Electric arcs are among the most serious risks that threaten the safety of workers, especially those employed in the power sector or heavy industries. This makes it imperative for personnel working in such environments to protect themselves adequately before entering the work area. To assist you, I have put together the following information that I hope will give you an overview of Arc Flash Protective Workwear: The Imminent Danger of an Arc Flash Understanding the imminent hazard of an arc flash is a prerequisite to sourcing the right protective clothing that is best suited for a specific job/environment. Accident statistics across the world reveal that … Continue reading →

So, you’re wondering how to PAT Test (portable appliance testing) a kettle? We’ve written down the basic steps required to a successfully PAT test a small portable appliance like a kettle. Before performing any type of inspection and testing, it’s important to make sure that the kettle is safe and is being used in the correct environment.

Safety padlocks serve to lockout a specific piece of equipment or machinery, or even an entire area during preventive maintenance or repair. They are an integral part of industrial safety measures and are of equal importance in any environment housing heavy machinery or electrical installations. What To Look For When Choosing A Safety Padlock? Safety padlocks are hard to get past, and prove more effective in restricting access than safety tags and other purely visual indications, which may go unnoticed. Here are some factors that can help with the selection. Durability Durability of safety padlocks needs careful attention. The material … Continue reading →

When you complete a PAT training course, you will have mastered both manual and theoretical aspects of PAT testing. Here are 10 reasons why it’s a good idea for you to enrol in a PAT Testing training course…

Insulating rubber gloves offer workers that work on or near live wires, personal protection against electrical shocks. Insulating rubber gloves undergo a range of voltage, ageing and mechanical testing which ensures that they comply with IEC 60903 and EN 60903 standards. Insulating Glove Types There are two main types of insulated gloves:

Substations require a predictive maintenance approach as a failure could spell disaster for consumers, in the form of lost revenues and production, and result in lower utility revenues from lost sales courtesy unreliable service. As overheating and also extremely frigid operating temperatures could signal electrical component degradation, thermal imaging tools offer predictive capabilities necessary for switchgear and substation maintenance. Substation Overview Within the power distribution and generation industries, substation could be referred to or may get used in multiple ways. Different outdoor environments, right from equipment at industrial setups for modifying or switching voltage to generating station switchyards, characteristics such … Continue reading →

With all the new Safety at Work regulations and the recent insistance of insurance companies and standards authorities for PAT Testing procedures to be in place within companies, you have to ask: “Which PAT Tester is the right one?”

When there is a danger of being exposed to an electric arc, personnel are advised to wear arc approved protective clothing. IEC 61482-2 is the overall standard that covers protective clothing against the thermal arc hazards of an electric arc. The IEC 61482-2 standard also covers various aspects of the garment design. This is a requirement for selling garments for arc flash protection within the EU. Garments complying with all of these requirements outlined under IEC 61482-2 should be marked with the IEC 61482-2 symbol as well as the level of protection it meets.

From minor control trips right down to compressor and transformer failures, harmonics can have an impact on every type of HVAC equipment. Surprisingly, harmonics is something that quite often can be overlooked. Harmonic currents and the electrical distribution system Harmonic currents flow in a circuit at multiples of the fundamental 60 hertz (Hz) frequency. For example, current flowing in a circuit at 180 Hz is the third harmonic (60 Hz multiplied by 3). These currents are not indicated on multimeters and therefore are usually not detected until unusual control and equipment problems start to happen. Comparing these current readings from … Continue reading →

Calibration has become very important in Ireland over the past number of years in terms of quality control and health and safety. It is crucial that all companies and service suppliers understand their responsibilities when it comes to calibration. Calibration has been the norm for manufacturing industries for many years, as an important tool for ensuring their processes are carried out to a high standard and enabling them to receive quality certification such as ISO9001 etc… Health and safety demands have driven the need for calibration with service providers such as electrical contractors. The CER has been committed to raising … Continue reading →

Who exactly needs to do PAT Testing? And what is involved in the PAT Testing process? PAT Testing needs to be carried out by any organisation that has portable appliances in their place of work. But was exactly is a portable appliance? In short, a portable appliance is any electrical device with a plug.

Our customers for Lockout Tagout often ask us to help them formulate & customise Lockout Tagout Procedure that helps them comply with latest regulations and best practice. To assist you, I have put together the following information that I hope will improve your understanding of the legal requirements relating to Lockout Tagout:   Legalities related to the universally applicable Lockout Tagout (LOTO) process tend to vary from one country to another, and so do the penalties for any violations. While standard OSHA regulations are implemented worldwide, there are country-specific legal requirements that also need attention.   There are a few … Continue reading →

This is a synopsis of a thermal imaging case study that focuses on the facilities management intensive operations factors such as power supply, heating, ventilation, and maintenance in the health sector. Thermal Imaging Case Study: The Issue A district hospital group, consisting of five hospitals including one large central hospital with intensive care facilities and additional polyclinics, has a facility area comprises 450,000 sq m.

1. Class Leading Image Quality Fluke puts great emphasis on image quality and performance of the camera. Thanks to the high resolution sensors and 100 % diamond turned germanium lenses the resulting images are simply excellent. The built in regular image camera allows to blend the thermal image with regular depicting surroundings of the measurement area giving clear indication to where the camera is pointing to. 2. Communication Without Boundries Did you ever think that your tools could speak to one another? Now they can! Every Fluke Thermal Imaging Camera has the wireless communication module built in to enable communication … Continue reading →

The use of infrared windows has grown exponentially in industrial applications in the past number of years. Our customers for thermal imaging regularly pose questions relating to IR windows, their use and also their limitations. I have put together the following information that I hope will help in providing a better understanding of what you need to know about IR Windows.

This is a synopsis of power quality case study regarding the installation of Distributed Electrical Energy Metering in the telecoms sector. The requirement was for a high accuracy metering system that could measure energy consumption on a number of site loads over a number of sites. Read more about the power quality issues faced, and learn what solutions were offered by Powerpoint Engineering Ltd.

To ensure both safety and performance it is vital to the safety of electrical workers that all insulating rubber gloves be visibly inspected before each use. Insulating glove inspection requirements differ with each Class of glove (read more about Insulating Glove Classes). Before each use, gloves should be inspected for holes, tears, and any signs of damage or deterioration. Learn how to correctly and safely store insulating rubber gloves.

This is a synopsis of power quality case study regarding the installation of electrical energy meters, gas meters and water meters at a third level education institution. An ongoing contract with a tertiary education institution has seen the installation of a large number of electrical energy meters, gas meters and water meters which are all connected over the site LAN back to a central PC. Read more about the power quality issues faced, and learn what solutions were offered by Powerpoint Engineering Ltd.