Switch rooms, Sub stations.

[Mr Mike]

Hi all.
I need some advise please.
Where I work the switch rooms are continually being used as storage rooms, materials such as toilet tissue, mops, vacuum cleaners ect.
Even the main sub station has rubbish in it.
To get to DBs I have to clear a path ect.
Is there any legislation covering these rooms, preventing them being used this way.
I need some info so I can do battle with the powers that be.
Any guidance will be much appreciated.
Kind regards
Mike

 

[telectrix]

Fire Risk for starters. Access to switch gear , trip hazards, just think what possible dangers/risks are associated with the situation. Anyway, switch rooms should be locked with authorised personnel only having access.

 

[Mr Mike]

Thanks telectrix.
The key situation is another subject though.
It seems every man/woman and their dog has one.
Fire and the old health and safety is a good starter.
Thanks.......

 

[telectrix]

talk to whoever deals with H&S . suggest changing the locks with restricted issue of keys. if some mrs. mop has access to the switch room and gets electrocuted, your firm is liable.

 

[Mr Mike]

Yea, on the positive there is a new H&S person. Guess she will want to impress so I will challenge her to sort this out.
Thanks....

 

[ian.settle1]

Also point out in writing that should there be a loss of power and you go in and fall over all this rubbish which should not be in there in the first place then there wil be a nice lawsuit heading their way.

As said by telectrix access should be limited to authorised personnel only as if there is an accident HSE will have a field day.

 

[Mr Mike]

Good point. HSE and bad publicity, not good.

 

[Knobhead]

A call to the HSE will get results. They will not reveal who called them and will disguise it with a general check.
The last company I worked for had a visit and they did a general check. They homed in, in a round about way on the switchboard the tip off was about. The board had to be replaced. It was on a part of the works that had nothing to do with me, so it wasn’t me that tipped them off. But I copped out for bringing all the gear on my part up to scratch. Had to change 2 500A switches and disable a 300A, plus many others.
So expect some work to bounce back on you

 

[Mr Mike]

Thanks Tony.
They have had notification from the lift company who services the lifts, that if they do not remove rubbish from the Lift Motor Room they will not return to service or call outs.
It is very poor house keeping though.

 

[telectrix]

so. time to put your foot down with a firm hand.

 

[Mr Mike]

so. time to put your foot down with a firm hand.

LOL indeed.

 

[Engineer54]

A call to the HSE will get results. They will not reveal who called them and will disguise it with a general check.
The last company I worked for had a visit and they did a general check. They homed in, in a round about way on the switchboard the tip off was about. The board had to be replaced. It was on a part of the works that had nothing to do with me, so it wasn’t me that tipped them off. But I copped out for bringing all the gear on my part up to scratch. Had to change 2 500A switches and disable a 300A, plus many others.
So expect some work to bounce back on you

You've got me curious now, ...Why did you have to change these 500A switches and disable a 300A switch??
I take it, ...these are all breakers?? lol!!!.. there not those old open blade switches are they...haha!!!

 

[Knobhead]

No they were Dependant Manual Operation DMO they operate at the speed you operate the switch. So if you’re slow and there under load BANG.
And yes I have worked on knife switches, up to 1000A

 

[somersetsparks]

Its always a bit of a gamble with a lot of switcgear isn't it! We have done a shutdown at hospital before, the hospital being about 25 years old, the problem being that none of the ACBs or switches had ever been operated since installation! Needless to say we had a 25% failure rate, ended up cost about £25000 worth of gear!

 

[Knobhead]

Its always a bit of a gamble with a lot of switcgear isn't it! We have done a shutdown at hospital before, the hospital being about 25 years old, the problem being that none of the ACBs or switches had ever been operated since installation! Needless to say we had a 25% failure rate, ended up cost about £25000 worth of gear!

I know what you mean.
We had a new manager, he came with me on a job and was horrified when I pulled the retractable handle of a switch out and hung my jacket (pockets full of tools) and helmet on it. A few months later I had to switch it off, I was doing pull ups on the handle. Went outside the sub to find another body to give me a hand (a bit more weight to add to my 16 stone) who do I find, our new manager. I took two of us swinging on it! First time it had been operated in 45 years.

 

[Engineer54]

Its always a bit of a gamble with a lot of switcgear isn't it! We have done a shutdown at hospital before, the hospital being about 25 years old, the problem being that none of the ACBs or switches had ever been operated since installation! Needless to say we had a 25% failure rate, ended up cost about £25000 worth of gear!

Hospital electrical installations should under go regular inspection and testing, that should include main switchboards. All hospital distribution systems are so designed to allow such inspection and testing. To me, this just tells me that the Hospital Engineer isn't worth a carrot, if nothing in the main switch-room has been tested in that hospital for 25 years....

 

[somersetsparks]

Yep, the shutdown was ordered by the new maintenance engineer, the thing is it had all been thermally imaged regularily but never actually operated!

 

[Engineer54]

Well let's hope the NEW Hospital Engineer has learn a valuable lesson, that there is no substitute for hands on physical testing and inspection. Relying on thermal imaging is a nonsense, It's fine for checking for high resistance contacts and joints etc, but it isn't going to tell you if a breakers mechanisms are working or not, or if breaker trip settings are functioning correctly, ...if at all!!!

 

[somersetsparks]

Well let's hope the NEW Hospital Engineer has learn a valuable lesson, that there is no substitute for hands on physical testing and inspection. Relying on thermal imaging is a nonsense, It's fine for checking for high resistance contacts and joints etc, but it isn't going to tell you if a breakers mechanisms are working or not, or if breaker trip settings are functioning correctly, ...if at all!!!

Which indeed it didn't (main ACB) therefore stopping the whole shutdown until a new one arrived 6 weeks later!
For some reason nothing ever showed up on the thermal imaging.....
​

 

[Engineer54]

Which indeed it didn't (main ACB) therefore stopping the whole shutdown until a new one arrived 6 weeks later!
For some reason nothing ever showed up on the thermal imaging...​

Why would it show anything up?? If there was no hot spots caused by bad contacts, and connections, nothing will show up!!

That's my point, ''thermal imaging'' is just ''ONE'' type of testing, that would or could be employed during an inspection and testing routine, ...it certainly isn't the ONLY routine test!!!