Your right.There is no way im improvising guards that are not manufacturer approved for the gear.I also find it a little unsettling sticking probes in holes to test voltage when i cant see where they are going on the new equipment we have.
We have the Ministry of Labour here and use Z642-15 which basically follows one cycle behind NFPA 70E.
Its a bad system because building owners who don't have employees working above 240v do not have to adopt arc flash regulations.As a result many will say they dont but then tell the employees to fix equipment that exceeds 240v.If the electrician gets hurt the managers say they didn't know the rules were being broken
What they do is tell you to go fix it and dont print the work orders or cancel them after the job is complete if you complain.
We have mostly 600v systems in my building and its all automated with Johnson Controls Metasys M5. I have installed all of it and maintain it yet they deny its being done if asked.The problem they have in doing that is that Johnson Controls requires specialized electricians to work on it because the design requires that the low/extra low voltage barriers must be crossed.Essentially there is 24v devices in the same compartment with the 600v and run out to extra low voltage controllers so the wire has to be in pipe or special ordered from Belding.Management seems to think they can hide the fact that i work above 240v yet there are only three buildings in the city using this type of automation and all are using staff electricians to install and maintain the systems.There are no contractors who do this work in a city of 250000.The inspectors know what im doing and allow it by special permission as long as im the only one doing it.
I think thats why he wants guards put up He seems to think i can work with much less or no PPE if we get caught and hes dead wrong.
Last edited by frank; 01/07/17 02:42 PM.
