Power distribution equipment personnel safety system

A personal protection equipment system for power distribution equipment, the personal protection equipment system comprising:

• personal protection equipment;
• a processing unit;
• at least one vicinity sensor integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
• at least one power distribution equipment sensor integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
• and
• a user interface integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
• wherein the personal protection equipment is configured to be worn by a person;
• wherein the at least one vicinity sensor is configured to acquire vicinity sensor data in an area outside of an outer envelope of a power distribution equipment, and provide the vicinity sensor data to the processing unit, wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one door configured to permit access to an interior of the power distribution equipment and/or wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one cover configured to permit access to the interior of the power distribution equipment;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a position of a person wearing the personal protection equipment in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment, the determination comprising utilization of the vicinity sensor data;
• wherein the at least one power distribution equipment sensor is configured to acquire status data of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and provide the status data to the processing unit;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to utilize the status data to determine whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed where the at least one door and/or the at least one cover are correctly closed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed where one or more doors or one or more covers are open or not correctly closed or one or more covers are removed;
• wherein the user interface is configured to enable the person to enter intended task information relating to the power distribution equipment and provide the task information to the processing unit;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine on the basis of the intended task information whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is expected to be undisturbed where the at least one door and/or the at least one cover are correctly closed or whether the outer envelope is expected to be disturbed where one or more doors and/or one or more covers are open or one or more covers are removed;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a personnel safety state, the determination comprising utilization of the position of the person in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed and whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is expected to be undisturbed or whether the outer envelope is expected to be disturbed;
• and
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine at least one action comprising utilization of the personnel safety state.

A power distribution equipment personnel safety system, comprising:

• a power distribution equipment;
• personal protection equipment;
• a processing unit;
• at least one first vicinity sensor located on the power distribution equipment and/or at a fixed location separate from the power distribution equipment;
• at least one second vicinity sensor integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
• at least one first power distribution equipment sensor located in the power distribution equipment and/or at a fixed location separate from the power distribution equipment, and wherein the at least one first power distribution equipment sensor comprises one or more of limit switches, proximity sensors, position sensors, cameras;
• at least one second power distribution equipment sensor integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
• and
• a user interface integrated with or attached to the personal protection equipment;
• wherein the power distribution equipment comprises an outer envelope, and wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one door configured to permit access to an interior of the power distribution equipment and/or wherein the outer envelope comprises at least one cover configured to permit access to the interior of the power distribution equipment;
• wherein the personal protection equipment is configured to be worn by a person;
• wherein the at least one first vicinity sensor is configured to acquire first vicinity sensor data in an area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment, and provide the first vicinity sensor data to the processing unit;
• wherein the at least one second vicinity sensor is configured to acquire second vicinity sensor data in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment, and provide the first vicinity sensor data to the processing unit;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a position of the person in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment, the determination comprising utilization of the first vicinity sensor data and the second vicinity data;
• wherein the at least one first power distribution equipment sensor is configured to acquire status data of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and provide the status data to the processing unit;
• wherein the at least one second power distribution equipment sensor is configured to acquire status data of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and provide the status data to the processing unit;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to utilize the first status data and the second status data to determine whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed where the at least one door and/or the at least one cover are correctly closed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed where one or more doors or one or more covers are open or not correctly closed or one or more covers are removed;
• wherein the user interface is configured to enable the person to enter intended task information relating to the power distribution equipment and provide the task information to the processing unit;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine on the basis of the intended task information whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is expected to be undisturbed where the at least one door and/or the at least one cover are correctly closed or whether the outer envelope is expected to be disturbed where one or more doors and/or one or more covers are open or one or more covers are removed;
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine a personnel safety state, the determination comprising utilization of the position of the person in the area outside of the outer envelope of the power distribution equipment and whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is undisturbed or whether the outer envelope is disturbed and whether the power distribution equipment outer envelope is expected to be undisturbed or whether the outer envelope is expected to be disturbed;
• and
• wherein the processing unit is configured to determine at least one action comprising utilization of the personnel safety state.