Switchgear Cubicle Safety: Featuring the Cubicle Inspection & Repair Safety (CIRS) Device

Featuring the Cubicle Inspection & Repair Safety (CIRS) Device

September 17, 2020 | Online ::

Working in Switchgear Cubicles just got a lot safer.

When your employees need to enter a switchgear cubicle to perform inspections, maintenance, or repairs, they face numerous safety challenges. There may be unsafe access to critical components such as secondary blocks and auxiliary switches, limited ability to perform thorough inspections due to exposed energized bus, and no underside protection from feeder tubes.

Normally, to perform thorough inspection and repairs, it would take many hours of substation switching to remove and restore the bus sections. By utilizing the Cubicle Inspection & Repair Safety (CIRS) Device and protocol, potential high-hazard injury work, possible field switching errors, and switching costs can be avoided. This device allows substation operations to safely make repairs and restore service in a fraction of the time and effort of the traditional field and substation switching process.   

Join this half-day short course to learn about the basics of switchgear cubicle inspection and repair and the necessary safety features and protocols for working within a substation switchgear cubicle space. Your instructors will present detailed case studies reviewing how new safety devices have been created and implemented to make routine maintenance and inspections safer and more cost effective.

Learning Outcomes 

Upon completion of this course, students will have a better understanding of how to:

• Create a safe working environment for cubicle inspection, cleaning and repairs
• Eliminate the need for bus section outages in substations
• Improve work efficiency and reduce costs
• Improve system reliability
• Allow for cubicle inspection and cleaning to be performed in tandem with circuit breaker preventative maintenance

Credits

EUCI is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

EUCI is authorized by IACET to offer 0.3 CEUs for this event.

Requirements for a Successful Completion of Program

Participants must log on and be in attendance for the entirety of the course to be eligible for continuing education credit.

Instructional Methods

This program will use PowerPoint Presentations, group discussions, as well as active participation.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

8:45 – 9:00 a.m. :: Log In and Welcome

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. :: Course Timing

Introduction, Safety First & Substation Cubicle Review

• Switchgear cubicle and component access
• Safety components
  • Shutter assembly
  • Interlocks
• Critical components
  • Secondary blocks
  • Auxiliary switches
• Racking components

Substation Cubicle Inspections

• Preventative maintenance
• Corrective maintenance & cubicle repairs
• Safety challenges
• Current work practices vs. enhancing switchgear work practices

The Cubicle Inspection & Repair Safety Device

• Device overview
• Invention and fabrication by Con Edison employees
• Testing by KEMA Laboratories
• Implementation throughout the Con Edison service territory

CASE STUDY: Success at the Granite Hill Substation in Westchester County, New York

A transformer in the 13kV Granite Hill Substation needed to be replaced. A bus section was taken out of service for this work to be performed and, as a result, four feeders on the south bus were out of service. While attempting to restore the bus section to feed these four positions, workers discovered that the circuit breaker could not be closed.  When the circuit breaker was removed from the cubcile, the mechanics found additional necessary repairs were needed.

Normally, it would take many hours of substation and field switching to repair and restore the multiple bus sections.  By utilizing the Cubicle Inspection and Repair Safety Device, potential high-hazard injury work, possible field switching errors, and switching costs were avoided.            

Question & Answer Session

Eric M. Fell, Senior Specialist in EH&S Safety, Consolidated Edison Company of New York

Eric M. Fell is a Specialist in EH&S Safety at Consolidated Edison Company of New York (Con Edison) working on the development, analysis and implementation of safety technology and innovation improvements to reduce injuries and achieve a zero‐harm environment. He recently moved to this role to focus his efforts on the expansion and continued execution of the Cubicle Inspection & Repair Safety (CIRS) Device. Prior to being a specialist, Eric was a Substation Operations Supervisor providing oversight and execution of operations, maintenance & construction activities within 9 transmission and distribution substations (13kV – 345kV) throughout Westchester & Dutchess Counties. Beyond his normal duties, Eric is considered a subject matter expert (SME) in Low and Medium Voltage circuit breaker maintenance and troubleshooting at Con Edison. He brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience as a Substation Supervisor at New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and as Field Engineer for General Electric Industrial Solutions; concentrating on startup, commissioning, and troubleshooting of low and medium voltage (480V – 15kV) power delivery system projects. Eric holds a Master’s Degree in Renewable Energy & Sustainable Systems with a concentration in Sustainability Management & Policy from Penn State University and a Bachelor of Science from Roger Williams University. He has also earned a Field Engineering Degree from General Electric and an Infrared Thermography Level I & Level II certification from the Infraspection Institute. 

We will be using Microsoft Teams to facilitate your participation in the upcoming event. You do not need to have an existing Teams account in order to participate in the broadcast – the course will play in your browser and you will have the option of using a microphone to speak with the room and ask questions, or type any questions in via the chat window and our on-site representative will relay your question to the instructor.

• You will receive a meeting invitation will include a link to join the meeting.
• Separate meeting invitations will be sent for the morning and afternoon sessions of the course.
  • You will need to join the appropriate meeting at the appropriate time.
• If you are using a microphone, please ensure that it is muted until such time as you need to ask a question.
• The remote meeting connection will be open approximately 30 minutes before the start of the course. We encourage you to connect as early as possible in case you experience any unforeseen problems.

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT:

Switchgear Cubicle Safety: Featuring the Cubicle Inspection & Repair Safety (CIRS) Device

September 17, 2020 | Online

Your registration may be transferred to a member of your organization up to 24 hours in advance of the event. Cancellations must be received on or before April 24, 2020 in order to be refunded and will be subject to a US $195.00 processing fee per registrant. No refunds will be made after this date. Cancellations received after this date will create a credit of the tuition (less processing fee) good toward any other EUCI event. This credit will be good for six months from the cancellation date. In the event of non-attendance, all registration fees will be forfeited. In case of conference cancellation, EUCIs liability is limited to refund of the event registration fee only. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as complaints and refunds, please contact our offices at 303-770-8800