437-002-2312 Deenergizing Lines and Equipment for Employee Protection (1) Application. This rule applies to the deenergizing of transmission and distribution lines and equipment for the purpose of protecting employees. See 437-002-2303 Hazardous Energy Control, Division 2/RR, for requirements on the control of hazardous energy sources used in the generation of electric energy. Conductors and parts of electric equipment that have been deenergized under procedures other than those required by 437-002-2303, as applicable, must be treated as energized. (2) General. (a) If a system operator is in charge of the lines or equipment and their means of disconnection, the employer must designate one employee in the crew to be in charge of the clearance and must comply with all of the requirements of paragraph (3) of this rule in the order specified. (b) If no system operator is in charge of the lines or equipment and their means of disconnection, the employer must designate one employee in the crew to be in charge of the clearance and to perform the functions that the system operator would otherwise perform under this rule. All of the requirements of paragraph (3) of this rule apply, in the order specified, except as provided in paragraph (2)(b) of this rule. (c) If only one crew will be working on the lines or equipment and if the means of disconnection is accessible and visible to, and under the sole control of, the employee in charge of the clearance, paragraphs (3)(b), (3)(d), and (3)(f) of this rule do not apply. Additionally, the employer does not need to use the tags required by the remaining provisions of paragraph (3) of this rule. (d) If two or more crews will be working on the same lines or equipment, then: (A) The crews must coordinate their activities under this rule with a single employee in charge of the clearance for all of the crews and follow the requirements of this rule as if all of the employees formed a single crew, or (B) Each crew must independently comply with this rule and, if there is no system operator in charge of the lines or equipment, must have separate tags and coordinate deenergizing and reenergizing the lines and equipment with the other crews. (e) The employer must render any disconnecting means that are accessible to individuals outside the employer's control (for example, the general public) inoperable while the disconnecting means are open for the purpose of protecting employees. (3) Deenergizing lines and equipment (a) The employee that the employer designates pursuant to paragraph (2) of this rule as being in charge of the clearance must make a request of the system operator to deenergize the particular section of line or equipment. The designated employee becomes the employee in charge (as this term is used in paragraph (3) of this rule) and is responsible for the clearance. (b) The circuit or equipment must be considered as energized until notification from the system operator to the contrary is received. (c) The system operator must obtain the name of the person requesting clearance and be assured that the person is qualified to receive such clearance. (d) The person requesting the clearance must state exactly what circuit or equipment they want de-energized and the reason. (e) The system operator must repeat the request for clearance and be certain that the request is fully understood. (f) The employer must ensure that all switches, disconnectors, jumpers, taps, and other means through which known sources of electric energy may be supplied to the particular lines and equipment to be deenergized are open. The employer must render such means inoperable, unless its design does not so permit, and then ensure that such means are tagged to indicate that employees are at work. (g) The employer must ensure that automatically and remotely controlled switches that could cause the opened disconnecting means to close are also tagged at the points of control. The employer must render the automatic or remote control feature inoperable, unless its design does not so permit. (h) The employer need not use the tags mentioned in paragraphs (3)(f) and (3)(g) of this rule on a network protector for work on the primary feeder for the network protector's associated network transformer when the employer can demonstrate all of the following conditions: (A) Every network protector is maintained so that it will immediately trip open if closed when a primary conductor is deenergized; (B) Employees cannot manually place any network protector in a closed position without the use of tools, and any manual override position is blocked, locked, or otherwise disabled; and (C) The employer has procedures for manually overriding any network protector that incorporate provisions for determining, before anyone places a network protector in a closed position, that: The line connected to the network protector is not deenergized for the protection of any employee working on the line; and (if the line connected to the network protector is not deenergized for the protection of any employee working on the line) the primary conductors for the network protector are energized. (i) Tags must prohibit operation of the disconnecting means and must indicate that employees are at work. (j) After the applicable requirements in paragraphs (3)(a) through (3)(i) of this section have been followed and the system operator gives a clearance to the employee in charge, the employer must ensure that the lines and equipment are deenergized by testing the lines and equipment to be worked with a device designed to detect voltage. (k) The employer must ensure the installation of protective grounds as required by 437-002-2313 Grounding for the protection of employees, Division 2/RR. (l) After the applicable requirements of paragraphs (3)(a) through (3)(k) of this rule have been followed, the lines and equipment involved may be considered deenergized. (m) To transfer the clearance, the employee in charge (or the employee's supervisor if the employee in charge must leave the worksite due to illness or other emergency) must inform the system operator and employees in the crew; and the new employee in charge must be responsible for the clearance. (n) To release a clearance, the employee in charge must: (A) Notify each employee under that clearance of the pending release of the clearance; (B) Ensure that all employees under that clearance are clear of the lines and equipment; (C) Ensure that all protective grounds protecting employees under that clearance have been removed; and (D) Report this information to the system operator and then release the clearance. (o) Only the employee in charge who requested the clearance may release the clearance, unless the employer transfers responsibility under paragraph (3)(m) of this rule. (p) No one may remove tags without the release of the associated clearance as specified under paragraphs (3)(n) and (3)(o) of this rule. (q) The employer must ensure that no one initiates action to reenergize the lines or equipment at a point of disconnection until all protective grounds have been removed, all crews working on the lines or equipment release their clearances, all employees are clear of the lines and equipment, and all protective tags are removed from that point of disconnection. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 654.025(2) & 656.726(4) Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 654.001 - 654.295 History: OSHA 3-2015, f. 10-9-15, cert. ef. 1-1-16