Fault Tree Analysis of Two Types of Electrolytic Cell Line Grounding Devices

Maintenance functions on an aluminum producing electrolytic cell line sometimes allow personnel to bridge conductive surfaces at cell line voltage to ground, creating the possibility of electric shock or even electrocution. The aluminum smelting industry uses various types of cell line grounding devices for personnel protection from these hazards. This paper presents a methodology, fault tree analysis, to determine if two types of cell line grounding devices will provide adequate protection for personnel from electrocution