zog
Senior Member
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
Arc Flash while racking breaker
- Thread starter zog
- Start date
- Status
ItsHot
Senior Member
- Location
- A little piece of heaven!
further details
further details
Zog , do you have further details of this accident? That looked like a bomb exploding!
further details
Zog , do you have further details of this accident? That looked like a bomb exploding!
Sierrasparky
Senior Member
- Location
- USA
- Occupation
- Electrician ,contractor
pretty nasty. What do you think happend. That guy was aggresively wrenching on something.
zog
Senior Member
- Location
- Charlotte, NC
I am working on getting details, that was a pretty common flash for 480V switchgear based on the testing I have witnessed. I appears he was racking in or out a 480V circuit breaker (ABB K-Line or GE AKR from the looks of the hole in the door).
It looks to me like he was having some sort of problem with the racking mech, going in and out and then tried to force it in. Either there was something wrong with the racking mech (I doubt) or he didnt know how to do it right and was missing an interlock in the cell (Likely).
It looks to me like he was having some sort of problem with the racking mech, going in and out and then tried to force it in. Either there was something wrong with the racking mech (I doubt) or he didnt know how to do it right and was missing an interlock in the cell (Likely).
peter d
Senior Member
- Location
- New England
It certainly gives you an appreciation for the fault current that is available on a large service. If that video doesn't wake you up to the danger of working live, then nothing will.
electricalperson
Senior Member
- Location
- massachusetts
thats pretty damn scary.
quogueelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- new york
It looked like 5kv gear to me looked identical to gear at pseg in Bridgeport. May have had some sort of faceshield on looked like fr shirt but I doubt he survived. No emergency lighting no flashlights gear rooms like this are usually up and down catwalks. He was racking clockwise then counter clockwise then clockwise again. Pretty bad fault.zog said:
Mr.Sparkle
Senior Member
- Location
- Jersey Shore
That is a very sobering video. Although I cant say I have any experiences with that kind of work at all. Mostly resi and light commercial for me. Scary.
THIS is why an Arc Flash Analysis and a short circuit/coordination study are so important to the safety of our electricians. Note that the lights go out...blew a breaker probably, but the arc still continues (and grows actually). This could be a result of a coordination problem or the effects of AC motors feeding the arc from the load side of the breaker.
If an AFA and SS/C study had been completed before this incident, it may have been apparent that the potential energy release at this point in the event of a fault/short circuit would be well above the 40 cal/cm2 protection that an arc flash suit could provide "some" protection from. The equipment would most likely have been labeled as "Extreme Danger - Energized Work Prohibited".
Sure the cost to the company for the analysis may be significant...but nothing like the price paid by this electrician (and his family).
Be Safe! Don't work hot!
If an AFA and SS/C study had been completed before this incident, it may have been apparent that the potential energy release at this point in the event of a fault/short circuit would be well above the 40 cal/cm2 protection that an arc flash suit could provide "some" protection from. The equipment would most likely have been labeled as "Extreme Danger - Energized Work Prohibited".
Sure the cost to the company for the analysis may be significant...but nothing like the price paid by this electrician (and his family).
Be Safe! Don't work hot!
sparks0304
Member
- Location
- New Mexico
sorry to say i dont think he lived, nfpa 70-e 130-1 thru 130-7 will let you know what kind of arc flash protection that is need to work on different jobs.
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