Event Recap
RECAP | ROUNDTABLE | Working on Live Loads
Data center operators have long worried about the dangers of working with live loads on energized systems. The risks to personnel safety and operations are just too great to ignore.
The June 11th, 2018, roundtable on live loads included 16 participants as well as Uptime Institute consultants Nick Archer and Scott Good. Moderated by Chief Editor Kevin Heslin, the participants expressed a broad range of opinions about working on energized systems, with most expressing the view that working on energized systems should never be authorized in a Tier III or Tier IV environment, a position supported by Uptime Institute and many Uptime Institute Network members. Tier I and Tier II environments are built with planned downtime for maintenance in mind, meaning that these facilities also should not require work in energized environments.
All participants agreed that NFPA 70E had quickened the pace towards eliminating work on energized equipment. One participant noted that his company was working quickly to eliminate “hot work” in order to move into compliance.
A handful of participants suggested that exceptions to provisions in NFPA 70E allowed for the use of PPE and other precautions in live environments. These individuals noted that PPE and lock out/tag out safety measures had to be an integral part of MOPs and SOPS in live environments. However, at least one participant disputed this position, noting that NFPA 70E was becoming even more restrictive over time, as individual provisions are added or revised.
This roundtable featured a number of participants seeking to learn more about the requirements of NFPA 70E and how to impart a new culture of safety they viewed as critical to meeting the standard.
The June 11th, 2018, roundtable on live loads included 16 participants as well as Uptime Institute consultants Nick Archer and Scott Good. Moderated by Chief Editor Kevin Heslin, the participants expressed a broad range of opinions about working on energized systems, with most expressing the view that working on energized systems should never be authorized in a Tier III or Tier IV environment, a position supported by Uptime Institute and many Uptime Institute Network members. Tier I and Tier II environments are built with planned downtime for maintenance in mind, meaning that these facilities also should not require work in energized environments.
All participants agreed that NFPA 70E had quickened the pace towards eliminating work on energized equipment. One participant noted that his company was working quickly to eliminate “hot work” in order to move into compliance.
A handful of participants suggested that exceptions to provisions in NFPA 70E allowed for the use of PPE and other precautions in live environments. These individuals noted that PPE and lock out/tag out safety measures had to be an integral part of MOPs and SOPS in live environments. However, at least one participant disputed this position, noting that NFPA 70E was becoming even more restrictive over time, as individual provisions are added or revised.
This roundtable featured a number of participants seeking to learn more about the requirements of NFPA 70E and how to impart a new culture of safety they viewed as critical to meeting the standard.
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