Adapting to the safe work practices of NFPA 70E likely means some major changes in how your electrical workers have done things in the past.
Your electrical workers likely didn’t think twice about opening an energized 480 volt electrical panel. Now with standards in place, they must first determine arc flash hazard levels, PPE, safety boundaries and fill out an energized work permit.
Change is hard for many experienced electrical workers. Real, lasting change requires a change in attitude and awareness. The message and the lessons learned concerning arc flash need to be repeated again and again. Here are some suggestions to help experienced electrical workers adapt to the safety standards required by NFPA 70E.
- When implementing an arc flash safety program, define in writing the new requirements in the form of an arc flash safety policy.
- Train the entire plant on the new safety standards so that all understand and can support the new standard.
- Initially provide at least eight hours of arc flash training to your electrical workers.
- Provide a refresher arc flash training three to six months after implementing your arc flash safety program. This refresher training could be classroom, an arc flash video training program or computer based safety training program.
- Integrate arc flash safety discussions into your usual safety meetings to clarify the requirements, get feedback from the electrical workers how things are going with the new requirements, and to communicate that the new standard is still important and required.
- Provide annual refresher training for your electrical workers. This could be classroom, a video training program or a computer-based training program.
- Train your new hires on arc flash safety.
Source: Power Source LLC
