Arc Flash Safety Tips for Asphalt Plant Maintenance This Winter

With winter downtime coming up, asphalt professionals are turning their thoughts to seasonal maintenance and component upgrades. Keep best safety practices in mind as personnel go into “mechanic” mode and keep arc flash safety top of mind. When a high-voltage gap exists between a phase bus bar and another phase bus bar, neutral or a ground, the worker can be seriously injured by an arc flash.

The arc flash has been reported to reach temperatures of 35,000° F. It can produce a noise as loud as a gunshot going off next to your worker’s head, reaching 140 decibels.

To avoid an arc flash accident, be aware of worn cable insulation, dirty or corroded contacts, dirty or corroded electrical parts, a dead rodent rotting next to electrical components, and other unclean conditions like dust and dirt buildup around components and switches. Cleanliness matters around electrical devices.

The only way to eliminate hazards is to de-energize equipment. Test for the absence of voltage while wearing the appropriate PPE. Until the absence of voltage testing proves the circuits are dead, assume they are energized.

Also make sure workers wear arc-rated, flame-resistant (AR/FR) clothing when they get to work on electrical components. As important as it is to wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE), it’s just as important to avoid wearing conductive jewelry. Put on an arc flash suit, hardhat, leather footwear, rubber gloves, arc-rated face shield and more. But avoid wearing metal watches, metal fasteners on clothing, or any other conductive material.

You want workers to use only those tools, meters and other equipment that are suitable for the voltage and current levels present when performing electrical work. Look for tools that meet IEC standards with an independent lab test verifying it.

Four separate industry standards concern the prevention of arc flash incidents: OSHA 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 1910 Subpart S; NFPA 70-2002 National Electric Code; NFPA 70E-2000 Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces; and IEEE Standard 1584-2002 Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations. Make sure workers follow these standards and regulations for safety.