Commercial Divers spin off from A&I

[Superlyte27]

I do not work in a nuclear plant but I imagine that the locking out mechanism could be too complex ?

Maybe it is something they should remedy and have a classic override switch nearby for workers ? Maybe they deemed that this would cause other safety risks in case of mistake and maybe that’s why they didn’t put such a mechanism. Then maybe you could just have a light nearby to tell if the mechanism was overridden so workers could check visually ?

Anyway, since I never worked in such a facility I have to trust @Superlyte27

Can you imagine a simple system, and how it might go down if someone were able to just throw a switch that cooled a reactor. If the pumps aren't on, the core will melt. So, jerk off gets mad at the world, throws a single switch and a reactor melts. I'm just being paranoid. But, seems possible.

 

[Bob DBF]

So, jerk off gets mad at the world, throws a single switch and a reactor melts. I'm just being paranoid.

But not overly paranoid.

They could be designed with a local lockout box interrupting all power to the motor, but that would be looked at as an unnessary failure point.


Bob

 

[EFX]

Superlyte27 is correct in one aspect as shown by the pictures he posted; a nuclear power plant is complex with its myriad backup systems and strict operational procedures, but I think he is confusing a lockout of a particular piece or pieces of equipment with a plant shut down. The shut down, I imagine, would require a 4 inch thick book of procedures. For safety and economic reasons there should be only one breaker supplying power to a pump. In the steel mills I've worked in some of the equipment was supplied by 4.1 KV and some by 13.8 KV 3 phase AC power. This equipment was locked out by opening the breaker either remotely (as was usually the case) or locally at the cabinet. Once the breaker was opened an electrician lowered the breaker to the floor inside the cabinet and then pulled it out by hand. The breaker was on rollers. The door to the cabinet was closed and securely shut, then a lock was placed on the handle to prevent the door from being opened and the breaker inserted. An important part of the procedure after the lockout was to try and start the equipment being locked out. In the case of the roll-out breakers it is impossible to start the equipment as there was an open circuit between the power source and the equipment. That is, there are no contacts or any other structure between the openings for the power and openings for the equipment. All the contacts are inside the breaker. If the equipment did start then either the wrong equipment was started or the wrong equipment was locked out. In any case this was investigated thoroughly before any work could be started.

Lower voltage equipment (480 VAC) used smaller breakers that could be racked out to a safe position verifiable by sight. These breakers had a handle on the side which was a switch that when engaged provided control power in order to close the breaker. After the switch was pulled a lock could be inserted to prevent the handle (switch) from being energized. With the switch pulled the breaker could not be inserted into the live position.

 

[Superlyte27]

Yeah, what do I know? I only locked out every single nuclear intake pump in the nation

 

[ofg-1]

Yeah, what do I know? I only locked out every single nuclear intake pump in the nation

So what? What have you done this week?

 

[Neilwood]

Yeah, what do I know? I only locked out every single nuclear intake pump in the nation

Sounds like your knowledge and experience of nuclear industry pumps and protocols is trumped by someone that works in a steel mill...

 

[Superlyte27]

Sounds like your knowledge and experience of nuclear industry pumps and protocols is trumped by someone that works in a steel mill...

That's the best thing I've read in a while. LOL

 

[Diver below 83]

Yeah, what do I know? I only locked out every single nuclear intake pump in the nation

pics or it never happened lol

 

[cdst-ldy]

Between your avocation, this thread and your avatar description, I'm noticing a trend of interest in holes there Superlyte. .

Man said he was a commercial diver, right? Kinda of a requirement of the position.

 

[Dkwas]

I am the cousin of Brett Roberts, I wanted to share the real facts of his death so no one can misunderstand his circumstances. Since you all are professional divers, perhaps you can shed light on my story. He was send down to do routine maintenance. I’m not sure what that entails. He was basically sucked into some type of underwater vortex that caused him to be violently shaken to the point he died from a broken neck and blunt forced trauma to the head, he also received multiple broken bones before anyone lifted him out of the water. There are no jokes when it comes to a human life, I am not a diver myself but felt the need to set the record straight. They lost communication with him for 20 minutes before responding to 911. I’m not sure of the protocols in place for safety, but I have to hope that there are faster safeguards set for divers in high risk situations. I hope this will help anyone in the future, not to be in that same situation.

What company did he work for was it UCC? I’m working at a Nuc plant and we had a safety stand down the next day after the accident.