OREANDA-NEWS. May 2, 2012. Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power company, has undertaken several initiatives to promote and ensure safety not just at its workplace but also around its areas of operation. In line with Tata Power’s values of of ‘Trust and care’, the company’s transmission division, has incorporated new lifeline arrangements on its existing Transformers and group operated disconnects (GODs) in Mumbai.

In the transmission arm of Tata Power, employees are required to work on extra high voltage (EHV) equipment such as power transformers, isolators, towers carrying high-voltage transmission lines, etc. They are situated at heights of 5-6 meters in switch yards and other outdoor locations. Thus, a need was felt to develop a safety system to eliminate any hazard that could arise in these areas of operations.

Tata Power’s in-house team, hence, took up the task and created a platform with a lifeline arrangement or a guard rail system on isolators and power transformers. This arrangement eliminates hazards and ensures safety while carrying out routine maintenance or repair work on equipment at such heights.

New transformers and new 100KV S and S make GODs have the guard rail and lifeline arrangement incorporated in their design.

Speaking on the initiative, Vijay Chourey, head, transmission division, said, “The objective is to ensure that appropriate measures are adopted to ensure safety throughout all our divisions at Tata Power. The entire system was devised in house by officers and our workmen along with our contract partners as a part of knowledge-sharing.”

The engineering department at Tata Power has been advised to incorporate lifeline arrangement in their specifications for 110kV GODs and power transformers / ICTs. The technical committee of IEEE responsible for finalising transformer specifications has incorporated the lifeline / guard rail system as a part of their specifications.