Optical Fiber Safety

Digital Egypt Youth Training Program

National Telecommunication Institute ‫المعهد القومي لالتصاالت‬

 Agenda
Objective

Safety Goals.

Cable handling safety.

Eye safety.

Optical Fiber Handling precautions

Material safety.

Working safety,

Ariel installation safety

Cable and drum storage

General instructions

National Telecommunication Institute ‫المعهد القومي لالتصاالت‬

 Course Objectives

Learn the importance of safety in the working

environment.

Learn the different tools that can be used for human

safety.

Safety signs on optical instruments.

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 Safety Goals
• Provide a high level of safety for the public, workers in the area and our
employees.
• Minimize the inconvenience and adverse impacts on the public and our
customer as much as possible.
• Allow for timely completion of a quality project.

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National Telecommunication Institute ‫المعهد القومي لالتصاالت‬
 Cable Handling
• Optical Fiber cables are sensitive to damage during handling and installation.
• Take care of cable bending radius to prevent bending losses or break the
cables.
• Take care of cable pulling tension. Exceeding the pulling tension can alter
fiber’s characteristics.

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 Eye safety
• Laser properties

• If you are using a microscope, which can efficiently focus all the light into
your eye, it should have infrared filters
• Optical test equipment and optical amplifiers can generate dangerous levels
of optical energy at their outputs.

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 Eye safety
• Light in the 1300-1550 nm range is unlikely to damage your retina, but might
harm the cornea or lens. When damage occurs during an exposure there is no
pain initially.
• If laser exposure is suspected see an ophthalmologist immediately.

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 Eye safety

• laser pointer, which has a beam that is collimated and is at visible

wavelength (650 nm) where the eye is transparent, is probably more
danger to the retina than a fiber optic link.
• scraps are very dangerous. If they get into your eyes,

National Telecommunication Institute ‫المعهد القومي لالتصاالت‬

 Eye safety

National Telecommunication Institute ‫المعهد القومي لالتصاالت‬

 Eye safety
• SO, you should:
check the fiber with a power meter before examining it.
Whenever you are working with fiber, wear safety glasses!

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 Optical Fiber Handling precautions
• Broken ends during splicing and termination process are very dangerous.
• These sharps can penetrate skin.
• So,
Be careful when handling with fibers.
Don’t stick the broken end of fiber into your fingers.
Don’t drop fiber pieces on the floor.
it's preferred to use a dedicated container for all fiber scraps.
Use a black plastic mat for a work surface
Dispose-off all scraps carefully.
Don’t eat or drink near installation area.

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 Material safety
• Fiber optic splicing and termination require various material cleaner
• ASK for MSDS, it’s your responsibility to read it.
• Avoid skin contact as much as possible, and stop using chemicals that cause
allergic reactions. Even simple isopropyl alcohol, used as a cleaner, is
flammable and should be handled carefully.

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 Primary Treatments

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 Fire safety
• fusion splicers use an electric arc to make splices, so care must be taken to
insure no flammable gasses are contained in the space where fusion splicing
is done.
• Splicing should never be done in places/manholes where gases can
accumulate.

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 No smoking
• Smoking should also not be allowed around fiber optic work. The ashes from
smoking contribute to the dirt problems with fibers.
• Dangerous explosion caused by them due to the presence of combustible
substances.

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 Working Safety
• Before pulling the cable directly from figure 8 shape, make sure that the area
inside the loop of the cable is clear of equipment to avoid cable damage.
• Ensure that the tools and equipment are in a proper condition.
• Take care of electrical hazards, if electrical lines are passed through the
manholes.

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 Ariel installation safety
• Follow electrical safety rules when working near to power lines.
• Wear rubber gloves when working near exposed electrical circuits to avoid
electrical shock.
• Use leather gloves when climbing or getting down on pole when working with
sharp instruments or materials.
• Keep hands free from tools when climbing or getting down on pole.
• Ground every metallic component to avoid electric hazards due to spark
produced by power lines.

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 Optical Fiber cable and drum storage
• The weight of drum &cable may cause deflection of drum flange, resulting in
deformation or damage the cable.
• The drum must be rolled from truck onto receiving platform.
• Roll each drum away from the bottom of the ramp before handling the next
drum.
• Drum wrappers to protect cables from damage.

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 Drum Storage
• The drum should be stored in upright position on flange edge.

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 Drum Storage
• Stack wrapped drums on flange edge.

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 Drum Storage
• If wrapper is removed from the drum, their rolling edge should be lined up in
rows with flanges touch each other. So the flanges don’t overlap with the
cable accidently.

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 Cable storage Environment
• Optical fiber cables are wound on wooden drums.
So wood gets degraded over a period of time that means in-house storage is
recommended.
If drums stored outside Storing surface should be hard, no moist soil will contact the
wood.
During heavy rain close the drum by polyethene.

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 Mount the drum on the pay off
• To avoid cable rubbing against drum flanges payoff direction is
towards the pulling direction.
• To eliminate possible cable contact with the ground  payout the cable
from the top of the drum.

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 General Instructions
• Don’t allow trash to build up around you.
• Frequently clear off working surfaces where bare fiber may exist, use double-
sided tape to pick up broken or stray pieces of fiber.
• Keep dust caps on connectors, bulkhead splices, and patch panels and use
lint-free pads and isopropyl alcohol to clean the connection point of airborne
dust particles.
• Clean your work area when your task is completed.
• Wear appropriate safety glasses with side shields.

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 General Instructions
• Wear disposable apron if possible to minimize fiber particles from attaching
to your clothing.
• check your clothing to remove any stray pieces of bare fiber by patting
themselves with clean pieces of double-sided tape, then properly dispose of
this tape.
• Wash your hands after leaving the work area, where fiber optic cables are
being spliced or terminated, or where bare fibers are being handled.

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 Thank You

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