In January 2007, the ABB site team at Norton joined its customer colleagues from CE Electric UK to celebrate over 100,000 construction man-hours without a single LTA (lost time accident).
In January 2007, the ABB site team at Norton joined its customer colleagues from CE Electric UK to celebrate over 100,000 construction man-hours without a single LTA (lost time accident). Such a record would be impressive for any major substation construction site. But when you consider the scale and scope of activity at the site, near Stockton-on- Tees, it becomes remarkable. Terry Smith, ABB’s quality, health, safety and environmental manager, reports.
The first phase of the Norton project covered the completion of CE Electric’s new indoor GIS (gas insulated switchgear) 132kV substation, rated at 540MVA. This features 20 bays of switchgear with four incoming circuits fed by Supergrid transformers and 14 outgoing circuits, two of which feed local grid transformers. ABB then moved on to demolish the old AIS (air insulated switchgear) substation to create space for the construction of a new 11kV substation. The demolition was particularly challenging, as we faced various hazards, including working at height, and avoiding buried services within the old 132kV open terminal switchyard.
SECOND PHASE
The second phase involved the supply and installation of two new 132/11kV transformers, the construction of a new 11kV switchgear building and connection to CE Electric’s local distribution grid. The site network serves a local population of over 26,500, so in order to minimise customer disruptions and the need for planned outages, a phased approach was adopted. The new substation was built and commissioned offline and then brought online to run alongside the old substation. One of the new transformers was installed and connected to the old substation, replacing an old substation. The second new transformer was installed to replace a second existing transformer (with the work carried out within a very tight timescale) and connected to the new substation. Both substations were temporarily buscoupled to ensure continuity of supply should one transformer fail. Once the local grid transfers to the new 11kV substation were completed, the second transformer was transferred to the new 11kV substation and the old substation was demolished.
PARTNERSHIP WORKING
Right from the start, the ABB and CE Electric teams at Norton made a commitment to work in partnership to complete the substation projects on time and on budget. The key to this success was a thorough approach to planning and coordination, and attention to detail at every phase, from initial design, through civil works to installation of the equipment and commissioning.
The thorough approach at Norton extended right through to health and safety, as we were determined to show that working safely did not waste time or add to the project overhead, but would actually increase efficiency. This is because of the iceberg effect – while the immediate impact of a lost time accident is clearly visible in terms of injury, damage and lost time, there are a whole host of hidden factors below the surface, including repetition, potential overtime costs for replacement staff, delays, legal costs, site investigations and so on. These hidden costs may add up to several times the immediate costs.
Once our purpose was made clear, we had a very positive response, as everyone bought in to the aim of delivering exceptional health, safety and environmental performance. This was achieved at Norton with the commitment of all those involved. The project had the added benefit of a site management team – including members from ABB, CE Electric UK, GPS and National Grid – who made a significant contribution, with frequent site visits to reinforce the need for best practice in all health, safety and environmental matters.
DELIVERING RESULTS
The benefits are clear for all to see.With no time lost for over 100,000 construction man-hours the Norton team has been able to concentrate on achieving successful project delivery. Moreover, it is in great shape to move on to the next project.