S T A N D A R D OP E R A TI N G PR OC ED UR E

ELECTRICAL
Workplaces where hazardous manual tasks take place have an
obligation to ensure the health and safety of their staff. Personnel are
not expected to perform excessive physical work as technology has
improved & workplaces recognise the need to control the risk of injury

1. OBJECTIVE:
The objective of these procedure is to specify minimum mandatory requirements and
advisory guidance for identifying and controlling hazards to ensure ‘Zero Harm’ with
regard to operation maintenance and testing of electrical equipment. The established
documentation for the elimination and control of hazards is henceforth referred to as
Electrical Safety Procedure.

2. SCOPE:
Applicable to WFML (Operating and Project sites) which cover but not limited to plant
premises, switchyards, substations, offices etc.

3. EXPECTED RESULTS:
3.1. Manage activities/jobs associated with electrical hazards safely.

3.2. Control of incidents related to electrical shock and hazards.

3.3. Compliance to Regulatory requirements to make work place safe.

4. ACCOUNTABILITY & RESPONSIBILITY:

ACCOUNTABILITY: Concerned Division’s Heads / Assets Custodian
RESPONSIBILITY: Concerned Permit-To-Work Approver/Receiver

LINE MANAGEMENT IN SBU’S AND SITES HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO

IMPLEMENT THIS STANDARD

5. GLOSSARY/ DEFINITIONS:

ELCB: Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker

ELV: Extra Low Voltage (< 50V AC and < 120V DC)
HIRA: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment
JSA: Job Safety Analysis
 LOTO: Lock Out Tag Out
PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
PTW: Permit to Work

Shall: Mandatory
requirement Should: Optional
requirement TBT : Test
Before Touch
Work Permit - The written or printed document that is issued to control working in
operational area/ in vicinity of electrical equipments.
Work supervisor - A person who is authorized; to verify that all conditions for working
have been met, to define ongoing precautions to maintain safe working conditions
during the work, to authorize the work to occur, and to cancel the permit allowing the
work; also known as proprietor, work group supervisor, or authorizing person.

6.1 PROCEDURES
6.2 ESSENTIALS
6.2.1 Personnel (both Company employees and Contractors) shall be competent to
carry out electrical work and shall possess WFML approved government authorized
competency certificate for work at working voltage levels.
6.2.2 Employees/contractors working on/near electrical equipment shall be trained in
emergency response/first aid.
6.2.3 Prior to carrying out any activity related to operation, maintenance or testing of
electrical equipment, it shall be ensured that there is an appropriate Job Safety
Analysis (JSA) supported with Hazard Identification and Risk assessment (HIRA)
done and recorded.
6.2.4 Fire and explosion hazards associated with electrical equipment shall be
assessed and managed.
6.2.5 Permit to Work (PTW) and Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO) Procedures to be followed.
6.2.6 All electrical work shall be done in compliance to Standard Operating Procedure
(SOP)/ Standard Maintenance Procedure (SMP).
6.2.7 Checklist should be made available and filled up copies recorded.
6.2.8 Isolation and subsequent confirmation test shall be carried out to verify absence of
voltage
6.2.9 Authorized Work Area cordoning off by barricading tape/Hard barricades shall be done
prior to maintenance/testing.
6.2.10 Proper illumination shall be provided if the work has to be continued during dark
hours. If any hand lamp is to be used it should be of voltage level equal to or less than
24V AC.

6.1.10 Hazard/flashing lights shall be installed if the work involves HV testing at 1 kV and
above.
6.1.14 The room in which work is being carried out should have adequate ventilation system
and emergency exit points. Adequate communication systems should be made
available.

6.1.15 While working in the vicinity of live equipment the Engineer to whom PTW has been
issued shall give proper information to PSCC and instructions to Staff carrying out
work.

6.1.16 Appropriate PPE and adequate safety apparel like arc suits shall be worn.

6.1.17 Certified and insulated tools shall be used while performing electrical work.

After completion of work the Removed material shall be stored / shipped to safe
location.

6.1.18 After completion of work Permit Issuer shall physically check and ensure that the
following are cleared before closing of PTW.

a. Grounds
b. Tools
c. Spares
d. Personnel
e. Debris
f. Scrap
6.1.20 All Electrical equipment, spares and tools should be inspected and maintained at regular
intervals as per proper approved schedule.

6.2 COMPLIANCE TO WORK PROCEDURES

6.2.5 Persons who work near electrical equipment and are potentially exposed to
electrical hazards, shall be made fully aware of the hazards and should be
suitably trained on how to work safely. All the work procedures should aim at
minimizing exposure to electrical hazards to an acceptable level on the basis of HIRA.
6.2.6 Energy isolation shall be done before carrying out work on electrical equipment as per
Lock out Tag out (LOTO) procedure.

6.5.1 The cable left behind after removal of cable tray must be adequately supported and
protected from damage by adjacent equipment, moving parts, UV rays, hot pipe lines,
etc.
6.5.2 Maintain proper labelling and identification of cables at both ends to avoid the error
of mistaken identity (Refer Lockout Tag Out Procedure).
6.5.3 Test for the absence of voltage at the source and destination ends of each cable. Follow
live cable identification procedures and positively identify each cable before it is cut.
6.5.4 Ensure all protection and isolation system are working.
6.5.5 A good practise would be to positively identify other cables in the vicinity.

6.8 MANAGEMENT OF ELECTRICAL HAZARDS

6.8.1 SHOCK HAZARD
The following technologies should be adopted to complement the overall shock
protection program and to minimize the risk of shock:
a. Voltage-rated gloves shall be worn wherever a shock hazard is present.
b. Proper design, installation, and maintenance of equipment earthing which is critical
to managing shock hazards shall be ensured.
c. Installation of RCCB (Residual Current Circuit Breakers)/ELCBs (Earth Leakage Circuit
Breaker) shall be carried out based on the company’s standards / procedures.
Periodic test of RCCB/ELCB should be carried out.
d. Battery-powered tools instead of AC power driven tools to be used wherever
possible.
e. Reduced-voltage equipment
f. Double-insulated equipment
g. Shrouding and barriers
h. Insulated or voltage-rated tools
i. Voltage-rated PPE (e.g., gloves or helmets)
j. Insulated mats for floors
k. Insulated, flexible barriers for exposed equipment parts
l. Identification of multiple voltage sources inside cabinets
m. Segregated voltages to prevent accidental contact where multiple voltage
sources exist in one unit, terminal blocks, marshalling boxes,
n. Finger-safe terminals to prevent finger contact
 o. Prohibited approach boundary limit for circuit parts and conductors shall be
crossed only by a qualified and competent person under the written authorization from
management.

p. It takes place due to phase to phase and phase to earth fault conditions. It may cause
heavy flashover which may result in severe injury to employees in the close vicinity.
q. WFML shall clearly specify the level of Incident Energy above which the
recommended PPE’s (such as cool coat, face shield with goggles, safety shoes, hand
gloves and insulated electrical hand tools) are to be used.
r. Areas where dangers of Arc/Flashover hazards can occur should be identified.
s. There should be warning boards wherever use of ARC SUIT is mandatory.
t. This phenomenon can occur at low voltage levels as well.
Areas where dangers of Arc/flashover hazards can occur should be identified. There
should be warning boards wherever use of ARC SUIT is mandatory.

6.8.2 STATIC ELECTRICITY HAZARDS

a. Static electricity hazards, including lightning can be a source of ignition, and
injuries. It can result in shock to personnel and damage to equipment directly. It may
also lead to fires.
b. Some operations (e.g. handling or transporting liquids, solids, or gases in portable
containers or piping systems) generate static electricity hazards.
c. Certain maintenance activities (e.g. steam cleaning, industrial vacuuming, and
sandblasting), generate static electricity hazards.
d. Ensure proper earthing and bonding of earthing conductors to equipment and
structures to prevent generation of static electricity.
e. Each site shall be equipped with adequate lightning arrestors (Refer to local
standards / regulations for guidance).

6.8.3 FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS

Assess and manage the risk of explosion hazards associated with electrical equipment .e.g.
Hydrogen filled generators. These should include, but are not limited to:-

a. Provision and maintenance of drawings and documents describing the limits of the
hazardous area and its classification.
b. Selection and procurement of electrical and non-electrical equipment appropriate for the
area classification (refer note below).
c. Maintenance of the mechanical integrity of the installation, including grounding and
bonding.
d. Promptly arresting the leakage of combustible gases and liquid and avoid
accumulation of combustible waste.
 e. No hot work to be carried out without “HOT WORK PERMIT”
f. In the absence of Work Permit System in that particular site, a system should be put in
place to ensure that hot work is conducted in a safe and secure manner.

6.8.4 BATTERY ACID HANDLING HAZARDS

6.8.8.1 Storage of Acid Cans/Containers
a. Acid cans should be clearly labelled with danger sign.
b. Emergency Contact Numbers should be clearly printed.
c. Board with Instructions for actions to be taken in case of emergency should be put up
at entrance to storage area.
d. It should be fool proof against mistakenly being taken to be water.
e. Acid containers should be stored away from reach of general public.
f. Adequate ventilation should be provided.
g. Availability of fire fighting equipment should be ensured.
h. Provision of eye wash and shower should be ensured.
i. Containers should be durable and UV proof
j. Do not bring naked flame in vicinity of storage area
k. Never pour water into concentrated acid for preparation of dilute acid.
l. Acid should be handled by approved personnel
m. Necessary PPE should be used before handling Battery Acid.
n. Instrument used for measuring specific gravity should be calibrated.
6.9 PERMIT TO WORK (PTW), LOCK OUT TAG OUT (LOTO), HAZARD
IDENTIFICATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT (HIRA)
6.9.1 Documented “Permit to Work (PTW) System” shall be implemented with total
compliance to LOTO.

6.9.2 Concept of test before touch should be followed by everyone working with
electrical systems.
6.9.3 Control circuit isolation is not considered safe for electrical working.
6.9.4 Power circuit of all voltage levels shall be isolated, locked and tagged. Keep in mind
that 415V power circuit are equally hazardous especially in case it is fed directly from
transformer output.
6.9.5 Permit for working on energized circuits shall be supported by HIRA and it shall be
discussed with the working team for developing an understanding of involved hazards
and precautionary measures.
6.9.6 After checking absence of voltage by neon tester of appropriate voltage rating, the
discharging of residual charge from the cables, capacitors, transformers and other
equipment by short circuiting and earthing should be done before touching un-insulated
 portion of the equipment.

6.10 EARTHING
6.10.1 All extraneous metal parts of an electrical installation and adjacent metal work shall
be connected to earth.
6.10.2 The design of the earth system shall take into account the protection of life from raised
voltages on external parts and the correct operation of the electrical protection systems.
6.10.3 Dual earthing should be provided.
6.10.4 Appropriate means shall be used to test the integrity of earthing systems
periodically.
6.10.5 The design of the system should consider the requirement to test wherever possible.
6.13.6 Proper symbols and colour codes should be used for earthing system.
6.13.7 Earthing System should be theft proof. In case of theft it should be replace immediately.

6.14 OVERHEAD LINES

6.14.1 Work in areas where overhead lines are present should be monitored carefully. A formal
risk assessment / Job Safety Analysis shall be carried out and adequate precautions
taken before such work is permitted.
6.14.2 Adequate precautions should be taken while using long length equipment and
tackles in these areas.
6.14.3 Reduction in clearances should be considered while working in vicinity of HV lines.
6.14.4 Personnel working in these areas should be aware of Induction Voltages present.
6.14.5 Personnel should be alert to fault occurring on adjacent lines. Working at height
Procedure shall be followed.