Download Inst. för teknik och naturvetenskap 2007-03-14 Dnr ITN 55/07

2007-03-14
Dnr ITN 55/07-75
1(3)
Safety instructions for the electrical engineering laboratories at ITN, Linköpings universitet
The following procedures and regulations are intended to reduce the risk of injury to persons and
damage to material during work in the laboratories and workshops.
All personnel and students must indicate agreement with the procedures contained in this document
by signing the agreement sheet provided. Without this written agreement, entering the laboratories is
not permitted.
1. General rules
1.1. Each person is urged to exercise the utmost caution and discretion at all times. Good order is a
first step for good safety.
1.2. Students are not allowed to work alone in the laboratories. Faculty and staff are forbidden to work
alone when working with dangerous voltages, defined as an alternating (AC) voltage greater than
25 V (RMS) or a direct current (DC) voltage of 60 V in dry environments. In some circumstances
(for example for skin with moisture or current through the heart) even lower voltages can be fatal.
1.3. Those who work in the laboratories and workshops should be aware of the risks involved and
should thus work with caution in regard to their own safety as well as that of others.
2. Laboratory work – general
2.1. It is important that connections be made as neatly and clearly as possible. A visibly good connection is a safer connection.
2.2. Never use cables with broken insulation or the wrong contacts/terminals.
2.3. No connections, disconnections or changes in coupling shall be attempted or carried out on a live
system. Live systems may not be left unattended. Power must be switched off before leaving the
laboratory.
2.4. It is forbidden to touch rotating parts. Be certain that clothing, cables, etc. do not touch or get
caught in rotating parts.
2.5. Persons conducting electrical tests and experiments should not wear jewellery including necklaces, bracelets, or similar metallic objects. These increase the risk of contact with sources of
electric current, which in turn can result in serious burns. Even strong or high-frequency magnetic
fields can be hazardous in this context.
2.6. Fuses may only be re-set after the cause of the fault has been verified and fixed.
2.7. If something strange or unexpected occurs (overheating, short-circuit, an engine races, a cable or
connection is loose, a component is damaged, etc.) the main circuit breakers at the laboratory
station should immediately be turned off or the emergency cut-off switch should be pushed. The
laboratory supervisor and/or the laboratory engineer should then be informed of the situation before power is reapplied.
2.8. If faulty or damaged materials are found in the lab, they should be removed from service, marked
with the word ”Broken”, and reported to the laboratory engineer. A fault report is submitted by
mail to <[email protected]> or through a support form on ITN’s website <http://www.itn.liu.se>. Damaged material must not under any circumstances be placed back at their regular storage places
since this can be a security risk.
Inst. för teknik och naturvetenskap
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3. Laboratory work – dangerous voltage
The following paragraphs apply except for circumstances described under section 2.
3.1. Each connection students make that will be used with a potentially dangerous voltage must be
approved by the laboratory supervisor. It is forbidden for staff to work with dangerous voltages
and machines in the laboratories and workshops without a person who is familiar with the operation of the equipment within sight or earshot.
3.2. Everyone must exercise caution around connections that may be live. Never touch equipment or
connections unless you have personally verified that the circuits are dead. It is especially dangerous to simultaneously touch both grounded equipment (for example motors, metal chassis, etc.)
and equipment under voltage. The setting-up of apparatus, connection of machines, etc., must be
done in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of unintentional contact with live circuits.
3.3. Before disconnecting an electric device, the current must be decreased and electrical machines
must be unloaded. Otherwise, electric arcs can easily occur in circuits containing inductance.
Test objects connected to condensers and capacitors may not be touched until the condensers or
capacitors have been short-circuited and grounded as these devices can maintain charge for a
long time. Series-connected condensers must be short-circuited one element at a time.
4. Emergency equipment, phone and fire exits
4.1. There are First Aid supplies on the wall close to the door in all laboratories and in the workshop
TP4008.
4.2. There are emergency cut-off switches in TP4027, TP4030, TP5003 and TP5004. All laboratory
work with dangerous voltages must be carried out in these laboratories. Every laboratory station
is provided with a special terminal with a main cut-off switch. With this switch, the power for the
whole the laboratory station can be disconnected. Familiarize yourself with the laboratory’s electrical installation so that, in case of danger, you can cut-off the power immediately.
4.3. There are emergency showers on level 4 in TP4027 and on level 5 in TP5003.
4.4. There are fire extinguishers in TP4027, TP4030 and TP5003 and also in the corridors, see the
red signs.
4.5. There is phones for emergency calls to SOS Alarm (the Swedish government agency responsible
for receiving all emergency telephone calls) in the personnel office on levels 5 and 6. The telephone number to SOS Alarm is (0)-112 where 0 must be added if you call from the university’s internal telephone network.
4.6. There are several fire exits indicated with green fire exit signs. Evacuation paths are posted on
each level of the building.
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5. Response to accidents
5.1. Electrical accident:
•
Turn off the source of electricity and verify that it is safe to touch the victim.
•
If the victim is breathing but unconscious, the victim should be placed on their side to allow
drainage of fluids. Loosen tight clothes and call SOS Alarm.
•
If the victim is not breathing but has a pulse, conduct mouth-to-mouth resuscitation immediately and send someone to call SOS Alarm.
•
If the victim’s pulse cannot be detected, call SOS Alarm. Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) immediately.
•
Don’t touch the scene of the accident before there has been an investigation by the Swedish
work environment authority and/or the police.
5.2. Smaller burns:
•
Immerse the burned area immediately in cool tap water for about 30 minutes.
5.3. More severe burns:
•
Apply cold water, possibly using the emergency shower. Cover wound with a moist, lint-free
dressing. Cover loosely. The victim must then be transported to the hospital.
5.4. The department has trained personnel who can assist if there is an accident – known (in Swedish) as “resurspersoner”. You find the following symbol next to the doors to their offices:
R
BRAND
OLYCKA
SJUKDOM
Resrursperson
För medverkan
till ökad
kunskap
inom
5.5. Electrical shock may cause burns inside the body, so be sure the victim is taken to a doctor, for
example to the health centre on Kungsgatan or Vrinnevi hospital.
5.6. All accidents and near accidents ("near misses") should be immediately reported to the person
responsible for the work environment or a laboratory engineer. See the notices in the laboratories.
Inst. för teknik och naturvetenskap