How to do an Electrical Switchgear Risk Assessment? - Carelabs

An electrical switchgear risk assessment is relevant in any circumstance one works with live parts, power tools, or electric circuits. So, for safe work practice, workplaces will need to carry one out.

Electrical equipment and electrical switchgear risk assessment is a planned and scheduled event to help ensure a safe and reliable electrical system. It is used to assess and manage hazards within your facility.

Carelabs is providing electrical installation study, testing, inspection, and certification services, and offering risk assessment services for electrical equipment.

As an employer are responsible for electrical equipment’s safety in the workplace, regular inspection, test, and maintenance practice are advisable.

Electrical shock has the potential to cause severe injury or even fatality!

Electrocution causes merely 7% of all workplace deaths

These can lead to damage to the working personnel, severe injuries due to existing electrical energy available in the equipment or even fatality.

Electrical hazards inherently associated with electrical equipment and systems. but how to know what they are?

Figure.1: Electrical equipment incidents summary in a chemical industry

Safety programs aim to provide safe work instructions for a facility, avoiding risks.

When performing electrical switchgear risk assessment, it is very important to involve facilities employees. Employees are the one who work with electrical equipment directly, can help find and develop the best safety practice.

Electrical equipment risk assessments are particularly performed for ensuring equipment safety. Risk assessment involves identifying the undesired events, the causes, and the effects of these events.

A switchgear risk assessment performed in a top-down approach, to mitigate the risks systematic approach has been used.

A hostile operating environment means electrical equipment used in an operating environment like exposure to moisture, heat, vibration, corrosion. These conditions could result in damage to electrical switchgear.

Electrical switchgear that operates in a hostile environment must be inspected and assessed regularly.

A non-hostile operating environment means electrical switchgear used in an operating environment like dry, clean, free from damage to the equipment.

These assessment processes carried out simply as follows:

Compromising the assessment process will decrease the likelihood of problems in the future

Preparing a diverse team of technicians as well as employees. Defining the scope of the assessment that is going to be performed.

Identifying hazards must take into consideration all the possible situations, events, tasks. The examination of hazards must consider the history of the minor and major failures of service experience on the switchgear also.