Safety and environmental evaluation of insulating media in medium-voltage distribution equipment

The hazards associated with performing maintenance on energized electrical equipment have been the subject of massive amounts of literature as well as the driver for numerous product innovations aimed at mitigating the effects of this hazard. The intent of this paper is to highlight potential personal and environmental dangers associated with this same equipment when it is de-energized. This paper is specifically targeted at switchgear and circuit breakers rated above 1000 V, and is more specifically targeted at personnel who perform maintenance, decommissioning, retrofitting, or clean up after catastrophic failures of this class of equipment.