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What's New?

• Hanford_Lessons_Learned-Ground_Step_Potential[1].pdf
  Please review it for worker safety. This document was issued by the Dept of Energy following a near miss accident. They contacted Clayton King, Director of Corporate Research & Testing (ESCI) for details after searching some of his earlier publications and a recent grounding encyclopedia. They also concluded: For emergency response personnel and other personnel who are in the immediate area, be advised that a voltage gradient exists from the equipment that is contacting the energized electrical source. Every effort should be made to stay away 35 feet or more where the ground potential is 50V or less. For wet soils this safe distance should be doubled to 70 feet.


• Brian Erga, ESCI President, was invited to speak at the Spring 2010 iP Safety Conference and Expo, May 11-13, 2010, in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Erga spoke to a standing room only crowd on three subjects spread across all three days of the conference. The topics Mr. Erga covered were titled "The right what to develop an FR clothing program for qualified electrical workers in the electric utility industry," "Still not convinced of the value of equipotential grounding in the electric utility industry," and "The correct way to apply the Minimum Approach Distance and understanding how to apply OSHA's two-man rule to energized electric utility work."


• Jim Craker, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, has been moved to full-time status with ESCI effective April 1, 2010. Mr. Craker will be responsible for providing ESCI's safety and training services to customers in Oregon and Washington.


• Kittitas County PUD has recently retained ESCI to provide the District's Operations Group ESCI's complete safety and training services program. Mr. Jim Craker, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, will be the primary safety and training representative to Kittitas County PUD.


• Pend Oreille County PUD has expanded the existing safety and training agreement with ESCI to include specialized safety inspections and audits of the contractor hired to upgrade the four turbines at the District's Box Canyon Hydro Project. Mr. Charlie Jones, ESCI Safety and Training Manager, has been assigned to conduct the safety inspections and safety audits during contruction.


• Grant County PUD recently signed an agreement with ESCI authorizing ESCI to provide safety and training services to the entire District including generation, T & D operations and the general office. Grant County PUD, located in Central Eastern Washington, serves more than 45,000 retail customers and generates nearly 2,000 MW from the Priest Rapids Project. Mr. Mike Roberts, ESCI Safety and Training Manager, will be the primary safety and training representative managing the T & D Operations Group. Mr. Jim Craker, ESCI Safety and Training Manager, will be the primary safety and training representative managing the Hydro Generation Group. Mr. Brian Erga, ESCI President, will be overseeing all ESCI safety and training services provided to the District. Grant PUD employees have already received specialized safety training from Cody Christian, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, Hector Silva, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, Jerry Lemm, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, Dave Ireland, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, Tom Rasler, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, Charlie Jones, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, Gretchen Erga, ESCI Health and Wellness Director, and Brian Erga, ESCI President.


• The Bonneville Power Administration has authorized ESCI to provide specialized training in padmount transformer operations and maintenance to BPA's operations group throughout their nine western states service territory. The training is being provided by Dave Ireland, ESCI Safety and Training Manager, with the assistance of Jim Craker, ESCI Safety and Training Manager.


• Mr. Tom Rasler, ESCI Safety and Training Manager, recently completed a specialized helicopter safety training program for Grant County PUD. Each spring the District ferries young fish from above the Wanapum Dam to below the Priest Rapids Dam using a special container suspended from a helicopter. Mr. Rasler is one of the leading experts in the use of helicopters in a wire environment.


• Kodiak Electric Association has retained ESCI to provide the utility's operations group with safety and training services. Mr. Jerry Lemm, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, will be the primary safety and training representative to Kodiak Electric. Kodiak Electric Association serves customers on Kodiak Island in the great state of Alaska. Jerry Lemm, ESCI Safety and Training Manager, Dave Ireland, ESCI Safety and Training Manger, Gretchen Erga, ESCI Health and Wellness Director and Brian Erga, ESCI President, have all provided safety and training services to the employees of Kodiak Electric.