00.11.

55 - 030

Safety

Safety in the petro-chemical industry

Electricity
In this lesson first the electrical hazards will be discussed. Furthermore we will
deal with some safety precautions that have to be observed when working with
electricity.
This will be followed by an indication which actions operators are authorised to
carry out on electrical installations.
Finally, we will discuss the origin and hazards of static electricity, and measures
to prevent the occurrence of static electricity

Contents of the lesson

1

Types of regulations

Electrical hazards

Safety precautions

Isolating electrical equipment

Static electricity

The copyright in this material is vested in Shell Global Solutions International B.V., The Hague, The Netherlands and Shell Netherlands Raffinaderij B.V. All rights
reserved. Neither the whole or any part of this document may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means (electronic,
mechanical, reprographic, recording or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.

Safety / 00.11.55 - 030

Lesson
1. Types of regulations
In view of the hazards with electricity some general regulations have been
developed. The regulations have a bearing on:
- operation

- operational
actions
- working on

a. The operation of electrical installations.

Included are operating switch-gear, adjustments, control and monitoring of
these installations as well as the insertion and removal of threaded-type
fuses and light bulbs.
b. Operational actions carried out on electrical installations.
Included are start-up, shutdown, isolation and energising of electric motors
by special switch-gear.
c. Working on electrical installations.
Included are measurements, repairs, modifications, extensions, and the
removal and insertion of knife-type fuses.
Only specialised personnel is allowed to operate and work on electrical
installations (as indicated under points a and c).

2. Electrical hazards
Working with electricity involves the following hazards:
- Electrocution of the human body;
- Injuries caused by sparking;
- Injuries caused by a shock reaction;
- Fires caused by an electrical current;
- Explosions caused by an electrical current.
A safe electrical installation is an installation where the above-mentioned
hazards are reduced to a minimum. Not only should the users be protected
against these hazards. but also tradesmen can only carry out their daily work
safely if these activities have been thoroughly taken into account during the
design phase of an electrical installation. It is self-evident that the regulations
electrical installations have to comply with must cover the safe operation and
maintenance of these installations

2.1 Electrocution
- factors

Electrocution has caused many fatalities over the years. The following factors
will determine the extent of the victims injuries resulting from electrocution:
- the path of the current through the body;
- the strength of the current;
- the duration of the passage of current;
- the current type;
- the voltage;
- the physical condition of the victim.
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- current strength
limit 10 - 20 mA

- electrocution

- contact resistance

Over the years, various researchers have studied the effect of electrical current
on the human body. During experiments on human beings life-threatening
situations never occurred. From the results of these experiments and the
reconstruction of fatal accidents caused by an electrical current, sufficient
reliable data have been obtained. These experiments have shown that even very
low currents (alternating current) of 0.5 2 mA result in a light tingling
sensation in the hands if the current flows through the human body from hand to
hand. This tingling feeling increases, as the strength of the current increases. It
extends to the forearm and thereafter to the upper arm. It is accompanied by
painful and continuously increasing muscular spasms. Finally, the victim is
unable to free himself from the electrically conducting parts. In that case the
current strength limit has been reached (this can vary from 10 20 mA).
At current strengths beyond this limit, respiration will be hindered. This can lead
to the death of the victim from asphyxiation if assistance is not provided quickly
(within minutes). If the victim is released in time, normal respiration will soon
return and no serious side-effects will develop. Much higher current strengths
can affect the nerve centres and consequently result in a considerable
interruption of the respiratory function. Finally, heart fibrillation will occur at a
current strength (alternating current) of approximately 100 mA, which will lead,
in most cases, to the victims death. In such a case one speaks of an immediate
electrocution. Heart fibrillationis an irregular rhythm of contractions of the
heart.
The practical applied frequency of 50 Hz falls within the range of maximum
sensitivity of human beings for the effects described. A noticeable reduction of
this hazard will occur only at frequencies of 1000 Hz and beyond. At high
frequencies other hazards, i.e. burns, resulting from electrical current,
predominate over the hazard mentioned first.
Whether a person is exposed to the fatal current strength depends on the voltage,
the contact resistances at the point of contact, and the location, see figure 1.

5820-030-001-P

Figure 1
Contact resistances

- skin resistance
- voltage limit

A dry skin has a very high resistance, but a moist skin has a very low resistance.
We can assume that an AC voltage of 50V and a DC voltage of 120V are safe.
These values are called the voltage limit.
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Question 1
What is the limiting current rating for an alternating current?

2.2 Injuries caused by fire phenomena

- electric arcs

Injuries caused by fire phenomena can happen if a person comes into contact
with an electric arc. Such an arc can occur because of a short-circuit or earth
leakage. An electric arc can also develop by breaking a circuit, especially in case
of a very large current. This results in a loss of voltage. The loss of electrical
power is converted to heat.
Other examples of spark formation are:
- Bad connections of a switch or relay.
As a result of wear and tear or are serious oxidation the terminals do not
touch each other correctly.
- Bad cable insulation and moisture.
Both of these factors cause leak currents, resulting in high heat generation.
A DC voltage generates larger electric arcs than an AC voltage. The safeDC
voltage of 110V can nevertheless lead to serious burns.
Question 2
A DC voltage of 110V is considered to be safe, but is that always the case?

2.3 Injuries caused by a shock reaction

If a person unexpectedly comes into contact with an electrical current, even if
this current is not dangerous, a shock reaction will result. As an example, due to
a shock reaction one can fall from a ladder. In this case, the injury is indirectly
caused by electricity.

2.4 Fire and explosion hazards

The hazard of fire and explosion from an electrical current can be caused by the
phenomena of fire (sparks and electrical arcs). It can also be caused by excessive
temperature increases in parts of the electrical installation if these are located in
areas with a dust explosion hazard or areas containing explosive gas (vapour)/air
mixtures.
Only intrinsically safe lamps should be used for internal inspections of vessels
and tanks that may contain an explosive gas mixture. These lamps contain their
own voltage supply, generated by an air driven generator and an intrinsically
safe circuit. Intrinsically safe means that circuits of electrical equipment are
designed in such a way that no spark and no thermal effect during normal
operation or within a defined framework of faulty conditions will lead to ignition
of an existing explosive mixture.

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Question 3
You need a light to inspect a tank. What do you use in this case? What are the
requirements the lamp must comply with?

3. Safety precautions
The following safety precautions can be used against the above mentioned
hazards:
- grounding;
- double insulation;
- earth leak switch;
- very low safe voltage;
- shielded high voltage;
- electro-technical regulations.

3.1 Grounding

- ground-wire

The purpose of grounding is to prevent external metal parts from being under
electrical tension. This can be achieved by installing a conducting connection
between these metal parts and the ground. The current will take the line of least
resistance if these metal parts are under electrical tension. The line of least
resistance will then be the copper ground-wire and not the human body. This is
illustrated in figure 2.

5820-030-002-P

Figure 2
a.not grounded;

b. grounded

In many cases, a visible external ground wire must also be provided in addition
to the ground-wire carried by the power supply cable. If an external ground-wire
has been provided it should be connected prior to connecting the electrical feed
lines. Removal of the ground-wire is only allowed after disconnecting the
electrical feed lines.

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3.2 Double insulation

In the case of mobile electrical equipment (e.g. hand drills) grounding is not
sufficient as a safety precaution. One can not give a 100% guarantee that a
proper uninterrupted grounding is available, because it is invisible. Furthermore,
under certain conditions this ground connection can be the cause of the
equipment becoming electrically charged externally (see figure 3).
This can happen if the broken ground-wire inside the cable comes into contact
with an electrically charged part. For this reason double insulation is used.
By means of double insulation, the metal construction elements of the equipment
are protected by an layer of insulation in addition to the functional insulation by
which the electrically charged parts are separated.

5820-030-003-P

Figure 3
The equipment casing is electrically charged, because of a broken ground-wire coming
into contact with an electrically charged part

This is shown in figure 4. Nowadays, external metal parts may not be grounded
any more, because of the hazard as illustrated in figure 3. By law, double
insulation of electrical hand tools is compulsory. In addition, these tools have to
be approved by the inspectorate for labour.

5820-030-004-P

Figure 4
Double insulation

Question 4
Why do we use double shielding for mobile electrical equipment?
Question 5
What is meant by functional insulation?
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3.3 Ground protection relay

The earth leak switch is a relay that automatically cuts off the electrical power
supply when an earth fault occurs in equipment being protected by this relay
(see figure 5). This relay is activated if there is a maximum current leak of
30 mA to ground. Mobile electrical equipment should be protected by a ground
protection relay located at the beginning of the flexible power supply cable.
Double insulated tools are also covered by this regulation

5820-030-005-P

Figure 5
Earth leak switch

Question 6
What is the value of the electric current to ground at the moment the earth leak
switch is activated?

3.4 Very low safe voltage

- safety
transformer

An AC current of 50 V and below does not present a hazard as discussed earlier

in this lesson. If we need to use portable electrical equipment in confined or
humid spaces like cellars, boilers and vessels, this low safe voltage should of
course be used. Even the use of double insulated equipment in these kinds of
spaces is prohibited. In these situations, electrical equipment should be
connected to a safety transformer. A safety transformer is a specially designed
transformer consisting of separated windings, delivering an output voltage of
50 V or lower. According to the regulations inspection lamps should always be
connected to a safety transformer.
Question 7
Is it allowed to use a double insulated hand drill in a steam boiler?

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3.5 High voltage protection

- isolating
transformer

In some cases portable lamps may be connected to 220 V. This is only allowed
in non-hazardous situations and with permission of the responsible department.
However, in such cases a protection transformer or isolating transformer should
be used. An isolating transformer is a transformer with separated windings. The
primary winding is connected to the 220 V mains and the output of the
secondary winding is 220 V. If equipment with a ground failure is connected to
the transformer, a closed circuit will still not occur, because the secondary
winding is not grounded (see figure 6).

5820-030-006-P

Figure 6
Isolating transformer

It is possible that an earth leakage that occurs in one of the apparatuses will not
be noticed if more than one apparatus is connected to an isolating transformer. If
a short-circuit also occurs in another apparatus between the other wire and the
casing, then the two people touching these apparatuses will both be exposed to
the secondary voltage of, often, 220 V (see figure 7).
Question 8
In which situation is it allowed to connect portable lamps to 220 V?
Question 9
Is it advisable to connect two electrical apparatuses to one protection
transformer?

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5820-030-007-P

Figure 7
One protection transformer and two connected apparatuses

3.6 Electro-technical regulations

Stringent regulations exist for the construction and maintenance of electrical
installations. It goes without saying that it is strictly prohibited for an individual
not authorised by the supervisor of the electrical department, to carry out
electrical work. As a user you dont need to know these regulations, but with the
information discussed in this paragraph you should be able to recognise
hazardous situations and request qualified personnel to remedy them.
For users it is important to know that:
- Transformers and switching gear are not allowed to be located inside
boilers, distillation columns, tanks, metallic vessels, etc.;
- Rubber cables on portable apparatuses are sensitive to damage, especially in
those places where they enter tanks, vessels, etc.

4. Isolating electrical equipment

It is prohibited to carry out work on electrically driven equipment if the nature of
the work can lead to personal injury or damage when unexpectedly switched on.
Work on equipment driven by electric motors is only allowed if a tag has been
attached to the on/off switch with the words Equipment Isolated. Isolated
means locking or interrupting the possibility the equipment to be started even by
a possible command signal or the occurrence of a defect.

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Equipment can be isolated in the following ways:

- by means of an electrical isolation switch;
- by removing the fuses (pulling the fuses);
- by pulling the fuses and disconnecting the electric motor. Disconnectingin
this context means actually disconnecting the power supply cables.
Only operational personnel are allowed to use the keys of isolation switches and
locking systems.
Question 10
When is work allowed to be carried out on electrically driven equipment?

4.1 Electrical isolation and energising procedure

Isolation
a. The responsible shift supervisor or his deputy should first complete an
Isolation Request (figure 8 shows such an Isolation Certificate).
b. This shift supervisor will now instruct an operator to isolate the equipment
concerned.
c. The operator will physically check if the electric motor has stopped. If this is
not the case, he will stop the electric motor. He will also verify the
correctness of the indicated switch-room location and the tag number of the
electric motor concerned.
d. The operator will then go to the specific switch-house in order to isolate the
electric motor by means of a special key.
e. Then he will return to the electric motor to verify if it will start. It has been
isolated correctly if the electric motor cannot be started. The operator will
now attach the tag Equipment isolatedto the on/off switch.
f. The operator will now return to the control room to complete the Isolation
Certificate and authorise it by signing the appropriate certificate.
g. A work permit can now be issued to begin work on the equipment driven by
this particular electric motor.
Energising
a. When the equipment has been repaired the technician will report to the
control room and hand in the work permit. The responsible shift supervisor
or his deputy will now take the Isolation Certificate to complete an
Energisation Request.
b. This shift supervisor will now instruct an operator to energise the electric
motor.
c. The operator will go to the particular equipment to remove the tag
Equipment isolatedfrom the on/off switch.
d. Then the operator will go to the switch-house to re-energise the electric
motor. This action should not result in the on/off switch of the electric motor
being activated. If the electric motor is actually turned on by this action (this
can be heard), the electric motor will be re-isolated and the responsible
department (electrical) informed immediately.
e. The operator will return to the electric motor to verify if the electric motor
can indeed be started and stopped.
f. Then he will return to the control room to sign the Isolation Certificate.
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ISOLATION CERTIFICATE
*GENERAL DATA
Plant / Unit
:
Equipment type :
Location
:
Switch-house No.:
Tag No.
:

ISOLATION REQUEST
(to be completed by shift supervisor or his deputy)
Name
Date
Signature

:
:
:

ISOLATED BY:
Name
Position / department
Date / time
Signature

:
:
:
:

ENERGISATION REQUEST
(to be completed by shift supervisor or his deputy)
Name
Date
Signature

:
:
:

ENERGISED BY:
Name
Position / department
Date / time
Signature

:
:
:
:

* One certificate shall be completed for each equipment item.

5820-030-008-H

Figure 8
Isolation Certificate

Question 11
How can we verify that the on/off switch is not activated if an operator energises
the respective electric motor in the switch-house?
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4.2 Neutralisation
- companys
electrical
regulations
- voltage free
certificate

For other work on electrically driven equipment and/or electrical apparatuses,

the respective electric motors or apparatuses should be neutralised in accordance
with the companys electrical regulations. Neutralisation means pulling the fuses
and disconnecting the electric motor. A permitcan only be issued after the
necessary neutralisation actions have been carried out by an authorised
technician and after the neutralisation certificate in the binder has been fully
completed and signed (see figure 9).

- commissioning
The originator of the permit has to instruct an authorised technician to
commission the respective apparatus or equipment after the work has been
reported finished. The second part of the original neutralisation certificate is
used for this purpose.
After the technician has completed his task according to the existing company
regulations, he has to sign the last part of the voltage free certificate. The plants
Voltage free Certificatesbinder should always be present in the control room.
The removal of pages from the binder is not allowed. In case of mistakes, the
respective page should be declared void. Old binders should be kept on file for
at least one year.
- operational
switches

If lockable operational switches have been provided with electric driven

equipment or electrical apparatuses, they should be locked in the off-position
with a padlock.
In case of non-electrical work, the person issuing the permit, or his deputy, must
make sure that the correct apparatus has been isolated or neutralisation, in the
presence of the permit holder.
Figure 10 shows schematically the precautions that should be taken for various
types of work on electrically-driven equipment. In the example shown, this is a
pump.

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VOLTAGE FREE CERTIFICATE

*GENERAL DATA
Plant / Unit
:
Equipment type :
Location
:
Switch-house No.:
Tag No.
:

NEUTRALISATION REQUEST
(to be completed by shift supervisor or his deputy)
Name:
Date:
Signature:

NEUTRALISED BY:
Name
Position / department
Date / time
Signature

:
:
:
:

REINSTALLING REQUEST
(to be completed by shift supervisor or his deputy)
Name :
Date
:
Signature:

REINSTALLED BY:
Name
Position / department
Date / time
Signature

:
:
:
:

* One certificate shall be completed for each equipment item.

5820-030-009-H

Figure 9
Voltage free Certificate

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5820-030-011-S

Figure 10
Isolation overview

5. Static electricity
- charge
accumulation

An object will be electrostatically charged if an accumulation of similar charges

exists at the surface. The object will then be positively or negatively charged.
Electrostatic charging occurs when two chemically dissimilar materials that have
been brought into intensive contact with each other, are subsequently separated.
Due to this close contact, electrons transfer from one material surface to the
other. As a result, one surface will have a shortage of electrons at the contact
area and will then be positively charged. The other surface will have a surplus of
electrons at the contact area and, consequently, it will be negatively charged. It
is essential that the materials involved are poor or non-conductors of electrons.

- solids

Electrostatic charging usually occurs when two non-conducting solids are

rubbed against each other. Electrostatic discharging can be accompanied by
sparking. You probably have experienced this yourself. For example when
combing dry hair you will hear crackling noises and even sparks can be noticed
in darkness. Something similar can also be observed when taking off a nylon
shirt or sweater. These spark discharges are a result of electrostatic electricity. It
is noteworthy that such phenomena appear to be stronger during dry freezing
weather conditions of winter than in summer s humid weather conditions.
This can also happen in a plant, e.g. a separation of charge can take place during
contact between a non-conducting liquid and a solid. This can, for example,
occur in case of a liquid flow through a pipeline. The generation of a charge in
petrol is limited, but will increase if the petrol contains water, especially as
water droplets.
Gases, containing a mist of fine liquid droplets, can also become electrostatically
charged. Charge separation will occur if such a gas flows through a narrow
opening. In this way, as soon as saturated steam is released into a space by
means of a rubber hose, charge separation will occur, causing a metal coupling
to become highly charged (figure 11).

- liquid/solid

- gases

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5820-030-012-S

Figure 11
The occurrence of charge separation

Due to the generation of a charge, very high potential differences can develop,
resulting in a spark. In this way sufficient energy can be released to ignite an
explosive vapour/air mixture or dust/air mixture, e.g. when a liquid is allowed to
discharge freely. The conditions for such a charge generation to occur are,
amongst others:
- Using non-conductive or low conductive materials (synthetic materials);
- High flow velocities;
- Low humidity;
- Presence of impurities or moisture in the liquid.

- transport velocity

- Anti Static
Additive

Transport pipelines should be grounded in the best possible way to prevent the
occurrence of electrostatic charges. In addition, the flow velocities of solids and
non-conductive liquids should not be too high. White oil products and most
organic substances in the chemical industry should be transported with a flow
rate not exceeding 1 m/s in the last 60 m upstream of a tank. Therefore, pipelines
used for filling tanks should have a sufficiently large diameter.
Some products are made artificially conductive by adding an anti-static additive.
Grounding is a must when unloading and loading vessels, railroad tankcars, and
trucks containing flammable substances. For that purpose, a special earthing
terminal is required that can be connected firmly to the vessel or reservoir
(figure 12). Filling lines in tanks and reactors should be extended as far as
possible to limit the distance that the liquid is allowed to discharge freely.
Question 12
What substance increases the electrostatic charging of gasoline?

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5820-030-013-S

Figure 12
Earthing terminal

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Summary
This lesson has been totally dedicated to the hazards of electricity.
Working with electricity involves the following hazards:
- electrocution;
- injuries caused by fire;
- injuries caused by a shock reaction;
- fire caused by an electrical current;
- explosion caused by an electrical current.
An AC voltage of 50V and a DC voltage of 120V are considered to be safe.
The following safety precautions can be used:
- grounding;
- double insulation;
- earth leak switch;
- very low safe voltage;
- protected high voltage;
- electro-technical regulations.
If work has to be done on equipment driven by an electric motor, it can be
isolated in the following ways:
- by means of an electrical isolation switch;
- by removing the fuses (pulling the fuses);
- by pulling the fuses and disconnecting the electric motor. Disconnecting
means: disconnecting the power cables.
The procedure for isolation and energising, which uses an Isolation Certificate,
has been described above.
Neutralising which uses a Voltage free Certificate, should be performed in
accordance with the company regulations regarding electro-technical matters.
Electrostatic charging occurs when two chemically dissimilar materials, which
have been brought into intensive contact with each other, are subsequently
separated.
The conditions for such a charge generation to occur include:
- The use of non-conductive or low conductive materials (synthetic materials);
- High flow velocities;
- Low humidity of the air;
- Presence of impurities or moisture in liquid.
Various precautions to prevent the occurrence of electrostatic charging have
been described.

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Test
Exercises
Do not send in your answers for correction
1. Which six factors will determine the extent of the victims injuries resulting
from electrocution?
2. Which two voltage limits can be identified?
3. What can cause the occurrence of an electric arc?
4. What safety precautions can be taken against electrical hazards?
5. Should double insulated tools be connected to a ground protection relay?
6. In which situations should you connect an electrical apparatus to a safety
transformer?
7. What provision should be used if a portable lamp is connected to 220V?
8. Who is authorised to carry out neutralisation actions on an electric motor?
9. For how long should the binder Tension/Voltage Free Certificatesbe kept
on file?

Answers to the questions in the lesson

1. The value of the AC limiting current rating is 10 20 mA.
2. A DC voltage of 110V is not always safe because of the potential hazard of
an electric arc.
3. An inspection lamp is used to inspect a vessel. This inspection lamp contains
its own voltage supply, generated by an air driven generator and an
intrinsically safe electrical circuit.
4. Double insulation is applied in case of portable electrical equipment,
because one can not give a 100% guarantee that a proper uninterrupted
grounding is available. Sometimes this ground connection can, under certain
conditions, be the cause of the equipment becoming electrically charged
externally.
5. By functional insulation we mean the layer of insulation containing the
power supply cables.
6. A ground protection relay will be activated by a maximum current of 30
mA.
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7. Since a boiler is a humid space, it is even prohibited to use double insulated

apparatuses.
8. Portable lamps may be connected to 220V, provided two conditions are met:
- non-hazardous circumstances;
- by permission of the responsible department head for electrical matters.
9. It is not recommended to connect two apparatuses to one protection
transformer. As a result of a short-circuit, both apparatuses can become
electrically charged.
10. Work on equipment driven by electric motors is only allowed in case a tag
has been attached to the on/off switch with the words Equipment isolated.
11. It is audible.
12. Charge generation will increase when petrol contains water in the form of
water droplets.

Answers to the exercises

1. The following factors will determine the extent of the victims injuries
resulting from electrocution:
- the path of the current through the body;
- the strength of the current;
- the duration of the passage of the current;
- the current type;
- the voltage;
- the physical condition of the victim.
2. The voltage limit of an AC current is 50V and of a DC current 120V.
3. An electric arc can occur because of a short-circuit or ground leakage.
4. The following safety precautions can be used:
- grounding;
- double insulation;
- ground protection relay;
- very low safe voltage;
- protected high voltage;
- electro-technical regulations.
5. Double insulated tools should be connected to a ground protection relay.
6. In case portable electrical equipment is used in confined or humid spaces,
they should be connected to a safety transformer.
7. A portable lamp operating on 220V should be connected via a protection
transformer.
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8. Neutralisation actions are only allowed to be carried out by an authorised

technician.
9. The Voltage free Certificatesbinder should be kept on file for at least one
year.

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