this be an issue?

Just out of curiosity, what percentage of electricians do you think would do anything other than just reset the breaker most of the time?

To me this smells like someone griping about his turf being invaded as much as any real safety concern.

 

[Jraef]

I would think that an SOP would differentiate between performing an LO/TO procedure and re-closing a breaker after a trip. In addition, as many very LARGE breakers are in vented enclosures where the hazard risk boundary will extend well beyond the front of the enclosure, those breakers should be fenced off with access limited to only qualified electrical workers wearing the appropriate PPE, which should ALSO be part of the SOP. I also wholeheartedly agree that the SOP should include that reclosing ANY breaker after a trip should ONLY be done by qualified electricians, and only AFTER the cause of the trip is thoroughly investigated (notwithstanding the reality that many electricians fail at that last part).

 

[hawkeye23]

To all- this is not about protecting turf. It is about people turning power onto motor control panels and trying to start motors back up that has burned out and not knowing this they try it again and again. All they know is they have to get the piece of equipment running.
What I am trying to find out is if being qualify to operate the equipment are they qualify as in 70e , even with the sop.
I don,t think so and was looking for other peoples outlook on this.

 

[petersonra]

To all- this is not about protecting turf. It is about people turning power onto motor control panels and trying to start motors back up that has burned out and not knowing this they try it again and again. All they know is they have to get the piece of equipment running.
What I am trying to find out is if being qualify to operate the equipment are they qualify as in 70e , even with the sop.
I don,t think so and was looking for other peoples outlook on this.

Unfortunately, like many posters here, you did not tell the whole story in your original post.

I just do not have a major problem with people who are not electricians being taught how to operate electrical equipment.

I am inclined to agree that some limits to that operation are in order.

This is what your OP actually said.

When an employee follows a company sop while turning on or off breakers of 60-600amp would he be considered a qualified worker under 70e ? Should there be more training involved ? This is after a arc flash study is done.

Nothing in there about resetting a tripped breaker. Only turning them on and off.

 

[ATSman]

When an employee follows a company sop while turning on or off breakers of 60-600amp would he be considered a qualified worker under 70e ? Should there be more training involved ? This is after a arc flash study is done.

I do not think any of us can intelligently answer your question until we see what is written in this SOP.

 

[Jraef]

I do not think any of us can intelligently answer your question until we see what is written in this SOP.

Bingo...

The NFPA 70E does not so much dictate exactly WHAT your SOP needs to say as much as it just says that you must have one. Actually, it is OSHA that says you must have one, and suggests 70E as a guideline. But what is in that SOP is still the employer's responsibility. So if YOUR employer's SOP says that operators can reset tripped breakers, then that's what it is. Whether or not we agree or disagree with that concept is pointless however, because nobody paid us to write your company's SOP. I will say however that if your SOP says it is OK for a worker who is NOT a qualified electrical worker to reset tripped breakers over and over without calling an electrician, then if someone gets hurt and OSHA investigators see that in the SOP, the company is at serious risk for being shut down, fined and prosecuted. If however the SOP does NOT specifically allow that, and some manager is INTERPRETING it that way or is looking the other way to maintain production, then that manager is potentially CRIMINALLY liable if there is an accident.

So again, we don't know what your SOP says, so these are all speculation.

 

[hawkeye23]

I have to agree first post doesn't match the second post and that was not my intension to mislead anyone so for that I do apologize.
Thank you all for your help here.

 

[kingpb]

Simply lock the panel, then control who has the key. That way, no one not designated important enough to have a key can't reset breaker.