Source: http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/subpartv.html
Timestamp: 2013-05-24 19:30:52
Document Index: 397676884

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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS - §1926.950
The occupational safety and health standard contained in this Subpart V applies to the construction of electric transmission and distribution lines and equipment. The term "construction" as used here includes the erection of new electric transmission and distribution lines and equipment, and the alteration, conversion, and improvement of existing electric transmission and distribution lines and equipment.
Existing electric transmission and distribution lines and electrical equipment need not be modified to conform to the requirements of applicable standards in this subpart, until "construction" work as described above is to be performed on such lines or equipment.
The standards set forth in this Subpart V provide minimum requirements for safety and health. Employers may require adherence to additional standards which are not in conflict with these standards. OSHA has promulgated a general industry standard to protect employees from the hazards arising out of the operation or maintenance of electric power generation, transmission and distribution installations (29 CFR 1910.269). Although this standard does not apply to construction work, the reader is encouraged to refer to it for general information, since it is provides comprehensive safe work practices.
Initial Inspections, Tests, or Determinations
The energized part is insulated or guarded from him/her and any other conductive object at a different potential, or
Alternating Current - Minimum Distances
[Kilovolts]
Minimum Working and
Clear Hot Stick Distance
7 ft. 0 in.*
11 ft. 0 in.*
15 ft. 0 in.*
* NOTE: From 345-362 kv., 500-552 kv., and 700-765 kv., the minimum working distance and the minimum clear hot stick distance may be reduced provided that such distances are not less than the shortest distance between the energized part and a grounded surface.
When deenergizing lines and equipment operated in excess of 600 volts, and the means of disconnecting from electric energy is not visibly open or visibly locked out, the following provisions shall be complied with:
- All switches and disconnectors through which electric energy may be supplied to the particular section of line or equipment to be worked have been deenergized;
- All switches and disconnectors are plainly tagged indicating that employees are at work;
- And that where design of such switches and disconnectors permits, they have been rendered inoperable.
Upon completion of work on deenergized lines or equipment, each designated employee in charge shall determine that all employees in his/her crew are clear, that protective grounds installed by his/her crew have been removed, and he/she shall report to the designated authority that all tags protecting his/her crew may be removed.
When a crew working on a line or equipment can clearly see that the means of disconnecting from electric energy are visibly open or visibly locked-out, the following provisions shall apply:
Upon completion of work on deenergized lines or equipment, each designated employee in charge shall determine that all employees in their crew are clear, that protective grounds installed by their crew have been removed, and he/she shall report to the designated authority that all tags protecting their crew may be removed.
The employer shall provide training or require that his/her employees are knowledgeable and proficient in:
In lieu of the above requirements, the employer may comply with the provisions of §1926.50(c) regarding first-aid requirements.
When working at night, spotlights or portable lights for emergency lighting shall be provided as needed to the perform the work safely.
Work Near and Over Water
When crews are engaged in work over or near water and when danger of drowning exists, suitable protection shall be provided as stated in §1926.104, or §1926.105, or §1926.106.
The requirements of §1926.51 of Subpart D of Part 1926, Occupational Health and Environmental Controls, shall be complied with for sanitation facilities.
All hydraulic fluids used for the insulated sections of derrick trucks, aerial lifts, and hydraulic tools which are used on or around energized lines and equipment shall be of the insulating type. The requirements for fire resistant fluids of §1926.302(d)(1) do not apply to hydraulic tools covered by this paragraph.
TOOLS AND PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT - §1926.951
Rubber protective equipment shall be in accordance with the provisions of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), ANSI J6 series, as follows:
J6.6-1971
J6.7-1935 (R1971)
J6.4-1971
J6.2-1950 (R1971)
J6.1-1950 (R1971)
J6.5-1971
Protective equipment of material other than rubber shall provide equal or better electrical and mechanical protection.
Protective hats shall be in accordance with the provisions of ANSI Z89.2 - 1971, Industrial Protective Helmets for Electrical Workers, Class B, and shall be worn at the jobsite by employees who are exposed to the hazards of falling objects, electric shock, or burns.
Body belts with straps or lanyards shall be worn to protect employees working at elevated locations on poles, towers, or other structures except where such use creates a greater hazard to the safety of the employees, in which case other safeguards shall be employed.
Body belts and safety straps shall meet the requirements of §1926.959. In addition to being used as an employee safeguarding item, body belts with approved tool loops may be used for the purpose of holding tools. Body belts shall be free from additional metal hooks and tool loops other than those permitted in §1926.959.
Body belts and straps shall be inspected before use and each day to determine that they are in safe working condition.
Life lines and lanyards shall comply with the provisions of §1926.104.
Safety lines are not intended to be subjected to shock loading and are used for emergency rescue such as lowering a person to the ground. Such safety lines shall be a minimum of =-inch diameter and three or four strand first-grade manila or its equivalent in strength (2,650 lb.) and durability.
Defective ropes shall be replaced.
Portable metal or conductive ladders shall not be used near energized lines or equipment except as may be necessary in specialized work such as in high voltage substations where nonconductive ladders might present a greater hazard than conductive ladders. Conductive or metal ladders shall be prominently marked as conductive and all necessary precautions shall be taken when used in specialized work.
Hook or other type ladders used in structures shall be positively secured to prevent the ladder from being accidently displaced.
Only live-line tool poles having a manufacturer's certification to withstand the following minimum tests shall be used:
100,000 volts per foot of length for 5 minutes when the tool is made of fiberglass; or
75,000 volts per foot of length for 3 minutes when the tool is made of wood; or
Other tests equivalent to these tests as appropriate.
All live-line tools shall be visually inspected before use each day. Tools to be used shall be wiped clean and if any hazardous defects are indicated, removed from service.
Measuring Tapes or Measuring Ropes
Measuring tapes or measuring ropes which are metal or contain conductive strands shall not be used when working on or near energized parts.
Switches for all powered hand tools shall comply with §1926.300(d).
All portable electric hand tools shall:
Be of the double insulated type and permanently labeled as "Double Insulated"; or
Be connected to the power supply by means of an isolating transformer, or other isolated power supply.
All hydraulic tools which are used on or around energized lines or equipment shall use nonconducting hoses having adequate strength for the normal operating pressures. It should be noted that the provisions of §1926.302(d)(2) shall also apply.
All pneumatic tools which are used on or around energized lines or equipment shall:
Have nonconducting hoses having adequate strength for the normal operating pressures, and
Have an accumulator on the compressor to collect moisture.
MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT - §1926.952
Visual inspections of the equipment shall be made to determine that it is in good condition each day the equipment is to be used.
Tests shall be made at the beginning of each shift during which the equipment is to be used to determine that the brakes and operating systems are in proper working condition.
The vehicle had a reverse signal alarm audible above the surrounding noise level, or
The provisions of §1926.556 shall apply to the utilization of aerial lifts.
When working near energized lines or equipment, aerial lift trucks shall be grounded or barricaded and considered as energized equipment, or the aerial lift truck shall be insulated for the work being performed.
Equipment or material shall not be passed between a pole or structure and an aerial lift while an employee working from the basket is within reaching distance of energized conductors or equipment that are not covered with insulating protective equipment.
Derrick Trucks, Cranes and Other Lifting Equipment
All derrick trucks, cranes and other lifting equipment shall comply with Subparts N and O of Part 1926 except:
As stated in §1926.550(a)(15)(i) and (ii) relating to clearance (for clearances in this subpart see Table V-1), and
Derrick truck (electric line trucks) shall not be required to comply with §1926.550(a)(7)(vi), (a)(17), (b)(2), and (e).
With the exception of equipment certified for work on the proper voltage, mechanical equipment shall not be operated closer to any energized line or equipment than the clearances set forth in §1926.950(c) unless:
An insulated barrier is installed between the energized part and the mechanical equipment, or
The mechanical equipment is grounded, or
The mechanical equipment is insulated, or
The mechanical equipment is considered as energized.
MATERIAL HANDLING - §1926.953
Pole Hauling
Where hazards to employees exist, tag lines or other suitable devices shall be used to control loads being handled by hoisting equipment.
During construction or repair of oil filled equipment, the oil may be stored in temporary containers other than those required in §1926.152, such as pillow tanks.
GROUNDING FOR PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES - §1926.954
All conductors and equipment shall be treated as energized until tested or otherwise determined to be deenergized or until grounded.
New lines or equipment may be considered deenergized and worked as such where:
The lines or equipment are grounded, or
The hazard of induced voltages is not present, and adequate clearances or other means are implemented to prevent contact with energized lines or equipment and the new lines or equipment.
Bare wire communication conductors on power poles or structures shall be treated as energized lines unless protected by insulating materials.
Deenergized conductors and equipment which are to be grounded shall be tested for voltage. The results of this test shall determine the subsequent procedures as required in §1926.950(d).
When attaching grounds, the ground end shall be attached first, and the other end shall be attached and removed by means of insulated tools or other suitable devices.
When removing grounds, the grounding device shall first be removed from the line or equipment using insulating tools or other suitable devices.
Grounds Placement
Grounds shall be placed between the work location and all sources of energy and as close as practicable to the work location, or grounds shall be placed at the work location. If work is to be performed at more than one location in a line section, the line section must be grounded and short circuited at one location in the line section and the conductor to worked on shall be grounded at each work location. The minimum distance shown in Table V-1 shall be maintained from ungrounded conductors at the work location. Where the making of a ground is impracticable, or the conditions resulting would be more hazardous than working on the lines or equipment without grounding, the grounds may be omitted and the line or equipment worked as energized.
Testing Without Grounds
Grounds may be temporarily removed only when necessary for test purposes and extreme caution shall be exercised during the test procedures.
When grounding electrodes are utilized, such electrodes shall have a resistance to ground low enough to remove the danger of harm to personnel or permit prompt operation of protective devices.
Grounding to Tower
Grounding to tower shall be made with a tower clamp capable of conducting the anticipated fault current.
A ground lead, to be attached to either a tower ground or driven ground, shall be capable of conducting the anticipated fault current and have a minimum conductance of No. 2 AWG copper.
OVERHEAD LINES - §1926.955
When working on or with overhead lines, the following provisions shall be complied with:
Equipment and machinery operating adjacent to energized lines or equipment shall comply with §1926.952(c)(2).
This section (§1926.955) also contains requirements for metal tower construction, stringing or removing deenergized conductors, stringing adjacent to energized lines, and live-line bare-hand work.
UNDERGROUND LINES - §1926.956
Guarding and Ventilating Street Opening Used for Access to Underground Lines or Equipment
Appropriate warning signs shall be promptly placed when covers of manholes, handholes, or vaults are removed. The nature and location of the hazards involved determine what is an appropriate warning sign.
Before an employee enters a street opening, such as a manhole or an unvented vault, it shall be promptly protected with a barrier, temporary cover, or other suitable guard.
When work is to be performed in a manhole or unvented vault:
No entry shall be permitted unless forced ventilation is provided or the atmosphere is found to be safe by testing for oxygen deficiency and the presence of explosive gases or fumes;
Where unsafe conditions are detected, by testing or other means, the work area shall be ventilated and otherwise made safe before entry;
Provisions shall be made for an adequate continuous supply of air.
Work in Manholes
While work is being performed in manholes, an employee shall be available in the immediate vicinity to render emergency assistance as may be required. This shall not preclude the employee in the immediate vicinity from occasionally entering a manhole to provide assistance, other than an emergency. This requirement does not preclude a qualified employee, working alone, from entering for brief periods of time, a manhole where energized cables or equipment are in service, for the purpose of inspection, housekeeping, taking readings, or similar work if such work can be performed safely.
When open flames must be used or smoking is permitted in manholes, extra precautions shall be taken to provide adequate ventilation.
Before using open flames in a manhole or excavation in an area where combustible gases or liquids may be present, such as near a gasoline service station, the atmosphere of the manhole or excavation shall be tested and found safe or cleared of the combustible gases or liquids.
During excavation or trenching, in order to prevent the exposure of employees to the hazards created by damage to dangerous underground facilities, efforts shall be made to determine the location of such facilities and work conducted in a manner designed to avoid damage.
Trenching and excavation operations shall comply with §1926.651 and 1926.652.
When underground facilities are exposed (electric, gas, water, telephone, etc.) they shall be protected as necessary to avoid damage.
Where multiple cables exist in an excavation, cables other than the one being worked on shall be protected as necessary.
When multiple cables exist in an excavation, the cable to be worked on shall be identified by electrical means unless its identity is obvious by reason of distinctive appearance.
Before cutting into a cable or opening a splice, the cable shall be identified and verified to be the proper cable.
When working on buried cable or on cable in manholes, metallic sheath continuity shall be maintained by bonding across the opening or by equivalent means.
CONSTRUCTION IN ENERGIZED SUBSTATIONS - §1926.957
Work Near Energized Equipment Facilities
When construction work is performed in an energized substation, authorization shall be obtained from the designated, authorized person before work is started, and the following shall be determined:
Extraordinary caution shall be exercised in the handling of busbars, tower steel, materials, and equipment in the vicinity of energized facilities. The requirements set forth in §1926.950(c) shall be complied with.
Deenergized Equipment or Lines
When it is necessary to deenergize equipment or lines for protection of employees, the requirements of §1926.950(d) shall be complied with.
Where appropriate, signs indicating the hazard shall be posted near the barricade or barrier. These signs shall comply with §1926.200.
The storage requirements of §1926.953(c) shall be complied with.
Excavation for auger, pad and piling type footings for structures and towers shall require the same precautions as for metal tower construction [see §1926.955(b)(1)].