Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Safety Concerns I have a couple of new items from Schneider Electric. The first is a safety video on NFPA 70E 2004 called "Solving the Puzzle of Electrical Safety Compliance." I interviewed the seminar host from which the video is derived, Joe Weigel, for my May feature article on safety. He told me about the video and assured me the commercial part is limited in the video. In the interview he impressed me as being up to date on what's happening. If you are involved with (or supervise those who are) energized equipment, I recommend watching. You can download or view here. I am suddenly getting bunches of messages regarding arc flash. In this one, Schneider Electric announced it is contributing $500,000 to become a Platinum Level sponsor of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project. The release says, "The donation will help expand the knowledge of the electric arc phenomena and enhance worker safety through advances in the codes and standards relating to safe employee work practices." An arc flash is an electric current that is passed through air when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is no longer sufficient to withstand the applied voltage. The flash is immediate, and the results can cause severe injury. According to IEEE research, more than 2,000 times per year, workers are admitted to burn centers for treatment of extended injuries caused by arc flash. Iâo[dot accent]ve never seen a bad one, but I knew two guys who stood in front of an enclosure when they turned on power for the first time. They decided that the all-cotton work clothes provided by their employer didnâo[dot accent]t look good, so at least one of them switched to a cotton/polyester blend. It flashed. The polyester burned into the manâo[dot accent]s skin. That was a long time ago, but obviously the vision stayed with me. This is stuff to be very careful of. 4:08:21 PM    comment []

A process is a process is a process Here is a good comment on my last post. Talks about transfer of skills, and adopting a broad perspective. I've had talks with similar thoughts with Benson at Opto 22. The idea is whether I could broaden the reach and coverage of Automation World and still remain true to the readers and focus. Thanks for the note, Shannon. Back in 2002 I started working on a BPML product after 25 years in manufacturing and process controls. It was an easy transition as I found that a process is a process is a process. There is little difference in the organization and flow of a chemical process, a discrete process, a maintenance process, a procurement process, or a hiring process. I am energized to read that business process management is converging with the manufacturing process and that potentially, a common description language will emerge. I really like the fact that I can take my process knowledge from the plant floor to retail pharmacy management, procurement processing, school district management, etc., which allows me to work on new and seemingly disparate systems. This convergence will give us process engineers new latitude in our careers and the ability to make a bigger impact on the success of our companies and clients. 3:40:13 PM    comment []