Cable Forensic Examination – Best Practice

Overview

This one day course will highlight why forensic analysis is not only useful following cable system failures but also a powerful addition to an asset management program to gain knowledge on the condition of cables removed from service. We will cover some of the common methodologies used to perform failure investigations and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Although you might not perform the forensic examination yourself, we’ll look at the steps you can take to help the investigator, such as preserving evidence and good record keeping. We’ll review some of the common tools used to support forensic investigations and what information each can reveal.

The course is applicable to all MV to EHV cable types including self-contained fluid-filled, PILC/MIND, PE, XLPE, TR-XLPE and EPR cable designs, as well as the associated accessories and cable system components.

The course will use case studies to illustrate the learning points and a methodical working approach.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

• Understanding the value of forensic examination for failure investigations and end-of-life assessment
• Be able to identify the common systematic methods used during failure investigations and understand the flaws in these rigid approaches
• Know what to do at the start of a failure investigation
• Learn some of the common tools used during forensic examinations and what they can reveal
• Know what other information is valuable to support a failure investigation

Content

Why carry out forensic examinations?

• Gaining knowledge from end of life assessment
• Failure investigation

Common approaches and international standards to root cause analysis investigations

• 5 Whys
• Ishikawa diagrams
• Pareto
• FMEA

Forensics 101 – what to do and what not to do

Common tools and analytical techniques used during failure investigations

• Identifying unknown materials
• Microscopy

Supporting information and documentation

Report writing – what to look for in a good report

Case studies will be presented for a variety of cable and accessory designs to illustrate the key learning points