This blog is a continuation of the one published in 2020 on the probable changes of the CSA Z462 standard in 2021, related to the changes of the American standard NFPA 70E 2021. Following the release of the new version of the CSA Z462-21 standard, the first important point is that the revision of the CSA Z462 standard does not consider the changes of the NFPA 70E 2021 standard.

The 2021 version of standard CSA Z462 will be released in the coming months. Since it makes changes based on the American standard NFPA 70E, we analyzed the latter, which just released its new revision, to predict probable changes to appear in the CSA Z462 standard in 2021. Standard NFPA 70E contains minor changes from its previous version. In 2021, the committee’s goal is to refine the articles and link them with current safety rules, i.e. risk reduction at the source.

Even now in 2020, there are too many accidents caused by electric shocks in Quebec. This situation is due to several factors: whether because of lack of knowledge and understanding, lack of training, or gaps in occupational safety regulation.

According to Tucker and Keefe (2019) of the University of Regina, the annual percentage of non-fatal accidents in Quebec between 2010 and 2017 remained relatively constant (slightly less than 2%). The rate of fatal accidents fell slightly during the same period, from 2.6 to 1.6 (per 100 000). For example, with regard to accidents related to electricity, in 2018 this represented 164 cases and 161 in 2017, a little more than 2 per day on average (CNESST, 2019).

Arc flash hazards can result from many factors, such as improper work procedures, dropped tools, accidental contact with electrical systems, build-up of dust and corrosion.

The CSA Z463 went from a guideline on maintenance of electrical systems to a standard on maintenance of electrical systems in 2018.
The purpose of this standard is to facilitate the reliable and cost-effective performance of electrical systems by developing risk assessment techniques and maintenance programs.

In this blog, it will be presented the different electrical risk assessment methods as well as the proper PPE to use for live work.

Have you ever been confronted with any of the following questions? Can an operator activate disconnect devices by him or herself? Can an electrician work under voltage or near a voltage source? …

Maintenance of electrical apparatus allows for improvement of reliability, increased lifespan and reduced allotted maintenance time. There are three modes of maintenance: reactive maintenance, preventive maintenance or predictive maintenance.
The difference between the three modes is mainly related to the time allotted to maintenance personnel and the diagnostic equipment available to detect anomalies.

The IEEE-1584 standard is used to calculate the incident energy level, or the heat released during an arc flash explosion. This standard appeared in 2002 and is based on statistics, physics and empirical formulae to accurately estimate the heat to which a person could be exposed if situated 18 inches from the electric arc.

The Electrical Safety Program (ESP) is created and offered by a company to require workers to use safe work methods for live electrical work and prioritize de-energized work.

An incident energy (arc flash) study allows updating of the plant’s electrical plan(s), clear identification of each electrical equipment, targeting of protective equipment that are likely to falter during a short circuit and allows electricians, mechanics, refrigeration technicians and other qualified persons to use the right category or arc rating for personal protective equipment (PPE).

An incident energy (arc flash) study allows knowledge of the real incident energy level and the robustness of protective equipment: breakers and fuses. If an enterprise has never done an arc flash study, a first incident energy study could reveal several defects and prove to be very costly for the replacement of safety equipment.

Several changes have been made to the 2018 version of the Canadian Electrical Code regarding the admissible current values in tables 1 to 4, as well as the new method to be used taking into account the temperature of terminations and equipment. This blog will thus allow you to better understand this new method for sizing of conductors.

This blog aims to explain the functioning of circuit breakers and the impact of adjusting the instantaneous pickup on incident energy levels.

In this blog, simulations of different configurations of transformers will be presented to see the influence of their use in relation to their incident energy levels.

In this blog, all the normative information found on the warning labels will be broken down and you will learn to understand all their different values.

For several years now, there has been much mention of Arc Flash, but electrical shock is very present and often forgotten.