We work mostly alone, and getting electrocuted really isn't the result we are trying to attain in our shops!
This is a big one! Every machine (well, almost every one) we use requires electricity to operate. Is your machine properly grounded? Here is something to think about....
This past week my crew worked on a piece of equipment that had a fault in the motor. The machine was a punch press and the operator complained of feeling a slight tingle everytime he touched the machine. Our visual inspection revealed that the unit was placed on rubber vibration pads, and not directly on the floor. The second thing we noticed was that the machine was feed power through a rubber cord. The technician that worked the call immediatly checked the voltage from the machine to a nearby source of ground and found that the machine was energized! The voltage from the machine to ground was 278 volts! (This unit is 3 phase 480V) Once that was discovered, he turned off the power and checked the wiring in the motor. One of the leads was bare and against the case of the motor. The rubber cord feeding the machine had three conductors in it, and each was a phase wire, so the unit was not grounded. After the cord was changed and the machine was grounded, the problem was gone. Disaster avoided; this time.
I present this to you to think about the machines and electrical system in your shop. Is your system and equipment properly grounded? The operator in the above scenario was lucky! If he would have become a pathway, then an accident would have happened, most likely resulting in a very nasty shock if not death.
If you are unsure of your grounding, then check it out, or have a qualified electrician check it for you. The money and time spent will be less that a hospital stay or funeral!
Remember this - the problem with getting killed is that you stay dead for such a long time!
This is a big one! Every machine (well, almost every one) we use requires electricity to operate. Is your machine properly grounded? Here is something to think about....
This past week my crew worked on a piece of equipment that had a fault in the motor. The machine was a punch press and the operator complained of feeling a slight tingle everytime he touched the machine. Our visual inspection revealed that the unit was placed on rubber vibration pads, and not directly on the floor. The second thing we noticed was that the machine was feed power through a rubber cord. The technician that worked the call immediatly checked the voltage from the machine to a nearby source of ground and found that the machine was energized! The voltage from the machine to ground was 278 volts! (This unit is 3 phase 480V) Once that was discovered, he turned off the power and checked the wiring in the motor. One of the leads was bare and against the case of the motor. The rubber cord feeding the machine had three conductors in it, and each was a phase wire, so the unit was not grounded. After the cord was changed and the machine was grounded, the problem was gone. Disaster avoided; this time.
I present this to you to think about the machines and electrical system in your shop. Is your system and equipment properly grounded? The operator in the above scenario was lucky! If he would have become a pathway, then an accident would have happened, most likely resulting in a very nasty shock if not death.
If you are unsure of your grounding, then check it out, or have a qualified electrician check it for you. The money and time spent will be less that a hospital stay or funeral!
Remember this - the problem with getting killed is that you stay dead for such a long time!