Electrical Safety for Grain and Processing Facilities (GEAPS 542)
Course scheduled April 12-May 14, 2010
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Course goals: To provide a basic understanding of electrical safety requirements for grain elevators and processing facilities
Lesson 1: Fires and Explosions
Objectives: Familiarize students with the causes of fires and explosions that occur in grain facilities and how they relate to electrical safety.
Topics: Requirements for an explosion to occur at a grain facility. Sources of ignition from electrical equipment.
Lesson 2: Equipment Standards
Objectives: Familiarize students with the basics of the electrical standards for grain facilities.
Topics: Who determines what equipment is safe to use in grain facilities? How the standards are developed. A brief description of the published standards.
Lesson 3: Different Standards for Different Areas
Objectives: Familiarize students with the basics of how to determine the electrical classification of different areas of a grain facility.
Topics: What are the criteria for each class? What types of grain processing machinery contribute to an area’s class? How does the space where the machinery is located influence the area’s classification?
Lesson 4: Electric Motors
Objectives: Familiarize students with the range of electric motors used and how to select the correct motor for a classified area.
Topics: Why motors are a hazard. What are the various types of motors used? How do I select the right one?
Lesson 5: Lighting
Objectives: Familiarize students with the electrical requirements for lighting in a grain facility.
Topics: Why lighting is a hazard. What are the various types of lighting available? How do I select the correct type of lighting?
Lesson 6: Intrinsically Safe Systems
Objectives: Familiarize students with the term “Intrinsically Safe” and how this equipment can be used in grain facilities.
Topics: What is an “Intrinsically Safe” system? How can I determine if the system is safe to use in a facility? What are the primary issues when installing an Intrinsically Safe system? Examples of Intrinsically Safe systems.
Lesson 7: Audits
Objectives: Familiarize students with completing an audit of an existing facility
Topics: Determining the classification of each area of the facility. Verifying that the installed equipment meets the class requirements. Developing an action plan to bring the unsafe areas into compliance.
Lesson 8: Selecting an Electrical Contractor
Objectives: Familiarize students with a process for selecting contractor to perform work at a grain facility.
Topics: Contractor qualifications, contractor licensing requirements, provision of safety training and orientation to the selected contractor.
Lesson 9: Minimum Contracts
Objectives: Familiarize students with what is required to contract with an electrical contractor before beginning work on an electrical project.
Topics: Provision of a minimum specification document dealing with the class of each area where work will be performed. A description of the work to be done. Inspection requirements on completion of the work.
Lesson 10: Inspection of completed electrical work
Objectives: Familiarize students with federal and state inspection requirements for electrical work in grain facilities.
Topics: Requirements for inspection. Inspection authorities. Determining if your local authority has the skill and experience to do your inspection.
Lesson 11: Repairs
Objectives: Familiarize students with supervising repairs to electrical equipment and assuring that the repairs do not compromise the electrical rating of the equipment.
Topics: Replacing motors. Limit and proximity switch replacement. Lighting and lighting enclosures. Hazards-monitoring systems and components.