Development and validation of a new electrical risk assessment method for the prevention and mitigation of damage to people and installations

Abstract

The risk assessments carried out to date, and the implementation of controls are only sometimes effective due to their lack of specificity. Therefore, this work aimed to develop a specific method to evaluate the probability and consequences of shock and electric arc hazards, adding a variable that considers the personal factor. The equation was formulated using the methods recommended by ISO 31010 for probability and consequence, including the human reliability of the same standard. The recommendations of the NFPA 70E standard were used to define the criteria for each variable. For the inclusion of controls, the principles of the Bow Tie method recommended in the ISO 31010 standard were used since the proposed matrix considered preventive, mitigating, and personal controls separately. The proposed method was evaluated and validated, which demonstrated the usefulness of the model since it allowed to assess the electrical risks with specific criteria, including the personal factor variable and the application of the proposed controls to reduce said risks, which that will directly benefit exposed workers and companies that use it.