Performing Personnel Audits

Paul Chamberlain, American Electrical Testing Co., LLCColumns, Safety Corner, Summer 2022 Columns

They are called many things — observations, audits, assessments — but they are all intended to accomplish the same task: Evaluate the people in the field performing the task at hand. Generally, you observe an employee doing a task, then audit or assess whether performance of the task meets expectation. These inspections can be performed by any level within a …

Improving Safety in the Field

Matt Eakins, Advanced Electrical Services, Ltd.Columns, In the Field, Summer 2022 Columns

Becoming a great company doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it is about small, incremental steps as we progress down the road of becoming better and better at what we do and how we do it. This is the most critical as it relates to our safety processes and safety culture. It is important to note that the first step in making …

Sync Check Supervision

Steve Turner, Arizona Public Service CompanyColumns, Relay Column, Summer 2022 Columns

The purpose of the sync check function (25) is to ensure that the voltage magnitude, phase angle, and frequency of the generator (VX) and the utility system (VS) are within a set of acceptable limits before the generator is synchronized with the system via closing the circuit breaker that connects them (Figure 1). An improper sync can result in electrical …

A Safety Reminder

Eric Beckman, National Field Services, NETA PresidentColumns, President's Desk, Summer 2022 Columns

Summer is in full swing across the country, and I want to take some time to focus on safety. You’ll find many of our articles in this edition of NETA World revolve around some aspect of safety. Our cover story continues the discussion of the 2018 changes to the arc flash calculation process in IEEE 1584. (Editor’s note: Catch up …

Ground Faults in Photovoltaic Systems

Jeffrey R. Jowett, MeggerColumns, Spring 2022 Columns, Tech Tips

Solar farms, which are exposed to the elements, are especially at risk for failure and require dedicated electrical maintenance. Good grounding is essential, as the panels produce high DC voltages that can be sources of shock and fire, as well as induced voltages and electromagnetic interference on lines. With respect to grounding, there are two types of photovoltaic (PV) systems: …

Arc-Flash Reduction Techniques

Virginia Balitski, Magna IV EngineeringColumns, Spring 2022 Columns, Tech Quiz

As NETA Certified Technicians, many of the tests and inspections performed may expose workers to electrical hazards. ANSI/NETA MTS, Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications for Electrical Power Equipment & Systems specifies that individuals performing these tests shall be qualified and capable of conducting the tests in a safe manner and with complete knowledge of the hazards involved. One of these …

Vehicle Safety for the Workforce

Paul Chamberlain, American Electrical Testing Co., LLCColumns, Safety Corner, Spring 2022 Columns

Commuting to and from work by vehicle is a daily routine for many. The COVID pandemic has changed how some organizations operate, forcing many employees to work remotely, but for those who need to be on the job doing physical work, the commute never stopped. For some, driving to a jobsite, client sites, the shop, the parts supplier, and everything …

The Three Arc-Flash Mitigation Levers

Mose Ramieh, CBS Field ServicesColumns, In the Field, Spring 2022 Columns

“It’s faster for us to put on the 40-calorie suit to rack breakers out than it is to use the remote racking system,” the customer said — and I wanted to add, “Yes, the remote racking system bought for your safety at a significant investment from your company.” But I did my best to hide my dismay and took the …

Generator Stator Ground Fault Protection

Steve Turner, Arizona Public Service CompanyColumns, Relay Column, Spring 2022 Columns

Generator faults are usually serious and can lead to significant repair costs and long outage times. PART I: ANALYSIS Part 1 demonstrates how to analyze a stator ground fault for a large combustion turbine generator. The faulted phase and fault location are determined using fault voltage recorded by the numerical generator protection relay installed for this generator. This information is …

Fault on Feeder M1A: Guidance from NFPA 70E — Part 3

Ron Widup, Shermco IndustriesColumns, NFPA 70E and NETA, Spring 2022 Columns

This is the last in a three-part series of articles as we navigate a 15 kV feeder fault and the subsequent repairs. We have discussed how NFPA 70E is an important tool for the electrical worker to use in the field as they troubleshoot, repair, and restore electrical equipment after a significant fault event, all with an eye on getting the …