ASSESSMENT OF RISK TO DISTRIBUTION WORKERS

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the risk to workers maintaining the medium-voltage facilities of distribution companies, as derived from a series of investigations (injuries at work, time spent on equipment maintenance, ground faults and failures in the grounding system) and represents a group of all the relevant information collected on hazards to workers. The importance of this study is that it is basically concerned with failures, stoppages and interruptions but also repairs (the forecasting, detecting and eliminating of failures), maintenance, replacement, advancements and improvements in the technical systems, as well as the consequences of failures in technical systems and the surroundings thereof. Electricity distribution workers spend most of their working time on the tasks of maintaining electric power facilities, i.e. electricity networks and medium-voltage and low-voltage electric power facilities. While they are working, they are in a potentially hazardous environment that can endanger their health and lives. Naturally, they must be trained to work in a safe manner and use protective equipment. This does not completely eliminate the hazards but in this way the potential for injury and the severity thereof are reduced. All companies, including those engaged in the distribution of electrical energy, take costs into account, much of which are for human labor. Worker injury during working time is also an expenditure, due to sick leave and potential damages, which will be increasingly significant factors in company operations. Therefore, it is important to review all the potential hazards that can endanger the health and life of a worker during maintenance work. The management of such risks will become a growing task for all companies, less for humane reasons than for keeping costs under control.