Trying to get away from hot work

Merry Christmas
M

ModbusMan

Senior Member
Location
Cleveland, OH
Occupation
Building Automation Engineer
It's coming close to that time of year (February/March) when my team again pushes to get away from doing breaker swaps on customer distribution panels to keep accounting satisfied that we're not allowing customers to oversubscribe on power (never-mind that they make zero complaint about network bandwidth). We already run #10 for any 15/20/30 circuit, but in offices with branch circuit metering, we want to install 30A everything then never touch it again. Which is where accounting rushes in going "but whatabout!!!!!" Does anyone have good references we could use to make the argument that such work should be prohibited outright? I haven't found anything obvious in the NEC, while OSHA merely lays out the requirements for doing it safely and has a "we'd really rather you not" as opposed to "thou shalt not."
 
Nothing but 120Y208 being sold to our customers currently. We're investigating 240Y415 in two markets, but if we do make that available, it would only ever be 60A.
 
Sooo.... thoughts? ideas? or is OSHA's "We'd really rather you not" going to remain the only argument we can make from a regulatory viewpoint?
 
How about flipping the discussion.

Instead of trying to get away from 'working hot', push for enhanced hardware/tools/procedures that renders the desired operations safe.

In a very real sense we all do 'hot work' all the time. And I don't mean electricians, I mean _everyone_. When was the last time that you removed power from a receptacle before plugging something in?

But we all understand that a properly operated plug and receptacle doesn't expose the user to arc flash risk or risk of contact to exposed energized conductors. Plugging in a lamp is not 'hot work'.

With different equipment or tools, could a breaker swap similarly be done without 'working hot'? Does anyone make low voltage breakers that can switched off, removed from the panel, and a replacement plugged in, without exposing the electrician to any more risk then plugging in a toaster? Does anyone make a robot that could accomplish a breaker swap with the electrician at a safe distance and not exposed to the shock/arc flash risk? Are there panelboards with guarded bus bars that would significantly reduce the risk during a breaker swap? Could you simply provide a 'customer disconnect' that has a smaller breaker in it than the 'distribution panel'; breaker swap would then be flipping a breaker in one panel and then swapping the breaker in a separate _de-energized_ enclosure?

Can you get the bean counters to spend a bit more so that they can get the 'swap a single breaker without shutting everyone else down' that they want but you get the enhanced safety that you want?
 
Many years ago, when we developed our Hot Work permitting system the final signature on the form we termed the MJO. Explaining to plant managers, typically the MJO. We pointed out that it stood for the Most Jailable Officer. If something happened they were going to jail. That's assuming you have any control over the Permitting process. IIRC, both NFPA 70E and OSHA safe work practices include exceptions to permit Hot Work, but economic concerns are not justifiable. It will be an up hill battle to convince some people that what we used to do is dangerous.
Winnie is right, if they don't understand the risks, make them realize the cost. If at all possible make them put it in writing.
 
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