Electrical accidents: limiting the risks thanks to your CMMS

Electrical accidents: safety and CMMS software

Europe has many countries whose electricity consumption is very significant. The increase in electricity costs is partly explained by the dismantling of nuclear power plants (especially in France) and by the adoption of renewable energy sources. High prices have prompted manufacturers to rethink their consumption habits and put in place devices to reduce electricity consumption. However, despite an improvement in various safety standards and a reduction in electrical accidents, electrical risks due to poor electrical management are still present in many factories.

Electrical accidents cost businesses a lot of money and have a serious impact on employee morale and motivation. Electrical risks are quite unpredictable and all actors in the factory - employees, visitors or service providers - are exposed, especially those who perform tasks without special instruction or supervision. However, sometimes even a skilled workforce may not be fully aware of all safety precautions. It is up to the company to inform, educate and be responsible for its employees.

Eliminating the risks of electrical accidents starts with the maintenance of all the equipment involved. Regular checks as well as carrying out and recording tests on installations, cables and circuits can significantly reduce the number of accidents. One CMMS solution new generation accompanies you throughout this process, and can help you monitor all maintenance interventions carried out and planned, to obtain all the necessary regulations, but also to reach all company employees through the news feed, alerts and messages.

Mobility Work and basic electrical safety routines

Mobility Work CMMS is your best security ally: recording, monitoring and analysis of maintenance service safety records, checking the expiration dates of employee safety certificates, comparing employee safety skills, and implementing standardized operating procedures... These, often combined with security checklists, are of paramount importance and can be easily attached to any work order and accompanied by images, graphics, or any other type of document.

Access all documents (photos, videos, etc.) and checklists from the equipment sheet in your Mobility Work application.

Use your CMMS to establish electrical standards

Each country has its own electrical standards indicating the level of criticality. In order to limit electrical accidents, each installation can be tagged in the CMMS with the appropriate standard to inform technicians. Among the electrical standards in force in France, we can cite for example:

• The NF C 15 standard for low voltage electrical installations.
• The NF C 14-100 standard, relating to the design and construction of connection installations in the domain Low voltage included between the point of connection to the network and the point of delivery.
• The NF C 11-201 standard for public electrical energy distribution networks.

The site manager must ensure that each technician is aware of safety standards and has the appropriate authorization. Each electrical license must be renewed within a defined period of time, recorded in the CMMS and be available for consultation at any time. thanks to the Mobility Work calendar, which also allows you to set alarms and reminders for the renewal of authorizations. Electrical authorizations are defined as follows:

The first letter indicates the area of tension:

• B (low and very low voltage),
• H (high voltage).

The second character (number or letter) indicates the quality of the person:

• 0 (not an electrician),
• 1 (electrician operator),
• 2 (in charge of electrical work),
• R (intervention manager),
• C (consignment officer).

The third character is optional and specifies the nature of the operations that can be carried out:

• V (work in the neighborhood, attention B0V no longer exists),
• N (cleaning under voltage),
• T (work under tension).

Some examples of electrical license nomenclature: BC, B2T, H1T, etc.

Follow up on all norms related to the neutral regime

Regulatory checks carried out on the company's neutral regime are important for the success of an industrial maintenance routine. They must be carried out by competent employees, with adequate training and knowledge. Each procedure carried out can be easily documented in Mobility Work and made accessible to all team members.

There are two categories of checks carried out on the company's neutral regime, encompassing the 3 types of distribution schemes (TT, TN and IT).

1. Verification of the continuity of the protective conductor

This verification involves the identification of several types of information:

• D33: circuit breaker designation
• NS 400N: circuit breaker type
• IM: maximum value of the starting current
• RC: value of the resistance of the ground socket.

2. Checking circuit protections

It concerns all the protection devices for neutral regimes. These two checks can be carried out on all low-voltage circuits.

3. Regulatory control over electrical installations

Production plants are subject to numerous regulatory controls (environment, safety, quality, etc.). One of the main tasks of the maintenance team is to ensure that all equipment, including electrical installations, is up to standard. Electrical failures can be classified into 3 main categories in Mobility Work to help the team prioritize critical issues.

• Defect U1: the repair must be carried out immediately, and involves the change of at least one element.
• Defect U2: the problem will have to be resolved within a month; the repair will require longer than the previous one: cleaning the surfaces and possible change of an element.
• Defect U3: the problem must be resolved within three months by means of short interventions: tightening, cleaning.

Reliable electrical management is at the heart of an effective health and safety program. Mobility Work makes it possible to record, track and manage all the relevant information possible to help you better manage your assets and reduce electrical accidents.

Are you interested in maintenance management and want to know more in order to increase your productivity and save money?