Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-09-25
RULES FOR SAFETY
Regulations to Be Observed In
Operation Of Electrical Utilities.

National Bureau Of Standards Gives
Out Data On Electrical Accidents
In Effort to Demonstrate Their
Preventability.
Washington.-The study OF life and
property hazards incident to the gen
GRAFTON, distribution. and use Of cleo
trical energy includes the considera,
ton OF both construction methods and
operating practice. Analysis Of the
available data on electrical accidents
demonstrates their preventability in
very large proportion by use OF def.
mite operating precautions. This is
especially true with those accidents
occurring to workmen engaged in cleo
trical work.
Rules for construction. installation,
and maintenance OF electrical equip
ment to safeguard employees and the
public are now under preparation by
the bureau OF standards, department
Of commerce. The rules for safety in
the operation and handling OF electrical
lines and equipment, just published.
proceed from painstaking study by
the engineers of the bureau OF exist
ing rules and practices. These are
found to vary widely and to offer O
very unsatisfactory basis for the for.
mutation of mandatory codes by any
state commission, unless a very ex-
tended study is made and the com.
bined experience Of many companies
and workmen utilized. Many existing
sets of rules have been developed
from insufficient data and experience,
while the vast majority OF companies
have no rules whatever in effect. This
lack of rules in force is partly due to
inaction on The part Of state authori.
ties and partly to the difficulty and ex.
pense each company encounters in
preparing its own rules in any ade-
Quate form. The assistance OF state
commissions, operating companies,
and electrical workmen has been free
ly given to the bureau in this work.
and the rules in their present form are
offered to the public for criticism, dis
cussion. and, 30 far as may be found
desirable, for general adoption.
The scope Of the safety rules in
cludes all operation of and work on or
about power and signal lines. and the
electrical equipment Of central sta
tons, substations, mines and testing
departments. The rules are divided
into three parts. The first two parts
consist of general rules which apply
to the employer and to the employees
respectively, and the third part com.
prises, under separate headings, those
special rules which apply particular
ly to the employees engaged in special
classes of electrical work.
1t II intended that employees should
thoroughly familiarize themselves
with all the general rules as well as
those which relate solely to their own
particular work.
While all the rules find application
in the larger Industrial or private
plants or to utilities of moderate size,
some do not apply or apply less fully
to the smaller organizations. 1t has
seemed unwise to attempt to restrict
the rules to those which are entirely
applicable to the smallest organiza.
tons or to the simplest classes Of cleo.
trical work. since the number OF work
ers SO employed Is small compared
with the total number to whose work
uniform rules should apply. ..5-
Tho individual rules suggested by
conferees and resulting from careful
comparisons and selections have been
subjected to careful general scrutiny
to determine the necessity for each
and its general applicability under
varying conditions Of operation. The
different classes of workers to which
the rules apply have been freely con
suited. Concreteness, simplicity and
directness have been sought in the
formulation of the rules.
After carefully considering each
rule and retaining only those essen
tial to the safety Of operation, the
grouping was made such as to facili
tate refernce.
The section for employers calls for
the provision Of employees with rules
diagrams and emergency Instructions
their assignment to work according to
their demonstrated ability among them
In definite manner SO that danger
may not arise through conflict on
points Of authority. The employer il
also required to supply portable safe,
guards. to enforce general operating
precautions and to supply employees
with forms for the adequate reporting
Of accidents. The final requirement is
that the rules for employees be strict.
~ enforced. 49,. r 2.-....
Rules for employees in general are
undivided into six groups. The first
enumerates those general precautions,
the necessity for which seems obvious,
but the noncompliance with which il
nevertheless responsible for many in.
juries. The second presents general
operating rules. defining the duties
and relations Of those employees who
direct others and the operating meth.
DDS by which safety is required. The
third group prescribes the precautions
for handling live parts under varying
conditions Of voltage and location.
The fourth and nth deal with the
procedures for assuring the continued
safety Of work about normally live
or moving parts, respectively. by avoid.
Ing al possible sources Of misunder,
standing In killing parts. The sixth
group covers IN some detail the pro.
cedure for making protective grounds