In the product safety profession, we consider the six hazards: shock, energy, fire, injury, chemical and radiation. Of these six hazards, shock is the most common, the most deadly, and the most difficult to prevent. Energy can melt a bracelet or ring, but does not generally cause the heart to stop. To a great degree, fire can be extinguished or avoided by leaving the area quickly, and mechanical product injuries are less common and not as often fatal. Chemical and radiation hazards are less common still, and have available more countermeasures for remedies and treatment. Shock is the invisible enemy, the deadly surprise waiting for the unprepared and the unprotected.
As inspectors in the testing laboratory, we have the opportunity to prevent the risk of shock and electrocution while a product is still in the design stages. We often evaluate prototypes that have never been used by the public, or have not been widely sold and distributed. There is a great deal of attention given to examining the many ways a person can be exposed to shock hazards, including the use of accessibility probes and instruments to accurately determine the measurements of electrical spacing between live parts. The use and intended environment are also important considerations. If the construction of the product looks correct, then the evaluation turns to the testing phase, where normal and abnormal conditions are tested. These tests are designed to be repeatable, and become the part of record by which the products are regularly examined in unannounced factory inspections throughout the year. These audits continue for the life of the product, or until it is redesigned. Many times, the evaluation and testing uncovers design errors. This could be evidence that the designers weren’t aware of the requirements in the safety standards or misinterpreted the standard. Eventually, the problems are corrected, and the manufacturer is able to apply the label. This is the most reliable and practical way to protect the public and the workplace from electrical product hazards.
For field inspectors, it’s a different world. Many times, we are called to sites where things have been done incorrectly, and there are claims of ignorance of workplace laws, and arguments without foundation or logic. Sound familiar? There is a great deal of speculation about our work, and sometimes suspicion. We often have to explain patiently that we are trying to keep people from getting shocked or electrocuted, and that electricity is invisible and dangerous. We also often hear the argument that if a product is built with all certified components, then it should be safe and acceptable. This argument is absolutely false. Any certified component can be installed improperly, allowing the probability of one of the above-mentioned hazards to realize (evidence provided below).
In the end, we take some satisfaction in the fact that lives and businesses have been saved. The experiences we share amongst each other serve to continually remind us that our work is important. We can sleep better at night knowing we may have saved one life.
In the last few years, we’ve been able to easily share photos of what we’re seeing on these jobsites, and the results are always a source of amazement, even to veterans of the field. Most of the pictures in this article are from my personal projects, some others are from projects assigned to other members of our field team. None of these photos have been retouched or altered in any way, except for the removal of manufacturer information in one instance. In most cases, the manufacturer of the equipment is not shown. In all examples, the actual owner or site address is not revealed.
Restaurant and Food Preparation
Tortilla Machine
[See Photos 1-5]
Industrial Panels and Machinery
Bottling Plant
[See Photos 6-8]
Foreign Machinery
[See Photos 9-11]
Homemade Equipment
[See photos 12-13]
Other Industrial Machinery
[See photos 14-16]
Medical Equipment
Hair Restoration Laser
[See photos 17-20]
Laboratory Equipment
[See photos 21-23]
Hazardous Location
[See photos 24-26]
Graphic Arts Equipment
[See photos 27-31]
Listed Products Installed Incorrectly
[See photos 32-34]
A Glimpse Inside
There are many reputable and competent manufacturers. Most of them get their products certified by product safety experts. Manufacturers simply cannot be implicitly trusted to get it right. Too many corners will be cut. There are too many ways to get it wrong. [See photo 35]
The next time someone suggests that testing lab field evaluations are an inconvenience or unnecessary, show them this article. The next time someone tells you their equipment doesn’t need to be certified because it has all certified components, please, show them this article. IAEI News is available online (magazine.iaei.org), and it will be easy to send a link to this article. In case someone doesn’t know it, or wants to look it up, Federal OSHA law requiring electrical equipment to be approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory is 29CFR 1910.303(a). Requiring a workplace or equipment owner to have the equipment inspected protects them and their employees from needless risk and cost, and it gives the local inspector confidence that he or she has signed their name to an installation that has a defined level of safety. Testing lab inspectors should be in the testing lab certifying products before they reach the market or the workplace, but until equipment manufacturers realize the advantages of having a listed product, we will have to be in the field, on the front lines in the fight to protect the public from electrical product hazards.
Greg Smith is a nationally certified product safety engineer (NCE) for MET Laboratories and CertifiGroup, with 15 years of experience in product evaluations. Greg can be reached at 800-321-4655, or on his cell phone 919-524-4555, or via e-mail gregs@fieldlabeling.com. |
