SET Solutions providing tomorrows safety, environment, and training answers, today!

"Today's Solutions," published by Set Solutions LLC Spring Issue 2009.









 

Dispatcher or System Operator?

Information Technology has profoundly transformed the electric distribution dispatching center. Historically a dispatching center’s primary responsibility was to receive outage calls, assign daily work and communicate to field crews via the company radio. The days of receiving outage calls and searching for sectionalizing devices on a paper mapping system have been replaced by computer based technology.

Electric utilities operating facilities that could have an impact on the national grid have national training requirements for operators to ensure the reliability of the bulk power system in North America. This leaves small to medium sized distribution utilities with no clear standard on the best training methodology to meet safety and reliability concerns

Identifying employee training needs may be difficult for utilities that have benchmarked dispatchers on the number of phone calls answered or dropped instead of their knowledge and demonstrated ability to operate and “oversee” the power system. The challenge of training utility personnel, who still operate with a “radio room” concept, to operate and maintain a distribution system is complex. This requires a management commitment to transition employees from a “dispatcher” to a System Operator (Controller). The utility may find the job qualifications of a person who has worked well in a dispatcher position may not be exactly the qualifications needed for the System Operator position. Operational field employees must have confidence that they are communicating with System Operators who understand operating systems and employee work procedures to ensure safety and system reliability. To gain system knowledge, a structured process should be developed to ensure academics, hard skills and on-the-job training meet the job requirements. System Operators need to understand operating systems, line design, system coordination, equipment operation, field operations relating to line construction and maintenance, switching operations and many other utility specific requirements.

SET Solutions has worked with utilities to develop a systematic approach to training existing and new distribution system operators. If interested in the process design please contact one of our specialists.

Arc Flash Protection—It’s More Than PPE

Arc flash/blast conditions occur in some utilities where operational personnel maintain the arc phenomenon “just happens as a way of doing business”. Utilities can no longer afford to disregard possible arc hazards or post arc events.  Proactive utilities evaluate electrical systems and equipment and develop processes to minimize and/or eliminate arc hazards before an incident occurs. Processes include, as a minimum, engineering controls, development of safe work practices and PPE (personal protective equipment). Although PPE does provide some level of personal protection it should be the last line of defense for employee safety. Utility engineering staff should ensure existing equipment and new equipment has been evaluated to reduce arc hazard exposures. Operational personnel should develop work procedures/processes to eliminate exposures that cannot be reduced. Reducing and eliminating arc exposures must be completed before developing a PPE compliance program. Utilities without aggressive maintenance and system improvement programs will find themselves in positions with high levels of incident energy and extreme arc rated clothing requirements. Employee resistance to wearing arc rated clothing will be an issue when utilities only focus on PPE compliance without reducing and eliminating exposures.

If you would like more information on Arc Flash Hazard Assessments or an Arc Flash Implementation Plan, please contact one of our specialist, today.