Electricity Today T&D Magazine

Infrared safety: using thermal technologies to protect workers

BY DOUG BARRY, FLIR Systems

Disconnect switches, elbow connectors, cutouts, lightning arrestors, oil-filled circuit breakers, and other electrical components tend to heat up before they fail. The ability to detect overheating on such equipment long before it becomes critical is essential for preventing costly unplanned outages and for protecting workers from exposure to potential arc flashes and faults. The experienced and well-trained know it’s crucial to heed industry standards about maintaining a safe working distance. That’s why more electricians and utility companies are turning to thermal imaging as a practical and more...

Protecting utility workers using mobile technologies

BY TOM OCONNOR, Panasonic Solutions for Business

Nearly every lineman has heard of a colleague who has been injured—or worse—while on the job. Because of the dangers inherent to their job (that is, electrical safety in the field), these brave men and women must take every precaution to get their work completed efficiently and safely. The realities of the economic slowdown add an additional level of complexity—the expectation that workers do more with less.

In an effort to increase their productivity in the field, linemen may be tempted to take shortcuts. A better...