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.

The law states that anyone who want to be a Portable Appliance Tester (PAT Tester)should be deemed to be competent at PAT Testing. To become a PAT tester you start by attentding a PAT Training course and gaining certification.

What is a PAT Tester? PAT tester is short for Portable Appliance Tester. A PAT Tester is an electrical safety testing device that tests any appliance in which a plug top is fitted. The idea behind the PAT test is to ensure that the electrical safety parameters i.e earth continuity/insulation resistance that were embedded by the product manufacturer have not been compromised while the equipment is in service.

In a nutshell, Portable Appliance Testing (PAT testing process) starts with observation of a portable appliance, followed by a formal visual inspection. The final step is a formal inspection by a person or competent to perform the testing. Step 1: Observation Simple observation is the first and very important of the PAT Testing process. For example, if while using a kettle in the staff canteen you to notice that the plug is cracked, you should immediately let the office manager/safety officer know. Step 2: Formal Visual Inspection All portable appliances in the workplace, or which are made available to the public for their use, … Continue reading →

Gate, Ball and Butterfly Valves Valves, in a myriad of designs and sizes, are an integral part of piped systems that convey gases and liquids. They serve to control and regulate the flow of these substances in a safe, secure and prescribed manner. There are several types of valves that are in common use, including but not limited to the Gate, Ball and Butterfly valves. Maintaining such piped systems require the right type of lockout device that best suits the valve type, to ensure the safety of both the technicians and environment. It’s important to understand how these valves function, where and … Continue reading →

When performing ArcFlash Hazard Analysis, a safety auditor collects data about the power distribution of a power facility. What data should be collected: A one-line drawing of all components with nameplate specifications of every device Details of the lengths and cross section area of all cables Utility information including the minimum and maximum fault currents that can be expected at the entrance to the facility

See how you can use the Fluke 434 Power Quality Analyzer to assess power quality and curb undue operating expenses caused which may be caused by equipment damage/downtime, poor performance/data loss, increased power consumption or numerous other factors. The Fluke 434 can help to detect possible problems which may occur that erode power quality and ultimately find a resolution for them before they prove costly. Continue reading →

Lockout tagout processes and devices vary depending on the exact needs of a workplace. The type and scale of operations undertaken on your premises and the number of people directly or indirectly exposed to these work area risks help formulate the appropriate lock out tag out processes and determine the type, number and placement of lockout devices used to effectively secure the area before a planned maintenance or emergency repairs, and clear it once the job is done. It is an important task to store and locate lockout devices in their allotted places and track their usage across any given … Continue reading →

The importance of effective and total energy isolation cannot be over-emphasised at every possible instance, given the heavy damage accidental re-energisation of equipment under maintenance continues to cause. Be it due to the lack of awareness, the absence of clear-cut processes and guidelines, or poor implementation of Lockout Tagout processes, it has been observed that de-energisation is a key contender for close attention, especially when working with automated and integrated processing systems. Energy Isolation in Complex Systems It is but natural for complex and integrated systems comprising a series of heavy machinery to be powered by multiple energy sources – … Continue reading →