Substation Safety Equipment- Photo of the day

Reducing the risk of workplace injuries is a high priority among industries, and is especially so in the electric power industry ( substation building ). Firms across all sectors are implementing substation safety programs to help employees avoid injury at work. This includes training workers on safe operating practices and equipping them with protective equipment. Operators, engineers, and technicians all risk injury from electrical shock, burns, falls, and cuts. To reduce the risk of injury at work and meet safety regulations, it’s essential to have the right safety equipment on hand. In recent years, industrial engineers have focused more on designing safer manufacturing processes instead of developing new machines that are faster or more compact. The risk of electric shock, fires, explosions, and dust explosions has increased as the process complexity has increased. Therefore, substation designers are required to incorporate safety measures into the design of substations in order to reduce the risks associated with substation operations. The photo of today details some of these safety measures, equipment, and their importance during routine maintenance procedures inside a substation

Table of Contents

Also Read: What Should Be in Your First Aid Kit?

What are some of the equipment used to prevent injury in substations?

Substations are primarily used to increase the capacity of electrical grids. They are used to increase or decrease the voltage on the grid between transmission and distribution levels to be used by customers. The design of substations varies depending on the application, but they often consist of voltage transformers, circuit breakers, and ancillary equipment such as surge arrestors, capacitor banks, and breakers for protection devices. In a substation, the voltage can be extremely high—as high as 400 kV (i.e. 400,000 Volts). To reduce the risk of injury from high voltages, workers must wear protective equipment such as rubber gloves, rubber-soled shoes, and full-length clothing. In addition, they must use insulated tools and appliances.

( Also Read: Electrical Substation Safe Accessibility and Required PPE )

Insulated Matting

Insulating matting (dielectric carpets) is designed to protect people and parts of electrical equipment at switchboards, transformers, and other high voltage workplaces.

Greatly decrease the threat of severe injuries caused by electric shocks by furnishing your facility with CLASS 4 Insulating Matting. These dielectric carpets are suitable for installing around transformers and switchboards. When an electric shock occurs, the dielectric carpet protects the individuals standing on it and will not conduct the electrical current. This ensures that they can safely complete their duties. Class 4 Insulated Matting will greatly improve the overall level of safety in any type of HV environment.

Insulated Gloves & Accessories

shall supply a broad range of insulated gloves (also known as dielectric gloves or insulating gloves) from CLASS 00 to CLASS 4. also supply all corresponding accessories including inner mittens, overgloves, and mechanical protection gloves. ( Also Read: How to Choose the Right Safety Gloves 12 Types of Hand Protection Gloves )

Insulated Ladders

shall supply both single rung or double rung insulating stepladders and ladders that conform to EN 131 safety standards.

Working with electricity can be dangerous, at heights even more precautions are required. Insulated ladders can lower the risk while working at heights. If you are on the ground and working on live equipment consider investing in rubber safety mats.

The ladders shall comply with EN 131 safety standards, provide protection up to 30,000 volts, and are constructed from aluminum and dielectric fiberglass.

Rescue Rods

Rescue Rods (also known as Rescue Poles) are commonly used to remove a casualty from an area of danger in rescue operations.

Rescue Rods or poles are intended to remove a person who has been electrocuted from the source of the electricity. The rescue pole is protection for the person rescued by insulating them from any electrical shock. Rescue poles and rods are not designed for use in wet weather or environments.

Voltage Detectors

High voltage detection equipment (HV detectors) is specially designed for the safe and practical detection of voltages on electrical medium and high voltage systems in the power generation and distribution, rail network, petrochemical, and electrical service and maintenance industries.

Life-Saving Kits

The rescue kits have been explicitly designed for Medium Voltage (M.V.) substations and typically include products such as voltage detectors, insulating sticks, rescue hooks, insulating gloves & boots, and safety posters.

Customized Life Saving Kits

Shall also design and supply customized LV and/or MV wall-mounted or Cabinet style Electrical Lifesaving/Rescue Kits. The Lifesaving Kit comes in standard designs.

Standard components include:

Insulated rescue pole / Shepherd’s hook;
LV or MV voltage detector with insulated operating rod
The case for insulating gloves
1 pair of LV or MV insulating gloves
Insulated wire cutter
Insulated platform or matting
CPR & Electric Shock Victims Notice

Substation Warning Signs & Tapes

f Warning Tapes, Safety Adhesive Tape, Plastic Chain Delineators, Danger Signs, and First Aid Signs shall be provided and installed at the workplace to prevent and warn unauthorized personnel. ( Also Read:Photo of the day: Floor Marking )

Earthing & Short-Circuiting Kits

shall provide Earthing & Short-Circuiting Kits in the shape of portable earthing kits, railway earthing kits, MV overhead lines earthing kits, and HV overhead lines earthing kits to provide safety to the operator and protect against an accidental voltage return while repair or maintenance to overhead electricity lines is being carried out. The kit complies with IEC 61230 standard and includes MPU clamps made of aluminum alloy, MPUP carrier clamp, PVC insulated copper cables, and much more.

Earthing Clamps & Fittings

Earthing Clamps’ primary function is to connect the earthing cable to the earthing systems connection point. It is imperative that the max. short-circuit currents (Ik /1s) must match the earthing and short-circuiting cables as well as the clamps. Max cross-section: 120mm2, Max short-circuit current: 23,7 lk 1 s (kA), Clamping range: 2mm – 20mm, Clamping width: 38mm, weight: 782g

know How to use Plate Clamps Safely: Safety Moment#34

Gas detection

Gas detection solutions for the protection of plant and personnel from any Gas may be leakead at hazard places such as battery rooms

Electric Shock risk prevention

Electric shock is one of the most common causes of injury in electric power and energy industries. This is caused when the human body comes into contact with a source of electricity that is not properly insulated. When this happens, the current can travel through the body to the ground, causing a serious injury. Electrical injuries can result in death, traumatic injuries, or even long-term disabilities. There are different levels of severity based on the amount of current that passes through the body. Most severe injuries occur when the current is sufficient to cause the heart to stop beating or cause muscle spasms that lead to loss of limb. Burns protection Burns is a leading cause of injury in the power industry. Electrical arcs, sparks, and hot surfaces due to poor ventilation, equipment failure, or human error are all possible causes. For example, when workers are performing maintenance on equipment with faulty insulators, they may come in contact with live parts, causing injuries such as arc burns. Additionally, workers can receive burns from contact with hot transformer oil, electrical equipment, or fluid. While no amount of burns is acceptable, certain types of burns are more serious than others. Electrical burns, flash burns, and burns caused by hot liquids are more likely to be fatal than other types of burns. Electrical burns and flash burns are particularly dangerous because they can cause serious tissue damage very quickly. In these cases, workers should be sent to a hospital immediately because they are at risk of suffering serious, long-term injuries. Life-Saving Kits Life-saving equipment can be used by workers to prevent or treat electrical burns or shocks. One of the most important pieces of life-saving equipment is the rubber insulating gloves, which can be used to safely disconnect equipment with energized conductors. Another important piece of life-saving equipment is a pair of rubber boots, which can be used to step on a “live” conductor without coming into contact with it. Other life-saving equipment includes rubber gloves, rubber boots, and insulated matting. These items can be used to protect workers from touching energized equipment. They can also be used to isolate live equipment from workers. Finally, they can be used to help transport injured workers to safety. ( Read more about Electric Shock and its Psychological Effects )

Download the Photo

Now you can download the Infographic ” Substation Safety Equipment” and post it at the workplace to communicate with everyone to be familiar with the Safety Equipment required at the substation building.