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 38 - Line Clearance Tree Trimming Operations › Section 2951 - Line Clearance (Tree Trimming) Operations

Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 28, July 12, 2024
(a) Prior to commencing line clearance tree
						trimming operations, the employer shall ensure that an inspection of the work
						locations is made in order to identify potential hazards and a tail gate
						briefing is conducted to discuss the work procedures to be followed. A
						determination shall be made of the nominal voltage of electric power lines
						posing a hazard to employees. However, a determination of the maximum nominal
						voltage to which an employee will be exposed may be made instead, if all lines
						are considered as energized at this maximum voltage.
(b) Only qualified line clearance tree
						trimmers, or trainees under the direct supervision and instruction of qualified
						line clearance tree trimmers, shall be permitted to perform line clearance tree
						trimming operations as described in Section
						2950. Under no circumstances shall
						the minimum approach distances specified in Section
						2940.2, be violated.
(c) The employee in charge of each
						independent crew shall coordinate the de-energizing and re-energizing of
						high-voltage lines with the operator of the high-voltage line(s).
(d) During all tree trimming operations
						performed in accordance with the requirements of subsection (b) above, there
						shall be another qualified line clearance tree trimmer or trainee within normal
						(that is, unassisted) voice communication at each work location to render
						immediate assistance.
NOTE: A qualified high-voltage electrical worker shall
						  be permitted to be the second employee, provided the employee doing the line
						  clearance tree trimming is a qualified line clearance tree
						  trimmer.
(e) Branches
						contacting energized conductors or equipment shall be removed only by using
						nonconductive equipment.
(f) With
						the exception of emergency restoration procedures, line clearance tree trimming
						work shall not be performed when adverse weather conditions such as
						thunderstorms in the immediate vicinity, high winds, snow storms or ice storms,
						make the work hazardous in spite of the work practices required by this
						section.
NOTE: A high wind is one which would expose an employee
						  to being blown from an elevated location, or cause an employee or material
						  handling equipment to lose control of the material being handled, or expose the
						  employee to other hazards not controlled by the requirements of this section.
						  Winds exceeding 40 miles per hour, or 30 miles per hour if material handling is
						  involved, meet this criteria unless precautions are taken to protect employees
						  from the hazards described herein.
(g) Ladders, platforms and aerial devices
						shall not be brought closer to an energized part than the distances listed in
						Section 2940.2.
(h) Sprayers and Related Equipment.
(1) Walking and working surfaces of sprayers
						and related equipment shall be covered with slip-resistant material. If
						slipping hazards cannot be eliminated, slip-resistant footwear or handrails and
						stair rails meeting the requirements of Section
						3214 of the General Industry Safety
						Orders may be used instead of slip-resistant material.
(2) Equipment on which employees stand to
						spray while the vehicle is in motion shall be equipped with guardrails around
						the working area. The guardrail shall be constructed in accordance with the
						requirements of Article 2, Section
						3209 of the General Industry Safety
						Orders.