What happens when established electrical safety practices meet a different power-system design? That question is at the center of Andrew Olsen’s tutorial, Five Frustrating DC Power System Safety Practices, at the 2027 IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop in Reno, Nevada, March 22–26.
The tutorial builds on Andrew’s earlier presentation, Five Frustrating EV Safety Practices, and expands the discussion beyond vehicles. Its scope includes solar PV, stationary energy storage, power conversion equipment, and data centers supporting AI. The aim is to examine where expectations, equipment information, and work practices need a clearer connection.
The tutorial will examine:
- Placement of overcurrent protection within high-voltage batteries. How design choices affect service and maintenance considerations, and why a protection device should be understood in the context of the circuit and the task.
- Access to incident-energy information. The data needed for an independent assessment, and the information gap that can arise when those responsible for service do not have the technical basis needed to evaluate the work.
- AC work practices applied to DC systems. How the system’s characteristics should shape the assessment, rather than assuming that a familiar practice transfers unchanged.
- Control circuits used for energy isolation. Making the basis for an isolation decision explicit, rather than allowing a label or a familiar routine to settle the question.
- Voltage-rated gloves and “avoid contact” hazards. Making the basis for a protective-equipment decision explicit and examining how “avoid contact” is interpreted.
These are topics for technical discussion, not blanket instructions to remove protective measures or substitute a different isolation method. The tutorial is intended to encourage a closer examination of equipment design, available information, and the requirements applicable to the work.
Andrew will also deliver a separate forty-five-minute presentation titled Say What You Mean, examining how electrical safety terminology can be communicated more clearly. Together, the two sessions offer different perspectives on a shared concern: helping people understand the basis for the decisions they make.
ElecTrain will also participate in the vendor exhibition. Stop by the ElecTrain booth to say hello and pick up some free giveaways.
Join Andrew and the electrical safety community at the Peppermill Resort in Reno for the 2027 IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop. Visit the official workshop website for event updates and program information.
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