Wiring to AS/NZ 3000-2007 in the USA for export

[zdas04]

I've invented a mechanical gadget (Oil & Gas industry, the gadget extracts entrained gas from a liquid stream) that has a couple of level switches, three electrical control valves, a couple of pressure transmitters, and a junction box. The intention is to wire the skid in the USA, put several of them in a shipping container, and when they get to the field in Queensland we will only need to bring in 24VDC to the junction box, connect the plumbing, and turn it on.

The first three that we sent had all the wiring in conduits like we do for US installations. The client completely rewired the skids and got rid of the conduit, at a significant added expense (luckily to them, not me). I don't want them to have to bear either the expense or delay in future units. I want them to leave the shop properly wired to AS/NZ 3000-2007. I've got a copy of the code and have started digging through it and don't see anything that will be unreasonable to comply with. My question is how to document that we have complied? I can have a person with a Master Electrician ticket in the U.S. sign off, but does that satisfy common practice or do I have to find someone with an Australian (or Queensland?) ticket to sign off?

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"

 

[FreddyNurk]

'Certificate of Conformance' is the general method of providing evidence of compliance for such things, though I admit I'd have to look through the Electrical Safety Act

http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/fair-and-safe-work/electrical-safety

and associated documents to work out whether the electrician in question needs to have a Queensland licence in order to provide the certificate or not. I have a suspicion that it would be required.

I admit I don't know how the liability would work in terms of any failure of the equipment and pursuit of an overseas certified electrician should it all go wrong, but I could well be over thinking it.

There may be additional Hazardous Areas compliance issues (I'm guessing here based on your line of work as to where its likely to be used...) which might complicate matters somewhat, though I'd also guess that you're on top of that.

Out of curiosity, why did the client remove the conduit? I'm trying to think of reasons for its removal or alteration that would be required according to the standard.

 

[zdas04]

We do have the Hazardous Area stuff covered. The client said that the conduit was "not legal" for the application. He's a EE with 25 years experience and I didn't ask him to show me the code.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"

 

[PersonalProfile]

If it requires engineering (AS3000 can be one of the exceptions), the engineer would have to (by law) be a RPEQ (yes, even though the engineering was not completed in Qld)..:

http://www.bpeq.qld.gov.au/iMIS15/BPEQ/

I think where FreddyNurk was heading is the legislation can require an auditor "inspects" hazardous (and "HV") installations (s 153 of the Reg):

https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/E/ElectricalSA02.pdf

https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/E/ElectricalSR02.pdf

Note s6 (of the Act) provides some "exemptions" - maybe these are applicable to your application (though some Clients require it for good practice etc).
Apparently the Act can provide some other work, though I am not across the details.
Obviously you will need to complete your own detailed review - sometimes the regulators (available at the link provided by FreddyNurk) offer sound advice.

Maybe an option is to engage someone locally to do it.

Regards,
Lyle

 

[FreddyNurk]

I'm actually trying to think of reasons as to why a conduit would not be acceptable based solely on AS3000. If its the cheap flexible corrugated PVC stuff, I'd not want to accept it either, though its certainly appropriate for use in some installations (that is to say, it'd be my preference rather than a compliance issue)

If its an issue in terms of Hazardous Areas wiring installation and conduit seals and so on (as an extension of applying relevant sections of AS3000) then I'd understand. (Complete rewire almost implies replacement of cabling with new armoured cable instead of cable in conduit and so on...).

That said, I'm only guessing at all the reasons for the issue. I'd expect the final installation to have to be inspected as a Hazardous Area rather than just the skid, but the same consideration would apply to the electrical equipment in the skid, some sort of documentation and certification would be needed, but the final certification of the entire installation would be up to the client (say, connection to the skid from whatever equipment the client has as part of the installation, it won't be the skid in isolation).

 

[zdas04]

The conduit job was top notch. Metal conduit, rigidly attached, and signed off by a Master Electrician. Everyone was quite surprised when it was unacceptable. Part of the problem was that the skid was a test and the client wanted to pull the switch state into a SCADA system. He did this by running the switch into a junction box and sending the output to the control valve and the SCADA. Maybe he thought re-wiring was cleaner than tying into the conduit junction boxes?

The only thing I'm sure of is that when I got to the yard outside of Brisbane all of the wiring that we had function tested was in a dumpster and new shielded cable was installed. Client paid 5 times more for the packaging in Oz than they paid for the original vessel. The trial is over. They accepted the gadget, now I'm trying to put together a package that they can throw in the dirt, bring in 24VDC to a junction box bus bar, connect three pipes and be in operation. If they want the switch status, they can get it inside the box. If they want to pull the ModBus registers from the valves, they can do it inside the box. I want the box and associated wiring to be unassailable from a code or common-practice viewpoint. No conduit. No problem. I just need to know how to make it clearly above and beyond requirements.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"

 

[PersonalProfile]

The other exemption, I apparently rather poorly alluded to earlier is:

s 18, Subsection 2, paragraph (d) of the Act:

However, the following are not electrical work—

(d) assembling, making, modifying or repairing electrical
equipment in a workplace under the Workplace Health
and Safety Act 1995 that is prescribed under a regulation
for this paragraph, if that is the principal manufacturing
process at the workplace, and arrangements are in place,
and are detailed in written form, for ensuring that—
(i) the work is done safely and competently; and
(ii) the equipment is tested to ensure compliance with
relevant standards;

Regards,
Lyle

 

[FreddyNurk]

Shielded or armoured? Its starting to sound to me more like the hazardous areas requirements (and I admit I'm vague on them, haven't done anything related to a hazardous areas compliant install in 5 years) meant that the conduit, its sealing, and so on were the issue.

Of course, I'd fully expected that it wasn't the cheap flex stuff, rather metal conduit and so on.

In that case, installation of cabling to whatever the IEC / AS Hazardous Areas standards would require for the zoning is probably the go (Steel Wire Armoured, SWA, cables to AS5000 or other relevant standard, I suspect that its not AS5000 but something else though). As I recall, SWA is required in certain zones for cabling, and sealing of conduits to prevent gas propagation is a problem (again, not implying that the US install was wrong, far from it, just different...).

 

[ScottyUK]

Oz isn't so far different to Europe in its standards and working practices. Conduit in hazardous areas would be built to unfamiliar north american standards of no legal standing, using unfamiliar materials and components which are hard to obtain, needing Imperial tools, and so on. This it harder and more expensive to inspect, maintain, and modify.

To answer David's initial question, I would seriously consider getting the electrical work done in the destination country where certified material, components, and a labour force with the requisite qualifications are more readily available. In the reverse situation - a European skid going to the US - I would say the same thing.

 

[Boof87]

I have been reading this thread with great interest (partly because I live in Brisbane and am currently working on LNG projects in Brisbane). From my interpretation of the act, Manufacturer's of electrical equipment must ensure that the equipment is electrically safe and when made is tested and examined to be electrically safe. Importer's of electrical equipment have the same obligation. My interpretation is that it will require to be tested and inspected (by a suitable licenced electrician which in this case will be a persons holding an electrical fitter/mechanic licence for the State of Queensland) and a certificate of conformity issued by the electrical contractor (Again, licenced in the State of Queensland) which is usually done on site prior to energisation. They may also be other requirements from the principal contractor, consultant and/or client.

From the sounds of what I have read (without knowing further details) there was something with the installation that didn't comply with AS60079 or AS2381 but again without knowing the exact install or reasons for the EE saying it was not legal it is just speculation. The only other thing I can think of is that cable and conduit didn't comply with the Australian Standard but again I'm not familiar with the American standard.

I am definitely interested to hear how you go with this.

 

[zdas04]

I am trying to treat this skid as a "manufactured product" like a vehicle or a computer or an air conditioner. With an air conditioner skid, you do the wiring in the factory, deliver the skid to the site, connect and charge the refrigerant lines, and have a licensed electrician connect the power and the thermostat wiring and turn it on. The skid needs to leave the fab shop with a complete and signed off "functional assurance test (FAT)" and "compliance test" that satisfies Queensland and Australian standards. Having it wired in Brisbane would shift the FAT out of the factory and open a new can of worms.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"

 

[juleselec]

I'm with FreddyNurk and Boof on this - the wiring was most probably not rejected because of AS3000, but as a result of a hazardous area inspection, i.e. compliance to AS60079 or AS2381. In Australia, the use of conduits between junction boxes is definitely NOT preferred, nor is it particularly common (based on what I've seen over the last 12 years).

I've been involved in quite a few electrical inspections for skids imported from Europe and the US. Usually, the issues flagged are related to hazardous area compliance, rather than compliance to AS3000.

My advice would be to wire the skid using cable tray and armoured cable, which is standard practice in Australia. Be sure to also use metric for cable glands and other threaded entries and make sure that the wire colours are per AS3000. If you get equipment with IECEx certificates, you'll also be covered (some companies in Australia may give you grief over ATEX certificates and require you to get conformity assessments).

Lastly, getting haz area documentation from suppliers is always a hassle - if you are able to provide a good dossier with all the relevant certificates and a complete hazardous area equipment schedule, the electrical inspector will love you.

 

[Boof87]

If you are trying to treat it as a "Manufactured Product" you would need to apply to the chief executive to get the electrical equipment approved as per the Electrical Safety Regulation 2002 (QLD). If you haven't already, the Act and Regulation can be downloaded from the Department of Justice website that Freddy posted the link for. I am not sure what this would entail or depending on your skid whether this would be possible. I don't think that this would be the easiest process, but may be worth looking into.

From what I have seen, the skids (and switch rooms) that I have worked on over the last 6 months on multiple LNG projects (which were wired overseas) had suitably licenced personnel on site overseeing construction and signing off on the works, I'm not sure if this is an option for you.

Just out of curiosity, are you able to divulge which projects you are supplying your equipment to? (understand if you can't do this).

 

[zdas04]

The skids are going to CSG projects, I really can't say much more than that. I'll look into the regulations referenced and see what works. Thanks for your help.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"