Written by Osvaldo Conijundes and Caio Tapez
Working with electricity to keep the world going is a real challenge for professionals in this sector who are exposed to daily risks such as electric shock and burns. If this scenario is already difficult for those who deal with low voltage, there are more dangerous roles, such as those working in areas at risk of explosions.
To give you an idea, data from the Statistical Yearbook of Electrical Accidents, issued by the Brazilian Association for Electrical Hazard Awareness (Abracopil), indicates that fires represented 7% (963) of the total number of accidents of electrical origin in 2023. An increase of 7.3% compared to 2022 which is The highest record number since 2019. Of these accidents, 67 accidents resulted in deaths in 2023, a number higher by 21.8% from 2022 and the highest since 2020.
These data indicate a significant rise not only in fires of electrical origin, but also in the number of victims, indicating recurring problems in electrical installations and negligence when it comes to prevention. In this sense, it is necessary to redouble attention in daily life and invest in safety through personal protective equipment and robust equipment, not only to ensure that the professional reaches his home safely, but also to preserve the entire local heritage, as well as the environment.
Pay more attention
The big danger in potentially explosive areas is that any spark, heating or poorly sealed paint can lead to an accident. In addition to the risks to human health, large explosions pose a huge environmental risk, potentially contaminating groundwater and destroying animals and plants.
Therefore, these areas require the use of equipment with an appropriate safety rating, which is divided into CAT I, CAT II and CAT III. Areas classified as being at risk of explosion – due to the presence of gases, vapors or any element mixed with the air that could create an explosive atmosphere – require a higher level of CAT protection in measuring instruments that will be used by professionals. In other words, the greater the risk, the higher the safety rating.
NR 10, the regulatory standard issued by the Ministry of Labor and Employment of Brazil, which stipulates safety in electrical installations and services, in its paragraph 10.9.2, states that materials, parts, devices, equipment and systems intended for application in electrical installations in environments with potentially explosive atmospheres must be evaluated to ensure of compliance, within the scope of the Brazilian accreditation system.
This means that although the expression “Brazilian Method” has become popular in the country and often governs the daily life of professionals in the electrical field, the truth is that every piece of equipment was produced for a purpose, and it is necessary to take advantage of its characteristics before starting work.
Therefore, environments at risk of explosion require the use of CAT-rated tools, developed with a reinforced coating and with a reduced risk of sparks, ensuring proper execution of the activity and safety of personal and property.
Tips for working in areas at risk of explosion
The first step is to realize that the work will be carried out in an area with a high risk of accidents. This is because understanding complexity makes companies and professionals pay extra attention to the practices and also the tools to be used, which is very important to mitigate complexities.
In this sense, the search for a specific certificate becomes essential, because it is work that must be carried out in a different scenario than usual. This training will provide the necessary knowledge so that the procedures performed do not impact the environment, as well as clarity on ideal PPE and the characteristics that professionals must evaluate to determine which equipment to use.
Once this is done, through predictive maintenance, it is possible to collect test data and create a statistical model that predicts the moment when intervention will be necessary to repair the system.
Thinking of the car analogy, if its user does not perform the necessary inspections, it will stop working at some point. On the other hand, if all regular maintenance is performed, the chances of sudden problems occurring are much less. It’s no different with the electrical part. Therefore, continuous monitoring of facilities reduces the risk of explosions and ensures the proper implementation of work, in addition to preserving everything and everyone around it.
Osvaldo Conigondes is Product Manager and Caio Tabies is Sales Manager, both at Fluke do Brasil, a global leader in test and measurement instruments present in various industry sectors..
