RISK + REWARD 

Assessing the need for electrical system shutdowns

By David L. Stymiest, P.E., CHFM, FASHE

Citing concerns for worker safety, tighter insurance requirements and Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforcement actions, most electrical contractors and electrical service companies now do their work in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.

They are no longer willing to maintain or to modify "hot," or energized, electrical equipment. Consequently, increasing numbers of hospitals have been undertaking the field investigations and electrical system studies necessary for applying those ubiquitous arc flash labels on electrical equipment. What's more, new maintenance requirements have increased the urgency of this process.

Read the entire article at HFM Magazine

Assessing the need for hospital electrical system shutdowns

Risk + Reward - Assessing the need for electrical system shutdowns

By David L. Stymiest, P.E., CHFM, FASHE

Consider conducting Shutdown Risk Assessments

This article first appeared in the August 2012 issue of HFM magazine.

NFPA disclaimer: Although the author is chairman of the NFPA tech­nical committee on emergency power supplies, which is responsible for NFPA 110 and 111, the views and opinions expressed in this article are purely those of the author and shall not be considered the official position of NFPA or any of its technical committees, and shall not be considered to be, nor be relied upon as, a formal interpretation of the discussed standards.

Citing concerns for worker safety, tighter insurance requirements and Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforcement actions, most electrical contractors and electrical service companies now do their work in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.

They are no longer willing to maintain or to modify "hot," or energized, electrical equipment. Consequently, increasing numbers of hospitals have been undertaking the field investigations and electrical system studies necessary for applying those ubiquitous arc flash labels on electrical equipment. What's more, new maintenance requirements have increased the urgency of this process.

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Shock Resistant: Preventing Arc-Flash Hazards in the Hospital Setting

By David L. Stymiest, P.E., CHFM, FASHE (in Health Facilities Management)

With the 2009 edition release of the National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, increased attention is being focused on electrical power system safety and the dangers associated with electrical arc flashes. Why is there ever- increasing emphasis on electrical system safety?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), electrical hazards cause more than 300 deaths and 4,000 injuries in the workplace each year. Some electrical injuries are instantly fatal, while up to 40 percent of electrical injuries are ultimately fatal, according to a paper written by three critical care physicians and referenced in a recent electrical industry magazine article. A research and consulting firm specializing in workplace injuries has compiled often-quoted statistics indicating that five to 10 reported electrical equipment arc-flash explosions occur per day in the United States.

Read entire article here: Shock Resistant