With the advent of our modern health, safety and environmental systems (HSE), the requirement to produce more documents is relentless. No one feels this pressure more than our front line supervision; those individuals, who are leading our crews out in the field. Not only are they tasked with completing some of the most dangerous work in the world, but they have to be spot on when documenting their production, quality control, cost effectiveness and HSE...
Latex versus Natural Rubber – What is the difference? All Raw rubber comes from the rubber tree. It is then processed to become a latex for water-based dipping or dried down to a slab for use in extrusion or solvent dipping operations. Hydrophilic additives in Latex For latex to be usable...
Insulation Resistance (IR) test, often called Megger test, is more than 100 years old and assumed to be a very straightforward test. During my inspection and testing work in the past 15 years in Canada, US, and internationally, I have seen different practices of performing and interpretation of IR...
How to guard utility personnel from shock hazards BY JEFF JOWETT, Megger In the power industry, safety is just as important a function as performance. Safety considerations, parameters, and methods of implementation are an integral part of any electrical system. A most important element is the...
Protecting utility workers with documented reporting BY MIKE DOHERTY, PowerTel Utilities Contractors Limited Within the lineman trade, accountabilities for the documentation of various inspections, job safety analyses (JSAs), audits, safe work practices (SPGs), qualifications, safety meetings,...
Battery fires in large-scale energy storage systems (BESS) have raised concerns, but a recent review by the American Clean Power Association (ACP) found that such incidents pose only minor environmental risks. According to a third-party analysis of U.S. battery fires since 2012, these fires did not...
A coalition of large energy consumers and ratepayer advocates has filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), urging the agency to prohibit transmission owners from independently planning "local" transmission projects exceeding 100 kilovolts (kV). The coalition argues...
Lineworkers face numerous risks daily, from respiratory ailments to electrical hazards. These dangers can result in severe injuries, low blood pressure, bleeding, and vomiting. However, by adhering to established safety protocols, contractors and employers can significantly reduce the likelihood of...
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has rejected a proposal from PJM Interconnection, one of the United States' largest regional transmission organizations, to alter its transmission planning protocol. The decision represents a significant victory for state regulators who had expressed...
Batteries have greatly influenced the utility industry, and the evolution of battery chemistries has revolutionized their applications. With the emergence of new technologies and advancements in existing ones, standards committees and safety code writers are working to develop best practices and...
At Valard, our people are the core and health of our business. Without our people, we have nothing. In fact, one of our slogans is “People. First.” However, being a people company means some of our biggest challenges are created by people. Our challenges are unique, as is each person...
