Title :
Are you safe with your temporary protective grounds? (Case study)
Author_Institution :
ArcelorMittal Min. Canada G.P., Port-Cartier, QC, Canada
Abstract :
This case study is based on an arc flash incident that occurred at a pellet plant facility located in Port-Cartier, Québec, Canada. The incident occurred while replacing a 2000A 600V MCC main molded breaker by a more recent model, as recommended by our technical service. One of the causes of this arc flash incident was the temporary protective ground that didn´t withstand the short circuit current when the power accidentally got back to the workspace. The worker suffered 1st degree burns to his face and hand. A full investigation was done. The investigation revealed a couple of facts, but the one we´ll focus on in this case study is that the temporary protective GND wasn´t big enough to withstand the short circuit current available at that point. All the proper procedures had been followed. That incident lead to a modification in our procedures and was communicated to other electrical workers.
Keywords :
earthing; personnel; power system protection; MCC main molded breaker; arc flash incident; current 2000 A; electrical workers; pellet plant facility; short circuit current; technical service; temporary protective grounds; voltage 600 V; Arc discharges; Circuit breakers; Electrical safety; Face; Production; Security; Short-circuit currents;
Conference_Titel :
Electrical Safety Workshop (ESW), 2014 IEEE IAS
Conference_Location :
San Diego, CA
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4799-2099-0
DOI :
10.1109/ESW.2014.6766890