California Code of Regulations › Title 8 - Industrial Relations › Division 1 - Department of Industrial Relations › Chapter 4 - Division of Industrial Safety › Subchapter 5 - Electrical Safety Orders › Group 2 - High-Voltage Electrical Safety Orders › Article 36 - Work Procedures and Operating Procedures › Section 2943 - Work on or in Proximity to Underground High-Voltage Cables, Conductors or Equipment

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Application. This section applies to all
						work on or in proximity to underground high-voltage cables, conductors or
						equipment, and to the operations necessary to raise or lower cables, conductors
						or equipment to such underground locations.
(b) Manholes, Vaults, or Similar Structures.
(1) The employer shall determine if entry
						into the space is under Section
						2943.1 for Enclosed Spaces or the
						permit required confined space under Article 108 of the General Industry or
						Article 37 of the Construction Safety Orders and shall comply with the
						appropriate safety orders.
(2) The
						employer shall ensure that employees use a ladder or other climbing device to
						enter and exit a manhole or subsurface vault exceeding 4 feet (1.22 meters) in
						depth. The employee shall not climb into or out of a manhole or vault by
						stepping on cables or hangers.
(3)
						Whenever the cover is removed from a manhole, vault, or similar structure:
(A) An employee shall be stationed at the
						surface as long as workers are in the structure, and
(B) warning devices shall be placed so as to
						warn vehicular or pedestrian traffic and shall not be removed until the cover
						is in place.
(4)
						Attendants for manholes and vaults. While work is being performed in a manhole
						or vault containing energized electric equipment, an employee with first-aid
						training shall be available on the surface in the immediate vicinity of the
						manhole or vault entrance to render emergency assistance.
(5) If entry is by Section
						2943.1, the employee on the surface
						may enter a manhole or vault briefly to provide nonemergency
						assistance.
(6) If entry is by
						Section 2943.1 for the purpose of
						inspection, housekeeping, taking readings, or similar work, an employee working
						alone may enter, for brief periods of time, a manhole or vault where energized
						cables or equipment are in service if the employer can demonstrate that the
						employee will be protected from all electrical hazards.
(7) Communications. The employer shall ensure
						that employees maintain reliable communications, through two way radios or
						other equivalent means, among all employees involved in the job.
(8) Hoisting equipment. Equipment used to
						lower materials and tools into manholes or vaults shall be capable of
						supporting the weight to be lowered and shall be checked for defects before
						use.
(9) Clear the area of
						employees. Before anyone lowers tools or material into the opening for a
						manhole or vault, each employee working in the manhole or vault shall be clear
						of the area directly under the opening.
(10) When employees are working in an
						underground structure, the automatic circuit recloser on the circuit being
						worked shall be made non-automatic when:
(A)
						operating energized oil type switches from inside the structure,
(B) splicing energized underground
						cable,
(C) patching energized lead
						cable,
(D) relocating energized
						underground cable or equipment other than minor cable movements for additional
						clearance or routine maintenance such as cleaning cable, fire-proofing,
						replacing cable support blocks, etc.,
(E) filtering or replacing oil in energized
						underground equipment, or
(F) the
						supervisor in charge deems it necessary for the safety of the employees
						performing the work.
(11)
						When employees are in an underground structure where newly installed, rebuilt
						or modified cable or equipment is being energized for the first time, the
						automatic circuit recloser on the circuit involved shall be made
						non-automatic.
(12) Sheath
						continuity. When employees perform work on buried cable or on cable in a
						manhole or vault, the employer shall maintain metallic-sheath continuity, or
						the cable sheath shall be treated as energized.