Experimental power at the Plasma Science and Fusion Center is brought
into NW20 and NW21 at 13.8 kV. Most of the labs are supplied with house
power at 120, 208, and 480 V AC. Many experiments operate at very high
DC or pulsed voltages, or high currents. Having a good working knowledge
of electrical safety is of prime importance to all experimental personnel
at the PSFC.
Electrical safety training is provided by Assistant Safety Officer
Bill Byford (BYFORD@PSFC.MIT.EDU)
who is a licensed master electrician.
All work done on in house supplied electrical AC
systems must be done by a licensed electrician or electricians helper
supervised by a licensed electrician.
Those doing live electrical work at greater than
50 v must be qualified to do so. Electrical training is offered by
Bill Byford several times per year.
The heart of the program is the
lockout tagout procedure. All high energy systems which could
release that energy to the worker must be locked and tagged out before
work ensues. The lockout/tagout program is administered by Bill Byford
and Jim Irby.
Whenever possible, working on live electrical systems is to be avoided.
When it is not possible to avoid, guidelines are provided for the
minimum number of people who must be present, what approvals must be
obtained, and what controls should be used for the available voltage
or stored energy in the system.
This page maintained by Catherine L. Fiore
FIORE@PSFC.MIT.EDU
AC Power
Qualification for Live Electrical Work
Lockout/Tagout
Personnel Requirements for Live Electrical Work