24 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com
NEW
ELECTRICAL
SAFETY STANDARD
ON THE WAY
ON THE WAY
By Jim Pollard and Terry Becker
I
n January, the third edition of the CSA Z462
Workplace Electrical Safety standard will be
released, and it includes hundreds of changes
from the current edition. The new edition is in
alignment with current Canadian and interna-
tional occupational health and safety standards and
industry accepted practices and philosophies.
INTEGRATION
Since it was fi rst published in December 2008, the
CSA Z462 standard has gradually been accepted as
an industry best practice standard for arc fl ash and
shock. Electrical engineering and electrical mainte-
nance departments have driven its early adoption;
however, the integration with the requirements of
occupational health and safety management system
(OHSMS) standards has widely been neglected.
The division between these groups has resulted in
stand-alone electrical safety measures that neither
conformed to an organization's OHSMS or risk
assessment procedures.
Typically, the safety professional has not been
consulted in the identifi cation and control of elec-
trical hazards or the arc-rated clothing for workers
to ensure appropriate selection, use and mainte-
nance. In the new standard there is an emphasis on
PhotoS: ESPS ELECtrICAL SAFEty ProgrAM SoLutIoNS
INCREASING
FOCUS ON RISK
ASSESSMENT,
INTEGRATION
