Arc Flash: What Every Window Cleaner & Water Fed Pole User Should Know

The unpredictability of arc flash incidents make them difficult to prevent: It’s been face-booked, tweeted, you-tubed, linked in and wikipediaed. And yet, despite its global name recognition, an electrical accident in the workplace kills a worker every 28 hours. According to an IEEE study involving more than 120,000 workers, arc flash was the culprit in more than 75% of those accidents. Electrical accidents represent a statistically small percentage of work-related incidents, often occurring even in facilities that have passed formal inspections within recent months, but they’re disproportionately fatal. In a seven-year study conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2,576 U.S. workers died and another 32,807 sustained lost-time injuries, losing an average of 13 days away from work, because of electrical shock or burn injuries.

The Internet is brimming with information about arc flash: 364,000 hits on Google, 11.2 million hits on usa.gov and even 445 chilling videos on YouTube. So, why are U.S. workers still getting killed on an almost-daily basis? The problem is that an arc flash incident can occur, without warning, nearly anywhere high voltage is used. Incidents can even occur in facilities that have been rigorously inspected, like data centers, manufacturing plants, commercial buildings, convention and hospitality centers, power generation and distribution infrastructure, retail space or other facilities where high levels of electrical power are needed. But just as law enforcement officials can only attempt to preempt terrorist attacks by increasing surveillance, training those on the front lines on what to look for, investing in protective infrastructure and so on — facility operators haven’t historically been able to overcome the core problem: predicting when and where incidents will occur.

A half-dozen basic obstacles, until very recently, have kept organizations from accurately determining the potential for arc flash exposure within their facilities and educating workers about threats within their work environments. Now you see it, now you don’t: In a typical facility, day-to-day operating conditions are too dynamic to allow for the accurate prediction of arc flash threats. People joke about trying to service an aircraft’s engines while it’s still in flight, but eventually an aircraft lands. In a mission-critical facility, there’s never a risk-free time to conduct service, maintenance or technology upgrade procedures. Because these procedures have to be done on “live” equipment, errors become more likely.

While you were reading this, the threat escalated: The gradual aging and deterioration of power cabling, connectors and other components produce a corresponding increase in the potential for arc flash threats. Unfortunately, the rate at which this deterioration can cause arc flash problems is completely unrelated to the timetable that arc flash studies are scheduled to be conducted, just as few people arrange to have their heart attacks during the same 30-minute window that they are in their physician’s office for an annual checkup.

Need to have vs. nice to have: NFPA 70E Article 130.3 requires that an arc flash study be conducted at least every five years or whenever a major modification occurs. These studies are typically complex and usually require that an outside expert be retained. These studies, which increase in cost with the size of the facility include data collection, revision of one-line drawings, short circuit and protective device coordination studies, warning label installation and arc flash training. For all of their good intentions, companies can be slower to spend money on things like inspections until the need for them is plainly evident.

A false sense of security: In a freshly inspected facility, workers assume that arc flash safety levels are at their highest, which can lull them into believing that it’s safe to lower their guard in terms of safety precautions. This is particularly true in facilities that are “self-inspected.” Self-conducted inspections seldom do the thorough job of experienced experts, setting the stage for potentially catastrophic problems down the road.

NIMBY becomes NIMMCF (not in my mission-critical facility): When many people hear a dangerous term such as “arc flash,” some have a difficult time envisioning that their air-conditioned data center or pristine mission-critical facility poses a safety threat. But the threat of arc flash is present anywhere there are high levels of electrical power: workers have been injured and killed using ladders and power-washing equipment, and a frightening story in the medical publication, Anesthesia & Analgesia, describes a nurse electrocuted in an operating room that was fully compliant with current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) electrical codes.

Next-generation assessment: But within the past 18 months, a new software technology called “power analytics” has emerged that, though developed primarily to ensure power reliability and energy efficiency, has also been proven to provide real-time arc flash assessments. The term “power analytics” refers to integrated software technologies that help organizations ensure their electrical power infrastructure is optimally designed at the CAD stage, performs precisely as intended in terms of reliability and energy efficiency once in the deployment/diagnostics stage, and operates flawlessly as organizations make real-time transitions between public and on-premise power sources in the grid management stages.

Once in the deployment/diagnostics stage, the diagnostics software maintains an uninterrupted watch over site operations, continually checking components, equipment, and systems and comparing their real-world status to the original CAD model. When deviations are detected, the system performs the calculations necessary to make intelligent recommendations about where arc flash hazards have the potential to emerge and gauges their severity. Before entering an energized area and beginning work, site personnel simply query the system for a real-time arc flash status. It then responds with an up-to-date recommendation on the appropriate safety procedures and PPE necessary to work in the vicinity. Recommendations are based upon IEEE 1584 and the NFPA 70E standards titled, ”IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations” and “Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces,” respectively.

For example, when performing repairs to equipment on which a worker could accidentally be exposed to an electrical hazard, power analytics systems can provide specific guidance on gloves, clothing, goggles and helmet the worker should wear to increase safety in the event of an accident. Forewarned about the nature of the threat, workers will be able to proceed with a greater knowledge about specific safety risks they might encounter. There are no crystal balls that are 100% foolproof when it comes to detecting arc flash hazards. But the new generation of power analytics technologies are the most promising development yet for ensuring that workers are forewarned to the greatest extent possible about how to protect themselves from this all-too-common threat.

N.B. This article is written mainly for electrical engineers but also holds information for the window cleaner, water fed pole user, pressure washer, crane or cherry picker user or gutter cleaner. See here & here for previous electrical accidents of window cleaners. This could happen to you!

Window Cleaners Electrocuted in California

Two men suffered burns over more than 95 percent of their body Saturday following a freak workplace accident in the East Bay. The men were both electrocuted while washing windows in Orinda. They were in a cherry picker about 30 feet in the air when they hit some high-voltage wires. Several people at a nearby farmer's market say they saw an explosion and watched helplessly as the men and the bucket they were in burned. The men were unconscious, so people started yelling in an attempt to rouse them. "Finally, the one gentleman did wake up, and in his state of shock, was able to take his pants off and put the other gentleman, the fire on him, out," witness Janice Faust told ABC7. "But, the cage was still burning. It seemed like forever before help came, and then of course they weren't able to go up because I guess the wires were live. We weren't thinking of that we were just watching the suffering." Some witnesses were very critical of how long it took firefighters to do something, but firefighters say they could not reach out to the men until PG&E arrived and confirmed the power was out. Otherwise, firefighters could have died while trying to make the rescue. PG&E arrived 20 minutes after the call came in. Some wondered why fire fighters did not even hose down the victims, but officials point out that water is a conductor of electricity. The men were taken by helicopter to a hospital and were in critical condition Saturday evening.

ORINDA, Calif. - Two men were hospitalized Saturday morning after they came into contact with high voltage wires while washing windows in Orinda. The jolt was so intense it set one of the men on fire and all of it happened in front of a dozen horrified onlookers who were at a nearby farmer’s market. Officials said the men were washing the windows of a business complex when their cherry picker hit a 150,000-volt power line. “One of the guys, the left side of the basket, was on fire. And then the other guy I saw him slump over. I thought he was dead at that point,” said Patricia Broman, who witnessed the accident. It was approximately 35 minutes before emergency personnel could get the two men to the ground, according Lt. Eric Navarro of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office. Fire officials admitted afterwards that they took a while to get a ladder truck to help the two men because it had to come from across town and then they had to deal with the downed power lines. “We have to treat everything as live until that point, until we know for a fact and get confirmation from PG&E that the line is shut off. If not, then we start killing firefighters while we attempt a rescue,” said Batt. Chief Darrell Lee of the Moraga Orinda Fire District. Some of the shoppers on hand were outraged by the response of emergency personnel and PG&E. “Those guys were up there burning, in a state of shock for close to an hour before they got a ladder to them and pulled them down,” said Russell Abraham. Orinda City Council Woman Sue Severson witnessed the accident and was concerned about any delay caused by the cell phone 911 calls going first to CHP headquarters in Vallejo. “It was very disconcerting for the citizens and obviously like I said traumatic that there was a lag in response time,” said Severson. Cal-OSHA was investigating the incident Saturday afternoon. Orinda's Police Chief told KTVU that the incident was clearly an OSHA violation because the window-washers were far too close to the power lines.

News-Watch for Window Cleaning Professionals

WFPs on WCR, epidodes 3 hosted by Micah Kommers of "We Wash Windows" from Greenville, South Carolina. This week Micah takes a look at pure water & what it means for the water fed pole user.

Paul McQuillan started a window cleaning business several years ago and discovered marketing. In the last year he has designed ads that have generated more than $250,000 in sales. He says he differs himself and products from everyone else by keeping it completely B.S. free. He works with many window cleaning companies and has helped over 50 directly over the past couple years. Discover Pauls onslaught marketing here.

Electrocuted by powerline: Southern Illinois news headlines - Terry N. Brooks, 29, Mt. Carmel, died Monday afternoon in what Wabash County Sheriff Joe Keeling described a "horrible accident." Keeling said Brooks and a co-worker were believed to be power-washing a building just north of this city when the victim sustained a fatal electrical shock. Emergency first responders were called about 1:56 p.m. to the location of Performance Plus Consulting on Illinois 1, the Mt. Carmel Daily Republican-Register reported, and found the victim unresponsive. He apparently had come in contact with a power line, the newspaper said, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Closing of dealerships to reverberate throughout region: The day after Chrysler notified Edward Burke that his Jeep Dodge dealership was no longer wanted, the window washer at the Lisle store that Burke has owned since 1987 stopped him. He wanted to know if he would still have a job after June 9, when the dealership is slated to close. It was one of those small moments that illustrates the reach of an automobile dealership in a local community -- which extends to the Little League team counting on sponsorship or the local waitress depending on tips from dealer employees' lunches.

Watt Plaza Becomes First Office Building in Los Angeles to Receive Prestigious Gold LEED® Certification in ‘Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance’ Category. Watt Plaza, a twin 23-story office tower complex encompassing 900,000 square feet in the heart of Century City, has been awarded Gold LEED Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance (EB O&M) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, making it the first office building in Los Angeles to achieve this distinction in this category. Watt Plaza is one of five buildings in California and one of 12 buildings in the United States to be certified LEED EB O&M. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the U.S. Green Building Council’s primary rating system for designing and constructing the world’s greenest, most energy efficient and high-performing buildings. Energy efficiency measures encompass the following: achievement of a high Energy Star rating (benchmark of energy performance relative to similar buildings in similar climates) each year since 2004; installation of 3M Prestige Window film application throughout building interior; and installation of 2,231 occupancy sensors. The 3M window film rejects up to 79% of the heat that would otherwise come through the window; this can translate into a savings of about one ton of air conditioning for every 100 square feet of glass exposed to sunlight. In the colder winter months, the window film also works to reflect manmade heat back into the building, reducing heat loss by up to 30 percent.

A UK company that provides help to building projects has defied the economic downturn by moving to bigger premises. Marpal, which was set up in Derby in 1998, offers advice to building schemes to ensure they comply with specific regulations set out by the Health and Safety Executive. Company founder and director Paul Littlewood said he decided to make the move to allow for future expansion. Marpal is currently working on major projects in Derby, including Derby College's Roundhouse Development. The company also works with Derby City Council, Rolls-Royce, Twycross Zoo and JCB, as well as national organisations such as BUPA and the Ministry of Defence. Its staff work with companies to ensure they meet health and safety regulations and advise on all aspects of construction and design. This includes considering the safety of a building once it is completed – for example, whether it will be safe to carry out window cleaning and if the fire exits are easy to reach.

Energy efficient Low E glass is produced for the first time in Australia using the CVD coating process following the completion of a major upgrade at Viridian 's glass making plant at Dandenong in Victoria. The commencement of the Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) coater is the final stage of the upgrade, following the successful commencement of glassmaking in October 2008. The Dandenong plant has produced a range of Low E coated products including Viridian EnergyTech, SolTech, EVantage and Renew self cleaning glass. According to Steve Choat, General Manager, Viridian, the specialist Pilkington coatings engineers who have commissioned the coater are satisfied with the quality and performance of the product. A rigorous process of product performance testing has occurred in Australia and by Pilkington at its dedicated technology laboratories in the UK.
The upgraded plant is now one of the most advanced and sustainable glass making plants in the world and received the support of the Victorian Government. The CVD coater uses globally proven and accepted Pilkington technology. The plant will provide Viridian's customers with a range of well known and accepted energy efficient glass products, including Viridian ComfortPlus and Viridian EVantage, as well as providing skilled employment and potential for export and import replacement.
Viridian's energy efficient coated glass allows building designers to incorporate large expanses of glass while achieving energy efficient design requirements. Window fabricators will also benefit from local supply of coated glass that helps them to meet growing customer demand for energy efficient glass and insulated glass units (IGUs) for the new and retrofit market.
Hard coated glass manufactured by Viridian at Dandenong is durable because the special coatings are applied while the glass is still semi molten. The CVD coating process occurs while the glass is being manufactured, with precisely controlled coatings molecularly bonded to the surface. By changing the chemistry of the coatings, Viridian can achieve different performance properties to produce a range of energy efficiency low emissivity (Low E) glass.
The durability of the coatings allows the glass to be easily handled, processed and stored and when installed offers resilient and dependable performance for the life of the window. The Dandenong upgrade also included rebuilding the glass furnace, increasing capacity and equipping the float line with the latest technology, including new online cutting and a modernised raw materials batch plant.
The CVD coater is a leading edge glass manufacturing technology that puts Viridian on track to deliver a range of locally made energy efficient coated glass products for reducing the energy consumption and improving the comfort of commercial and residential buildings.
The CVD coater produces a range of low emissivity (Low E) glass products that let in abundant natural light, but reduce the passage of heat to keep a building warmer in winter and cooler in summer, lessening the need for artificial heating or cooling. These types of products are well recognised in Europe and North America as an important way of reducing a building’s energy consumption and improving occupant comfort. Now builders, designers, architects, and home owners can take full advantage of high-performance energy efficient glass from Viridian.

And finally Peter Leith....the singing window cleaner.

Electricity Shocks Window Washers, Denver

Two window washers suffered electrical shocks while working at a Denver building after the ladder they were handling fell into a power line. The window washers, who work for Shawn's Sparkling Squeegee Service, were taken to a Denver-area hospital after suffering residual effects from the shocks. The accident occurred near the intersection of West 29th Avenue and Wyandot Street. The power line carried an estimated 220 volts. Co-worker Miguel Cruiz, who has been a window washer for eight years, said he was at the scene when the accident happened. "Two guys were trying to move a ladder but lost control of it," Cruiz said. "It fell into power lines." Cruiz said that his two co- workers were walking and talking after the ladder fell, and that he didn't know why it was necessary for them to be taken to the hospital. Their conditions were not available. Initial reports from Denver Fire Department officials said only that one window washer had been shocked.