The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-09-05
SAFETY RULES
WILL BE kept
IN OPERATION.
And Maintenance of Electrical
Supply Utilities and the
Like Hereafter.

Like hereafter.
WASHINGTON, d. c.. Sept. s.
The study of life and property haz-
distribution and use of electrical en-
ergy includes the consideration OF
both construction methods and oper-
ating practice. Analysis of the avail
able data on electrical accidents DEM
onstrates their preventabiltty in very
large proportion by the use of definite
operating precautions. This is espe-
cia1ly true with those accidents oc-I
curing 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 cleo
trical lines and equipment, just pub
lished, proceed from a painstakingi
study by the engineers of the bureau
of existing rules and practices These
are found to vary widely and to offer
very unsatisfactory basis for the
formulation of mandatory codes by
any state commission, unless a very
extended study is made and the COM
bined experience of many companies
and workmen utilized. Many exist
ing sets of rules have been developed
from insufficient data and experience,
while the vast majority of companies
have no rules whatever in effect. The
lack Of rules in force is partly due
to inaction on the part of state au-
thorities and partly to the difficulty
and expense each company en-
counters in preparing its own rules
in any adequate form. The assistance
of state commissions, operating COM
panies and electrical workmen has
been freely given to the bureau in
this work, and the rules in their
present form are offered to the pub
lie for criticism, discussion and, so
far as may be found desirable, for
general adoption.
Scope of Operation.
The scope of safety rules includes
all operation of and work on or
about power and signal lines, and
the electrical equipment OF central
stations, sub-stations. 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 employee respectively. and the
third part comprises, under separate
headings, those. special rules which
apply particularly to employees en-
gagged in special classes of electrical
work.
1t is 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 modern size,
some do not apply or apply less fully
| to the smaller organizations. It has
seemed unwise to attempt to restrict
the rules to those which are entirely
applicable to the smallest organ1za-
1 lions or to the simplest classes OF
electrical work, since the number OF
workers so employed is small com
pared with the total number to whose
! work uniform rules should apply.
The individual rules suggested by
conferees and resulting from careful
| comparisons and selections have been
subjected to careful general scrutiny
to determine the necessity Tor eacn
and it's general applicability under
varying conditions of operation inc
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 reference.
The section for employers calls for
the provision of employees with rules,
diagrams and emergency instruc-
lions, their assignment to work &C
/ cording to their demonstrated ab1l-
1 tiles, and the division OF responsible
| ity among them in definite manner
so that danger may not arise through
conflict on points of authority. The
lemployer is also required to supply
/ portable safeguards, to enforce gen
\ eral operating precautions, and TO
supply employees with forms for the
adequate reporting of accidents The
finaf requirement is that the rules Tor
employees be strictly enforced.
Six Groups.
Rules for employees in general are
subdivided into six groups. The nrst
enumerates those general precau-
lions. the necessity for which seems
obvious, but the noncompliance with
which is nevertheless responsible Tor
many injuries. The second presents
general operating rules. defining the
duties and relations of those en-
ployes who direct others and the OPP
Grating methods by which safety IL
required The third group prescr1bes
the precautions for handling I've
voltage and location. The fourth ana
fifth deal with the procedures for as
surfing the continued safety OF work
about normally live or moving parts.
respectively, by avoiding all possible
sourcas of misunderstanding in kill