Electrical System Grounding is Key to Effective Electrical

Safety

Written by Andrew Cochran

President of I-Gard Corporation

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 Why and How to Convert 3 Phase 4 Wire Systems to High Resistance
Grounding
The fundamental question to be answered is this: If I am consultant working on a project or a
facility owner/manager and we are specifying or operating a 3 phase 4 wire solidly grounded
electrical system (or 3 phase 3 wire solidly grounded electrical system), why would I consider
changing to a high resistance grounding system (HRG)?

After all, in North America the solidly grounded system has been the default option for more
than 50 years - perhaps with the exception of the mining and petro-chemical verticals that have
standardized on high resistance grounding. The solidly grounded system was deemed the
answer to intermittent arcing ground faults on ungrounded systems that resulted in line-to-
ground voltage excursions up to six times above normal. Thus, leading to multiple simultaneous
motor insulation failures.
The reasons for considering a change from solidly grounded to HRG Technology are several:
 Risk management and mitigation of electrical hazards including arc flash and shock
 Increased process reliability through the reduction in unscheduled process outages

 Lower operational costs through reduction in equipment repair costs and more effective
utilization of maintenance resources
NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 Annex O place clear responsibility for the decision and the need to
consider risk in the hands of the facility manager, owner or employer and states – “the facility
manager or owner or employer should choose design options that eliminate hazards or reduce
risk and enhance the effectiveness of safety related work practices”.
NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 Annex 0 General Design Requirements 0.2.2 –
Design decisions should facilitate the ability to eliminate hazards or reduce risk by doing the
following:
1. Reducing the likelihood of exposure
2. Reducing the magnitude or severity of exposure and
3. Enabling achievement of an electrically safe work condition.
So, the questions to be answered are:

What is the electrical risk associated with operating a 3 phase 4 wire system, and is it
any different for a high resistance grounded system?

In what way would changing to a HRG system reduce the likelihood of exposure or
reduce the magnitude of exposure?
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In the IEEE 141-1993, Recommended Practice for Electrical Power Distribution for Industrial
Plants section 7.2.4, it states that, “The solidly grounded system has the highest probability of
escalating into a phase-to-phase or three-phase arcing fault, particularly for the 480 and 600V
systems. A safety hazard exists for solidly grounded systems from the severe flash, arc burning,
and blast hazard from any phase-to-ground fault.
The following table provides a summary of arc flash data over a 23 year period - not all arc flash
incidents are effectively captured or reported. This data validats the occurrence of injuries and
fatalities associated with arc flash at 480 and 600V.

Voltage Burns Smoke Inhalation Shock Fatalities

Under 400V 19 0 3 0

480V and 600V 283 18 5 33

1kV to 5kV 78 1 0 13

5kV to 15kV 100 3 13 10

Over 15kV 50 16 2 5

In the early 1970s, the National Electrical Code (NEC) and Canadian Electrical Code were
amended to require the main overcurrent protective device to automatically trip on ground
fault on most 480- and 600-V solidly grounded systems. However, most facilities want to avoid
process interruptions. Whereas, a ground fault of sufficient magnitude will trip the over-current
protection and isolate a process, most relays are set to the maximum trip level and this is when
safety and reliability are impacted. An arcing fault may not be of sufficient magnitude to be
detected by, and trip, the over-current device until the arc fully develops. Fully developed arcs
are extremely destructive and even deadly.
The choice of High Resistance Grounding directly impacts the arc flash hazard both in terms of
frequency and impact. Section 7.2.2 of the IEEE Industrial Power System Grounding Design
Handbook states that when using high resistance grounding, “There is no arc flash hazard, as
there is with solidly grounded systems, since the fault current is limited to approximately 5 A.”
With the correct application of High Resistance Grounding limiting the fault current to between
5amps and 10amps, there is insufficient fault energy for the arc to re-strike and it self-
extinguishes. The self-extinguished arc results in a lesser frequency of hazards.
High resistance grounding technology can be applied on any electrical distribution system up to
5kV, and in some cases up to 15kv given no line-to-neutral loads require service. The effective
deployment of HRG technology will reduce the number of arc flash incidences ~ 90% or more.
But, what about the magnitude of an arc flash?

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Unlike Standard High Resistance Grounding, SMART HRG offers reduction in exposure
magnitude or incident energy levels of an arc flash in two ways. Firstly, the feeder provides an
indication that allows the search for a ground fault to start at the feeder level and not the main
switchgear. Therefore, start at a point in the system where the calculated incident energy levels
are likely to be much lower. Second, SMART HRG includes optical arc detection, which initiates
a trip signal to the over-current device in 1ms. Thereby significantly reducing the time of an
active arc in the system, therefore lowering the incident energy levels and the severity of the
exposure.

Okay, so a HRG system reduces the probability of an arc flash from occurring and the
application of SMART HRG technology will reduce the magnitude of an arc flash, but how will
process reliability improve?
On a 3 phase 4 wire electrical system, the occurrence of a ground fault requires isolation of the
faulted circuit. On a high resistance grounded system, the process is allowed to continue to
operate as long as the fault is limited to a low level and there are no single phase loads.
One leading insurance company
reported 228 losses over a 7 year period
related to ground faults. 72 of these
losses were in commercial locations
such as hotels, universities and
shopping malls. Likewise, 156 losses at
manufacturing locations.
The average cost of loss in
manufacturing facilities as a direct
impact of a ground fault was $760,000.
This total includes business interruption
resulting from downtime ranging from $12,000 to $98,000 per hour depending on the industry.
This total includes equipment damage costs which NFPA estimates at an average of $47,500.
Likewise, it includes medical costs and OSHA fines which can range from $80,000 to several
hundred thousand dollars.
Published data from Washington State notes that from September 2000 through December
2005, 350 Washington workers were hospitalized for serious burn injuries occurring at work. Of
these, 30 (9%) were due to arc flash/blast explosions. Total Workers’ Compensation costs
associated with these 30 claims exceeded $1.3 million, including reimbursement for almost
1,800 days of lost work time.

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Using HRG technology will lower the rate of injury by 90% and therefore its respective costs.
Likewise, HRG technology will improve business reliability and continuity due to the reduced
frequency of unexpected interruptions.

Not only does HRG technology allow for process continuity during a single phase to ground fault
thereby avoiding unnecessary process interruptions, there is evidence that converting to HRG
will reduce equipment repair costs. This can be seen in the following graph that shows the

One leading paper

company made the L.V Total Reliability Cost to Mill Y/Y
decision to change their 600000
500000
3 phase 4 wire system to
400000
high resistance grounded 300000
on the basis of arc flash 200000
reduction. This company 100000
received the unexpected 0
Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of Sum of
but welcomed benefit of 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
reducing motor repair
Total
costs. In solidly
grounded systems, it is
not unusual to have several hundred amps of fault current, insufficient to trip the over-current
device but more than enough to damage motors. The change to HRG where the ground fault is
limited to 10amps or less, reduced the damage so significantly that this factor alone would have
provided less than a 3-year return on investment.
To summarize, the change to high resistance grounding from a 3 phase 4 wire system lowers
the probability of an arc flash, the application of SMART HRG technology reduces the exposure
magnitude of an arc flash, and the change to HRG technology reduces the impact of ground
faults on process interruptions and equipment damage. The change means less risk, more
uptime and lower operating costs, which poses the question; how do I make the change?
Step One: Review the equipment in use and ensure it is appropriately rated for line-to-line
voltages and that it is compatible with HRG application. There have been occasions where
facilities have tried to implement HRG without first checking TVSS, UPS and VFD’s and then
later found out that there was incompatibility. All of these products can be used in HRG
application, they just need to be configured for the application. This can be easily achieved by
notifying the supplier of your intent.

Step Two: Ensure you have a formal maintenance approach to locating ground faults. SMART
HRG technology allows for process continuity of your most critical processes even under second
ground fault conditions. Users must ensure that maintenance personnel are trained on how to

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operate a HRG system. It is paramount that one does not simply abdicate responsibility to the
SMART technology..
So, now that I have taken the steps to check my electrical equipment for compatibility, I have
implemented a maintenance procedure for locating ground faults, and I am ready to justify the
change based on reducing arc flash, improving reliability and lowering operational costs. Are
there any other benefits of using HRG technology?
The simple answer is yes. There is the added benefit of shock hazard reduction as HRG technology is
known to reduce shock hazards in a bonded metal ground return path by reducing ground vault
current and associated touch voltage.

The change from a solidly grounded to a high resistance grounded system achieves the three
objectives of risk mitigation, increased reliability and lower costs.

- Risk management and mitigation of electrical

hazards including arc flash and shock CHECK

- Increased process reliability through the

reduction in unscheduled process outages CHECK
- Lower operational costs by reducing repair costs
and more effective utilization of maintenance
resources CHECK

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