OBIEC! What is it about, why did it appear
on radar of the Canadian electrical safety practitioners, and
how is it intended to be dealt with by the electrical
industry?
So, let’s explore this mysterious
abbreviation step-by-step.
OBIEC stands for Objective-Based Industrial
Electrical Code. This entity is a brainchild of a group of
industrial users who felt that the safety criteria mandated by
the prescriptive provisions of the Canadian Electrical Code
(CE Code), Part I, could be accomplished by fundamental safety
principles that incorporate means for the safety of persons,
livestock and property against hazards that might arise in a
reasonable use of electrical installations.
These fundamental principles are intended
to include protection against electric shock by direct and
indirect contact with live parts of electrical installations,
protection against thermal effects of electric arc and
protection against faults, overcurrents, and overvoltages.
These sophisticated industrial users
(mainly consisting of electrical experts operating in the oil
industry) have approached the CSA management with a request to
develop (via a well-established CSA consensus process) a
unique document which will introduce such fundamental safety
principles and will also provide examples of acceptable
solutions that could accommodate the safety objective. It is
intended by these stakeholders that provisions of the IEC
Standard 60364, Electrical Installations of Buildings, or
requirements of the CE Code, or other applicable prescriptive
codes or standards, could be utilized as means for such
acceptable solutions.
It is intended by the proponents of this
document that the newly developed OBIEC (when the development
is completed) will be permitted for use only in
conjunction with a special safety administration protocol,
equivalent standards agreement, or with other alternative
dedicated safety management system or process that would be
accepted by the local electrical inspections authorities with
responsibilities for administration of Electrical Safety Acts
and Regulations in their respective jurisdiction.
It is also intended by the OBIEC proponents
that in order for this alternative safety management program
or process to be accepted by the electrical safety regulators,
the user would have to demonstrate to the inspections
authority how their proposed safety management program or
process will provide the necessary knowledge, ability and
qualification for design, installation, maintenance and
operation of a complete electrical installation.
The user would have to demonstrate a
commitment to meeting electrical safety provisions already
adopted and enforced by that regulatory body (safety
requirements based on compliance with the CE Code), by
applying this alternative "objective-based" safety
criteria. The user would also have to demonstrate to the
inspections authority ability to evaluate, verify and enforce
compliance with the intent of prescriptive rules of the CE
Code by applying this new alternative objective-based safety
approach.
These latter conditions mean that
electrical safety regulators would not be engaged in
inspections of installations undertaken in accordance with the
objective-based safety criteria of OBIEC. Electrical
inspectors, however, would have to be involved in auditing the
user in their commitment and ability to meet all aspects of
the alternative safety management system provided that such
alternative system is accepted by them for use with the OBIEC.
The logic of this approach by the
inspections bodies is understandable. Electrical regulators
are well trained on all aspects of the CE Code. They adopt the
CE Code for enforcement in their jurisdictions, issue permits
for electrical installations based on the drawings and
specifications done in conformance with the CE Code, and they
provide electrical inspections services as per their
respective Safety Acts and Regulations.
Inspectors most likely may not be well
informed on intricacies of the OBIEC, as (contrary to the CE
Code) this document is not adopted for enforcement as part of
their electrical safety system.
Therefore, if the electrical safety
regulators choose to accept the alternative safety management
approach proposed by the OBIEC user, then they would have to
thoroughly audit this accepted alternative protocol under
which the OBIEC user would be responsible for the electrical
safety, performance and risk management of all components of
the electrical system implemented with objective-based safety
principles—including design, installation,
commissioning/verification, maintenance and operation.
CSA Technical Committee on the OBIEC has
undertaken a very ambitious program — to complete the entire
project in 2006. This means that volunteers — committee
members would have to develop objective safety principles of
this document and introduce a variety of practical solutions
that would meet these fundamental safety objectives.Members of this technical committee are
also charged with development of the alternative safety
management protocol (system, process or guide) that would be
used in conjunction with the OBIEC.
Terms of reference have been established
for operation of this technical committee, with a clear
object, scope, mandate and balanced matrix.
And the Canadian electrical safety
regulators are well represented on this CSA committee. So,
electrical safety practitioners in Canada need not worry.
Their concerns will be well addressed by the members of this
technical committee. And electrical inspectors participating
in the development of this unique document will also ensure
that electrical safety is not compromised.
When the Objective-Based Industrial
Electrical Code is ready for use, limitation on its
application will be clearly spelled out by the electrical
regulators for all stakeholders of electrical safety in
Canada.
Ark Tsisserev, P.Eng., is the chief
electrical inspector for the city of Vancouver, Canada.
He is a registered professional engineer, with a master’s
degree in electrical engineering. He is currently the
chairman of the technical committee on the Canadian
Electrical Code and represents the CE Code Committee on
NEC CMP-1 as the CMP-1 non-voting member. Ark is
presently the third vice president of the Canadian
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