Optical Fiber Splicer

• Protection

• First Aid

• Precautionary Measures

• Safety

• Technical Knowledge

• Reading & Writing Skills

• Communications Skills

Protection

Ensure that Personal protection equipment's like helmets, knee pads, safety boots, safety glasses and trench guards are appropriately used as required

Helmets

Trench GuardsSafety Glasses

Safety BootsKnee Pads

Personal Protection Equipment's : When working with fiber there are a few rules that MUST always be remembered and practiced.

Safety glasses MUST be worn at all times during the fiber optic lab exercises or anytimetermination or splicing work is performed on a fiber cable.

The biggest hazard when working with fiber optics are small, sharp shards of the fiber producedwhen stripping or cleaving the cable!!!

If you notice at any time a classmate or instructor not wearing safety glasses in the area wherefiber is being cut, stripped, or cleaved, you must immediately tell the person to put on their glassesand tell the instructor.

Black paper or other dark colored paper or fabric can be used to give a dark colored work surface.

This helps make the fiber more visible when working with it.

It has the side benefit of allowing the fiber cores to be more easily seen, especially when you have a run away shard.

When doing fiber work epoxy, anaerobic adhesive (?), and isopropyl alcohol will be used. The isopropyl alcohol is flammable. (Anything else flammable as well?)

Take extra care when handling these substances. It is best to develop the habit of watching for bits of epoxy on your tools or work surface and cleaning it with the alcohol.

Develop the habit of wiping all tools frequently with a fiber free cloth or wipe and alcohol. Keep in mind that epoxy is not removable from clothing!

Do not touch bare fibers with fingers.

The oil from your skin can weaken the fiber over time. It tends to make the glass fiber brittle

First Aid

First aid kits

• All workers must be able to access a first aid kit. This will require at least one first aid kit to be provided at their workplace.

• Contents

The first aid kit should provide basic equipment for administering first aid for injuries including:– cuts, scratches, punctures, grazes and splinters

– muscular sprains and strains

– minor burns

– amputations and/or major bleeding wounds

– broken bones

– eye injuries

– shock.

• The contents of first aid kits should be based on a risk assessment. For example, there may be higher risk of eye injuries and a need for additional eye pads in a workplace where:– chemical liquids or powders are handled in open containers

– spraying, hosing or abrasive blasting operations are carried out

– there is any possibility of flying particles causing eye injuries

– there is a risk of splashing or spraying of infectious materials

– welding, cutting or machining operations are carried out.

• Additional equipment may be needed for serious burns and remote workplaces.

• First aid signs :

Precautionary Measures

• Legal Requirement at Working Site :

The installation process involves stringing cable between elevated towers and poles or laying lines underground.

Installation also includes stringing wire throughout a home or commercial building. Once installed, linemen test the

line's signal strength.

Linemen performing maintenance and repair work examine lines and use electrical equipment to test for damage.

They may troubleshoot a line to locate a fault and splice in new line to replace damaged cable.

Telecommunications and utilities companies provide on-the-job training and require applicants to have a high school

diploma.

Though not required, certificate programs or post-secondary coursework in electronics, fiber optics and

telecommunications technology can enhance employment opportunities.

Fiber optic installation and repair demands physical fitness, with some companies requiring employees handle loads of

up to 50 lbs. or more.

Workers may need to become proficient with construction equipment and work in both confined and elevated spaces,

such as crawl spaces and catwalks.

Proficiency with hand tools, including cable jacket strippers, crimpers and diagnostic equipment is essential.

One common problem during cabling installation is accidentally breaking other wires when using back hoes and other construction equipment to build the new optical network.

Sometimes, installation companies that accidentally break a cable will simply snag it, break it and bury it - a process that hides the problem, but almost never actually works. Instead, organizations should take a more strategic approach to the situation.

Digging blindly is never a good idea. Installation companies will generally know where other cables are supposed to be when they work on their fiber-optic installation project, If they break another cable by accident, it is often best to identify if the wire they have broken is where it is supposed to be.

It is not uncommon for installers to cut a wire with a back hoe, only to find out it was not buried as deep as they were told, or is a few feet away from markings. If this is the case, the installation company is not at fault and should photograph the incident to document that their construction processes were not at fault.

There is also the possibility that cabling installation will lead to breakage within a fiber-optic network line. According to the news source this leads to a complex and often expensive process of identifying how much revenue is lost from service outages and other processes. This makes clear documentation of the incident and strategic construction vital to a successful project.

The legal issues that surround a cabling installation can be complex and overwhelming, and they can also hold back innovation. Telecoms working to implement FTTH infrastructure have a lot to consider when developing their strategy, but it is vital that they do not rush through the construction processes and work to implement the solution too quickly.

A legal battle can limit the pace of a project and create a divide between companies that often share cabling space, whether underground or on utility poles. Such problems are best avoided whenever possible.

Safety

Health & Safety Manual - Fire Safety :- Race and Pass

• IF YOU DISCOVER A FIRE – REMEMBER : RACE and PASS

– R - RESCUE anyone in immediate danger

– A - Activate the ALARM

– C - CONFINE the fire (close the door)

– E - EXTINGUISH small controllable fires/or EVACUATE

– P - PULL the pin

– A - AIM the nozzle at the base of the fire

– S - SQUEEZE handle

– S – SWEEP from side to side

• Fire Emergency Procedures –1. Extinguishing a person engulfed in flames:

– If a person's clothing is on fire, he/she must not be allowed to run, as this will fan the flames and cause a more serious burn. Remember! STOP, DROP and ROLL. Clothing fires must be extinguished immediately, before anything else is done, in order to minimize skin burns. Try not to use your hands for they will also burn

– Roll the person on the floor if necessary.

– Wrap him/her in a fire blanket, coat or whatever is available to smother the flames. Put the person under a shower or use an extinguisher, or whatever is available to smother the flames.

– After calling the emergency numbers, place clean, wet, ice-packed cloths on small burned areas. Wrap the person warmly to avoid shock, and secure medical assistance.

2. Evacuation Procedures for Uncontrollable Fires– Leave the area of danger. DO NOT stay to fight a large fire. Rescue anyone in immediate

danger. On your way out, if it can be done safely, turn off equipment and move any explosive or flammable materials away from possible contact with hot surfaces or other sources of ignition. Using the laboratory circuit breaker or Emergency Power Off switch (EPO) is often the quickest and most effective way to turn off all laboratory electrical equipment simultaneously. For this reason, the circuit breaker or EPO must always be readily accessible. Your safe exit, however, must be given the highest priority.

– Transmit the fire alarm by pulling the alarm box in the hallway, notify personnel on the floor and call the Public Safety Office. (854-5555 at MS or 305-7979 at CUMC)

– Leave by means of one of the predetermined evacuation routes for your laboratory area. If possible, confine the fire by closing doors as you leave. Evacuate promptly and meet outside the building away from the entrance at a pre-determined place. Conduct an attendance/person count of workers and make sure all are accounted for. If not, notify the Fire Department immediately.

Remember! RACE

Rescue

Alarm

Confine

Evacuate/Extinguish

3. Fire-fighting Procedures for Controllable Fires– For all fires, the fire alarm must be transmitted immediately to ensure Fire Department

response.

– The decision of whether to fight the fire oneself or to wait for fire-fighting help must be made according to the type and size of the fire, its location and the circumstances of the fire. A small fire in a container may be easily snuffed out by the placement of a non-flammable cover across the container opening. A small fire in an area free of other fuels can be extinguished with appropriate available extinguishers before calling for help. When extinguishing a burning solid, direct the extinguisher discharge at the base of the flame; in the case of burning liquids, direct it at the leading edge. Larger or rapidly growing fires are best left to the Fire Department.

– To extinguish a minor fire with an extinguisher:

Remember! PASS

Pull Pin

Aim nozzle at base of fire

Squeeze handle

Sweep from side to side

Safety Rules for Working Sites :

Keep all food and beverages out of the work area. If fiber particles are ingested they can cause internal hemorrhaging

Do not smoke while working with fiber optic systems.

Always wear safety glasses with side shields. Treat fiber optic splinters the same as you would glass splinters.

Never look directly into the end of fiber cables until you are positive that there is no light source at the other end.

Use a fiber optic power meter to make certain the fiber is dark.

When using an optical tracer or continuity checker, look at the fiber from an angle at least 6 inches away from your

eye to determine if the visible light is present.

Only work in well ventilated areas.

Contact wearers must not handle their lenses until they have thoroughly washed their hands.

Do not touch your eyes while working with fiber optic systems until your hands have been thoroughly cleaned.

Keep all combustible materials safely away from the curing ovens.

Wear disposable aprons if possible to minimize fiber particles on your clothing.

Fiber particles on your clothing can later get into food, drinks, and/or be ingested by other means.

Put all cut fiber pieces in a safe place and dispose of properly.

Thoroughly clean your work area when you are done.

Site Assessed according to Health & Safety Risk :

Invisible light. :-Wavelength of fibers almost all of them are 800 nm (nanometers or billionths of meters) or higher. These

all classify as infrared light, which our eyes do not see (very similar in color to the light used by television remote

controls).

Visible light has a wavelength between 380 nm and 750 nm. Light beyond this range is invisible to us. However, even

though we cannot see this light, it can cause severe damage to our eyes.

The power levels and wavelengths: It found in common fiber systems range from 50 nanowatts (nW) to 10 milliwatts

(mW). While this may not sound like a lot of wattage, keep in mind this light can potentially pump through a fiber that's

only 9 millionths of a meter (microns) in diameter. Even at these low levels of power, that's a fairly high level of watts per

square centimeter.

Dangerous situations: It arise when untrained people pick up a live fiber, and look directly into it. They see no light.

Therefore, they assume there's no danger. However, such unsuspecting people can end up with a burned retina in a very

short time.

Do not confuse looking into a live fiber: while performing continuity checks. We call one of the better testing tools

available today a visual tracer. Essentially, a visual tracer is a visible light you shine down the fiber. Then, you use your eye

to trace the fiber through its course to the end. The tracer itself can be a flashlight (difficult to use), a modified flashlight,

or even a microscope that holds the fiber in place while you direct a source of light into it. The better tracers use special

test sources, which use a bright red LED source. The big benefit is the power levels of all visual tracers are too low to

cause eye damage.

Reading & Writing Skills

• Knowledge and understanding of fill up appropriate technical forms, activity logs in required format of the company

• Maintain proper records as per given format

• Read and understand manuals, work orders, health and safety instructions, memos, reports etc.

• Construct simple sentences and express ideas clearly through written communication

Communications Skills

• Liaise and coordinate with third party vendors

• Communicate with supervisor and peers

• Communicate in the local language

Other Skills

• Interpret test reports, as made route diagrams and other numerical data

• Create and maintain effective working relationships and team environment

• Maintain security of site records and other confidential data

• Work in teams and take initiatives, progressively assume increased responsibilities

• Share knowledge with other team members and colleagues

• Execute tasks in a high-pressure environment

• Be flexible and accept changes in job requirements, schedules, or work environments

Project Management Skills

• To understand how to prioritize and execute task in extreme pressure

• Completion of multiple task successfully and work within deadline

• Use and maintain resources efficiently and effectively

• Also to be flexible enough to adjust with the changes in the job requirements, schedules etc.