Fixed Electrical Installation Inspection

Fixed Electrical Instillation Inspection

Client: Company Name
Contact: Name
Report No.: 001-01-12
Survey Date: 26TH of January 2012

Contact: Liam Taylor Donal Guinan

Tel: 087 9971908 0872137047
E-Mail: ltaylor@conditionmonitoring.ie donal@conditionmonitoring.ie
www.conditionmonitoring.ie
Contents

Introduction Page 2

Executive Summary Page 3

Inspection Detail & Results Page 4 - 18

Inspection & Report compiled by:

Mr. Gerald O’Farrell _____________________

BEng in Electronic Engineering, Signature
MSc Electrical Power Systems
ger@conditionmonitoring.ie

Mr. Liam Taylor _____________________

Taylor Condition Monitoring Ltd. Signature
Enterprise & Technology Park, Creagh,
Ballinasloe Co. Galway
ltaylor@conditionmonitoring.ie
Introduction

A fixed electrical Survey was carried out at XXXXXX, in New Ross on the 9th January 2012 in
accordance with ECTI Regulations and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (General
Application) Regulations 2007, Part 3: Electricity.

The inspection consisted of:

A visual inspection was conducted on all main components of the fixed electrical
installation.

Items identified as requiring corrective action following the visual inspection were identified
and are contained in the following report.

The earth loop impedance of a proportion of the plants sockets were measured and
assessed against in accordance with Annex 61F of the National Rules for Electrical
Installations (4th edition ET101:2008).

The operating characteristics of a proportion of the plants RCDs were verified by injecting a
test residual current and recording the time of operation by means of a proprietary
instrument specifically designed for the purpose. The values obtained were assessed in
accordance with Annex 61G of the National Rules for Electrical Installations (4th edition
ET101:2008).

The results of this inspection together with comments and recommended corrective action,
which when implemented will ensure that all main components of fixed electrical
installation are in compliance with ETCI Regulations and the Safety, Health and Welfare at
Work (General Application) Regulations 2007, Part 3: Electricity.

Limitations

The inspection was carried out where practicable at the discretion of the Inspecting
Engineer, taking into account availability and accessibility. Cables concealed within trunking
and conduits, or cables and conduits concealed under floors, in inaccessible roof spaces and
generally within the fabric of the building or underground, were not visually inspected.
Executive Summary

The panels at the XXXXXXX plant in New Ross are in good condition with some work
required to bring all panels up to compliance with ETCI regulations.

A procedure needs to be put in place to ensure that all fuses, MCB’s and isolators are
satisfactorily identified and labelled. As alterations are completed, legends and labelling
should be reviewed and an annual inspection carried out. All updated legends should be
dated and the previous revision discarded.

There is evidence of strip connectors being used. This is not a good practice and should be
discontinued.

There is a potentially dangerous situation where some cable terminations have been left
exposed. These could become live and cause a serious electrical shock or a fault condition.

In any facility, it is important that standards are maintained to a high level. This includes
maintenance and any alteration to panels or plant. It is important that all new installations
or alterations are completed to a high standard and that this standard is maintained. This
shall ensure a minimum amount of downtime of equipment due to faults and breakdowns
and a safe plant for personnel to work in.

The office was found to have insufficient earth bonding at its distribution board. This led to
failures of the earth fault loop impedance of the circuits within this installation. The onsite
electrical contractor sorted this issue immediately. An annual testing of the earth loop
impedance and RCD trip protection should be put in place and the results recorded. This
would ensure an unsafe situation does not occur.
Facility Inspection Detail & Results
Periodic Inspections are completed on Electrical Installations to provide, so far as reasonably
practicable for:

1) Protection against damage to property by fire and heat from an electrical defect.
2) Safety of persons against effects of electrical shock and burns.
3) Confirmation the installation is not damaged or deteriorated to impair safety.
4) The identification of installation defects and non-compliance with regulations.

The following report identifies areas of the XXXXX plant in New Ross that had a visual
inspection of the fixed electrical installation and the remedial action that is required as a
result of this inspection.
1.01 Powerhouse/Main Switch Room

Location / Equipment List Visual Insp. Action Plan

Ref. No.

Main Incomer Pass

CT Chamber Pass
Power Factor Correction Unit Action Required 1.011
Power Factor Correction Isolator Pass
DB at Main Incomer Action Required 1.012

1.011 Power Factor Correction Unit

The PFC unit should be labelled.
There are cables cut off at bottom of the panel as shown in photo 1, these should be
removed.

Photo 1

____________________________________________________________

1.012 The distribution board for this panel is not labelled. Current Electricity at Work
regulation 78 (a) requires the identification of electrical equipment, by way of labelling or
otherwise, in order to prevent danger arising from confusion, mistaken identity or some
other cause. Regulation 78(c) requires all electrical circuits are suitably identified at their
source to allow those circuits to be safely and securely de-energised and isolated.

__________________________________________________________
1.02 Control Room Main Board

Location / Equipment List Visual Insp. Action Plan

Ref. No.

Cableway Pass
Distribution Action Required 1.01
Sw./Fuse 1 Vacuum Pass
Sw./Fuse 2 Shed Supply Pass
Sw./Fuse 3 Conveyor Panel Pass
Sw./Fuse 4 Monson Isolation Pass

Distribution Action Required 1.022

Main MCCB Pass
Incoming cableway Pass
Garo Junction boxes x 2 Action Required 1.023

Dryer 2 Control Panel

Monson Control Panel Action Required 1.024
Silo Fans Action Required 1.025
SWEGMA Action Required 1.026
Dryer Burner (Kiln) Control Panel Action Required 1.027

1.21 The cables shown in photo 1 are left dangling in this panel. It would be good practice
to bolt these cables together and to earth.

Photo 1

_____________________________________________________________
1.022 Control Room Dist. Board
The identification of all components in this distribution board have not been identified as
shown in photo 2.

Photo 2
_________________________________________________________

1.023 Garo Junction Boxes

There are two Garo junction boxes located at the side of this panel. These junction boxes
should be labelled as to their function.

1.024 Monson Control Panel

At the Monson control panel, a cable has been left exposed as can be seen in photo 3.
This is a dangerous situation and needs to be rectified immediately

Photo 3
__________________________________________________________
1.025 Silo Fans Control Panel
The labelling is poor on this panel as can be seen in photo 4. Current Electricity at Work
regulation 78 (a) requires the identification of electrical equipment, by way of labelling or
otherwise, in order to prevent danger arising from confusion, mistaken identity or some
other cause. The labelling on this panel is insufficient to comply with this regulation.

Photo 4
There are strip connecters used in this panel. The correct panel terminals should be used to
connect cables.
This panel needs to be cleaned out, it is full of a strawy substance.

____________________________________________________________

1.026 SWEGMA
There are strip connecters used in this panel. The correct panel terminals should be used to
connect cables.
There is a wire left exposed in this panel and could be live. This needs to be terminated in a
suitable manner.

_____________________________________________________________
1.027 Kiln Control Panel
There are black cables and also a yellow cable used as an earth. This installation does not
comply with ETCI regulation 514.3.4 as shown in photo 5. This cable should be sleeved as
per ETCI regulation 514.3.10 Supplementary colour marking or the cables replaced entirely
with green/yellow coloured cable.

Photo 5

Loop Impedance & RCD Operation Test Results

SOCKET LOOP IMPEDANCE TEST DATA

ETCI Regulation 613.6.1 requires that the effectiveness of the measures for fault protection
by automatic disconnection of supply is verified. This verification can be determined by
measuring or calculating the earth fault loop impedance of the circuits within an installation.
The table below are the results of the sockets tested and assessed against in accordance
with Annex 61F of the National Rules for Electrical Installations (4th edition ET101:2008).

Test Socket Location Socket Voltage Loop Impedance Pass/Fail

No. Test Results
1 Main Sw Room 222V 0.23 Ω PASS
2 Control Room 220V 0.1 Ω PASS
3 New Ross Office 223 >8.28 Ω FAIL

Loop impedance test were conducted using a ROBIN digital PSC Loop tester,
Model no. KMP 4120
Test No. 3: The New Ross office sockets all tested in excess of 8Ω. This is a serious situation
and required immediate attention. The manager of the New Ross office was informed and
we also discussed the results with the on-site electrical contractor, Noel Fitzgerald of
Millennium Electrical. He checked the cable earth bond and found these to be insufficiently
bonded. He replaced the earth bond and the earth loop impedance at the distribution board
measured 0.35Ω on his instrument. All the socket circuits should be measured to ensure
they comply with ETCI Regulation 613.6.1.

VERIFICATION OF OPERATION OF RCD’s

For compliance with 613.14, the operating characteristics of RCDs should be verified by
injecting a test residual current and recording the time of operation by means of a
proprietary instrument specifically designed for the purpose. Tests were carried out using a
UNITEST Telaris 0100 plus. The values obtained were assessed in accordance with Annex
61G of the National Rules for Electrical Installations (4th edition ET101:2008).

Area Panel Socket 30 mA Pass / 5 x rated Pass /

Location Location Trip Fail residual Fail
time operating
current
verification
New Ross Under Phones FAIL FAIL
Office Stairs only socket
under
stairs
New Ross Under Corridor 51 mS Pass 13 mS Pass
Office Stairs
New Ross Under Socket FAIL FAIL
Office Stairs below DB
New Ross Under Lobby 50 mS Pass 13 mS Pass
Office Stairs
New Ross Under Reception 39 mS Pass 13 mS Pass
Office Stairs
New Ross Under Front office 44 mS Pass 13 mS Pass
Office Stairs off of
reception
New Ross Under Back office 38 mS 13 mS
Office Stairs off of
reception
New Ross Under Canteen 38 mS 12 mS
Office Stairs
New Ross Under Canteen 38 mS 12 mS
Office Stairs
New Ross Under Locker room 39 mS 14 mS
Office Stairs