Session Four: Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc Flash During Live Thermographic

Inspections

Session Four:
Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc
Flash During Live Thermographic Inspections
Author: Martin Robinson
CEO, IRISS Group

Presented by: Lewis McCormick

Abstract
Electrical accidents happen daily, According to the Electrical Safety
Foundation, Int'l, 2,000 workers each year in the United States are admitted to
burn centers for treatment of severe arc flash burns. While the threat of shock
and electrocution from inadvertent contact with energized parts has long been
recognized, arc flash and arc blast hazards have only recently been
incorporated into the electrical safety standards.
There are steps that companies and individuals can
take to reduce the occurrence of these accidents and
protect everybody concerned from the physical,
financial, and statutory consequences related to this
type of accident. In the United States the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) provides a reference for
facilities to meet the requirements of electrical
workplace safety in its regulation 70E, and outlines the
best practices for setting up and maintaining an
Electrical Preventative Maintenance (EPM) program in
its regulation 70B.
One major disadvantage of IR cameras is that they are based on digital camera
technology and require a direct-line-of-site to record an accurate image (known
as direct temperature measurement), i.e. they can only measure what they can
see. In most cases IR surveys are hampered by cabinet designs that obscure
the target components being imaged and thermographers are put at risk by
having to open cabinets or doors in an attempt to gain access to the internal
components that they wish to Inspect.

Introduction
NFPA regards systematic and regular thermographic electrical inspections to
be a critical part of an EPM program stating that these (thermographic)
inspections have uncovered a multitude of potentially dangerous situations.
Proper diagnosis and remedial action of these situations have also helped to
prevent numerous major losses They can reduce typical visual examinations
and tedious manual inspections and are especially effective in long-range
detection situations. It goes on to endorse thermographic electrical inspection
as relatively inexpensive to use considering the savings often realized by
preventing equipment damage and business interruptions (and is)

2013 Arc Flash Conference IDC Technologies

Session Four: Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc Flash During Live Thermographic
Inspections

considered a useful tool to evaluate previous repair work and proof test new
electrical installations and new equipment still under warranty.
The NFPA 70B standard prescribes routine infrared inspections of energized
electrical systems should be performed annually prior to shut down. More
frequent infrared inspections, for example, quarterly or semiannually, should be
performed where warranted by loss experience, installation of new electrical
equipment, or changes in environmental, operational, or load conditions.
The standard is also very specific about performing inspections with equipment
operating and requires that infrared surveys should be performed during
periods of maximum possible loading but not less than 40 percent of rated load
of the electrical equipment being inspected. In instances where IR Windows or
viewing panes are not available, equipment enclosures should be opened for a
view of components whenever possible... since it is not possible for infrared
imagers to calculate internal temperatures through standard panel covers or
standard materials used in visual inspection panes (i.e. tempered glass or
Plexiglas) as these materials are non-transmissive in the infrared spectrum.
This unfortunately this requirement goes against NFPA 70E and OSHA who
state very plainly that electrical equipment should be de-energized prior to
opening

NFPA 70E
Originally chartered in 1976 and first released in 1979, the 70E standard is
intended for use by employers, employees, and OSHA. Its purpose was to
assist OSHA in preparing a set of consensus standards to be used as a basis
for evaluating electrical safety in the workplace. Through its nine revisions over
roughly 40 years, the NFPA 70E Standard has made an indelible mark on safe
work-practices throughout the US and throughout the world, although its
greatest impact has only been recognized since the 2000 revisions which
included clarification of PPE (personal protective equipment) requirements.
Basic compliance with the 2012 edition of NFPA 70E is actually established
with a five-step process, which includes an arc flash analysis. The five steps
are:
1. Develop and audit on a regularly scheduled basis an electrical safe work
practice policy.
2. Conduct an electrical system study to determine the present degree of
arc flash hazards and apply associated equipment labeling.
3. Ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and
proper tools for electrical workers.
4. Conduct regularly scheduled safety training and audits for all electrical
workers.
5. Maintain all electrical distribution system equipment and components per
manufacturers recommendations.

Hierarchy of Control
At the heart of NFPA 70E and OSHA initiatives is the hierarchy of control. Put
simply, this concept attempts to control or mitigate risk wherever possible. In
2013 Arc Flash Conference IDC Technologies

Session Four: Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc Flash During Live Thermographic
Inspections

order of preference, the Hierarchy of Control seeks to mitigate risks by taking

the following measures in the following order and as determined by the risk
assessment:
1. Elimination; the job is redesigned so as to remove the hazard.
However, the alternative method should not lead to a less acceptable
product or less effective process. If hazard elimination is not successful
or practical, the next control measure is:
2. Substitution; replacing the material or process with a less hazardous
one. If hazard substitution is not successful or practical, the next control
measure is:
3. Engineering controls; installing or using additional machinery such as
local exhaust ventilation to control the risk. Separating the hazard from
operators by methods such as enclosing or guarding dangerous items of
machinery. If this method is not effective, the next control measure is:
4. Administrative procedures or safe work practices; an example of
this is to reduce the time the worker is exposed to the hazard. It could
also include the provision of training and the performance of risk
assessments. Only after all the previous measures have been tried and
found to be ineffective in controlling the risks should Personal Protective
Equipment be considered.
5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE);
this is the last control measure to be
considered. If chosen, PPE should be
selected and fitted to the person who
uses it. Workers must be trained in the
function and limitation of each item of
PPE. PPE may be used as a temporary
control measure until other alternatives
are installed.
In most cases a combination of engineering
controls, administrative procedures and PPE are
chosen to effectively control the risks. Where
PPE is the main control method it should be
(where practical) used in conjunction with
another method such as; PPE and safe work
practices.
In short, the best way to reduce risk is to eliminate it. This is why NFPA 70E
and OSHA state very plainly that electrical equipment should be de-energized
prior to opening. Realizing that this is not always possible for troubleshooting,
inspecting or in situations where shutting down is not viable or poses a risk,
there is an allowance made for PPE to be used as a last resort similar to the
least preferred method in the hierarchy of control.

NFPA70B
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Session Four: Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc Flash During Live Thermographic
Inspections

The 70B document also prescribes temperature benchmarking and references

the NETA benchmarks as seen in Table 1.
The InterNational Electrical Testing Association (NETA) is an organization that
serves the electrical testing industry by offering accreditation of third-party
electrical testing firms, certifying electrical testing technicians, producing of
American National Standards, hosting PowerTest - Electrical Maintenance and
Safety Conference, and publishing NETA World technical journal.
The NETA table compares temperatures to normal (as determined by a
qualified technician) and prescribes a corrective action based on those
deviations from normal. It is important to remember that temperature (T) and
differential temperatures (T) measurements. The normal temperature is
calculated by a qualified technician and will take into consideration many areas
of the operation such as load, duty cycles, manufacturers recommendations,
risk of failure, age of equipment, historical data relating to failures of similar
equipments, etc RCM practices are very useful when determining what an
equipments normal operating temperatures and parameters are.
Of course, when thermographers and electricians open electrical panels to
perform thermographic inspections per NFPA 70B guidelines and insurance
requirements, they increase the risk of allowing one of these triggers to occur.
NFPA 70E rates the removal of bolted panels on energized electrical
equipment to be in the highest hazard/risk category. Consequently, NFPA 70E
standards for electrical safety must be adhered to.

T Range

Interpretation

Prescriptive Action

1C (1.8F) to
3C (5.4F)

Indicates Possible
Deficiency

warrant investigation

4C (7.2F) to
15C (27F)

Indicates Deficiency

repairs should be made

as time permits

16C (28.8F)
and above

Indicates Major
Deficiency

repairs should be made

immediately

Table 1: NETA benchmarks for temperature and corrective action

Before conducting any maintenance task we must ensure that if possible we

eliminate any risks to the maintenance engineers or operators; Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) should always be a last resort. IR Windows
eliminate the risks associated with live inspections as they allow an IR Camera
direct line of site access to live electrical components without opening an
electrical enclosure. As such they provide an excellent means of accessing
electrical equipment efficiently and safely as a second qualified person is not

2013 Arc Flash Conference IDC Technologies

Session Four: Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc Flash During Live Thermographic
Inspections

required to open and unbolt enclosures and the triggers of arc flash are not
introduced as the panels remain closed.

Infrared (IR) Windows

IR windows incorporate a specialty lens (typically made of a polymer or crystal)
which allow the infrared wavelengths to transmit through the optic, ultimately to
be captured and interpreted by an infrared imager or camera. Infrared windows
can be installed in the covers or doors of electrical distribution equipment such
as switchgear, transformers, MCCs, PDU panels and motor termination boxes
to name a few.
Because IR windows allow
thermographers to perform
thermographic inspections while
leaving the panel covers and doors
closed, thermographers are not
exposed to energized conductors
and circuit parts. In NFPA terms, the
electrical cabinet remains enclosed
and the energized conductors and
circuit parts are maintained in a
guarded condition. The state of the
inside of the cabinet, therefore, is not
changed and the hazard/risk level is
the same as if the thermographer was simply looking through a fixed visual
viewing pane or taking a reading from a meter.
Ultimately, by utilizing this closed-panel inspection process, companies will
eliminate 99% of arc flash triggers during an infrared electrical inspection. Or as
stated in NFPA 70E: Under normal operating conditions, enclosed energized
equipment that has been properly installed and maintained is not likely to pose
an arc flash hazard. Which is why the scope of the PPE requirements in 70E
are restricted to electrical safety-related work practices and procedures for
employees who are exposed to an electrical hazard Workers who are using
enclosed and guarded equipment which is properly operated, properly
installed, and properly maintained are not exposed to an electrical hazard
and are therefore not required (per 70E) to utilize elevated levels of PPE.
However, in the event that the purpose of the inspection is to troubleshoot a
suspected fault which could cause an arc flash, then employers and
thermographers would be prudent to take all applicable precautions including
the use of appropriate PPE, because in most cases closed doors do not
provide enough protection to eliminate the need for PPE for instances where
the state of the equipment is known to readily change

SUMMARY
It is significant that the standards value thermographic electrical inspections as
a critical part of an EPM program. IR windows have now provided a way for

2013 Arc Flash Conference IDC Technologies

Session Four: Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc Flash During Live Thermographic
Inspections

companies to comply with the recommendations for inspection processes,

while complying with the mandates for arc flash avoidance.
IR windows are not a protective device and no IR window on the market is as
structurally sound as the steel which is so easily ripped apart in un-vented
blast. They are intended to maintain a separation between thermographer and
energized components and thereby eliminate the increased risk of the
thermographer or other workers triggering an arc flash.
Infrared windows offer companies and thermographers a safer, more efficient
way to perform an inspection while maintaining an enclosed and guarded
condition for the energized conductors and circuit parts, while preserving a
steady-state inside the cabinet. This closed-panel inspection process will
eliminate the increased level of risk associated with open-panel inspections,
and eliminates the requirement for elevated levels of PPE.
An article in insights magazine by Joseph Weigel states that Schneider
Electrics North American Operating Division can attest first hand to the benefits
of an effective EPM. Since 2003, the company has seen its medical incident
rate drop by 72 percent in its North American facilities. That translates to a
savings of approximately $10 million in workers compensation savings for the
2010 calendar year.
Complying with the NFPA standard practices and utilizing technologies such as
IR windows allow companies to really show how much they value their
workforce by maintaining a safe working environment, this has additional spinoffs in increased employee morale and reduced absenteeism, by providing the
tools, training and maintenance programs to reduce the chances of injury in
their workplace. Thats a reputation for which any company would delight in.

References
NFPA 70 - National Electrical Code (NEC), 2011 Edition
NFPA 70E - Handbook for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, 2012 Edition
NFPA 70B - Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance,
2013 Edition
IEEE 902-1998 Guide for Maintenance, Operation and Safety of Industrial
and Commercial Power Systems
ANSI/NETA MTS-2007 - Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications for
Electrical Power Distribution Equipment and Systems
ANSI Z10-2005 - Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems
ISO 14001: 2004 - Environmental Management System
OHSAS-18001-2007 - Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems
Requirements
ILO-OSH 2001 - Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management
Systems
CSA Z1000-2006 - Occupational Safety and Health Management

2013 Arc Flash Conference IDC Technologies

Session Four: Using Infrared Windows to Reduce the Risk of Arc Flash During Live Thermographic
Inspections

Insights Article-2010 Joseph Weigel Avoid Devastating Electrical Arc

Flash Accidents

2013 Arc Flash Conference IDC Technologies