Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-32 - Safety standards for telecommunications › Part A - GENERAL REQUIREMENTS › Section 296-32-22578 - Control of hazardous energy

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
This section establishes protection for employees who work
				  directly in the hazardous vicinity of telecommunication facilities, sites, or
				  towers having the following energy:
(a) Radio frequency radiation
				(RFR);
(b) Laser, see WAC
				296-62-09005(4);
(c) Microwave;
(d) AM or FM;
(e) High intensity electromagnetic fields.
Note:
Employees exposed to all other types of
						  hazardous energy are required to follow chapter 296-803 WAC.
(1) Employees
				working in the telecommunication industry that may be exposed to RFR as well as
				other hazardous energy, the employer must ensure their safety by following this
				chapter for RFR as well as chapter 296-803 WAC for other hazardous
				energy.
(2) The employer must
				effectively control all forms of hazardous energy under this section by:
(a) Elimination;
(b) Isolation;
(c) Reduction to permissible exposure limits,
				otherwise known as alternative effective means (see WAC
				296-32-22574 for
				maximum permissible exposure limits (MPE limits)).
(d) If a source of energy is controlled by
				alternative effective means, it must be tagged out.
(e) If a source of energy is eliminated or
				isolated but cannot be locked out, it must be tagged out.
(3) The host employer or the FCC license
				holder in control of the energy source must establish a control of hazardous
				energy program that is effective for 30-300 mhz and UHF broadcast bands; see
				WAC
				296-32-22511
				for additional requirements relating to host/contractor
				responsibilities.
(4) The employer
				must ensure that site specific energy source data and contact information is
				available and current at each telecommunication site/facility.
(5) The employer must establish and implement
				a hazardous energy control program to prevent the accidental or purposeful
				increase or release of energy if employees are to work in the hazardous
				vicinity of any telecommunication sites/facilities where employees could be
				exposed to any of the following energies:
(a)
				RFR (30-300 mhz) and UHF broadcast bands;
(b) Laser;
(c) Microwave;
(d) AM or FM;
(e) High intensity electromagnetic fields.
Note:
Additional information is located in WAC
						  296-62-09005.
(6) The employer must ensure that
				undetermined or unknown levels of energy must be considered hazardous until
				they are clearly verified.
(7) The
				employer must ensure the hazardous energy control program consists of all the
				following elements:
(a) Host/contractor
				employer responsibilities as described in WAC
				296-32-22511
				of this chapter;
(b) Energy control
				procedures as described in subsections (11) through (13) of this
				section;
(c) Approved test
				procedures determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) OET65 used
				to ensure that the area is safe for human presence;
(d) Training as described in subsections (14)
				through (17) of this section;
(e)
				Annual reviews as described in subsection (19) of this section;
(f) Tower and worksite evaluations as
				described in subsection (20) of this section;
(g) Procedures for removing an authorized
				person(s) lockout or tagout device;
(h) Procedures for alternative effective
				means and application/removal of tagout devices.
(8) The employer must make sure energy
				control procedures clearly and specifically outline:
(a) The scope, purpose, authorization, rules,
				and techniques to shut down or reduce hazardous energy to within the MPE limits
				before working within a hazardous vicinity; and
(b) How you will ensure employees follow the
				procedures.
(9) The
				employer must keep written energy control procedures and records of energy
				levels, for the elimination, isolation or effectively reducing hazardous energy
				to within MPE limits for the duration of each job being performed for twelve
				months.
(10) Employers able to
				increase amplification of energy must make themselves familiar of this chapter
				and comply with protections afforded to personnel while work is being completed
				under the scope of this chapter. Employers able to and responsible for
				increasing amplification must follow the requirements located in WAC
				296-32-22511,
				and those employers with employees being exposed to hazardous energy.
(11) The employer of the affected and
				authorized employees must notify the employer of the controlling energy source
				and employers able to and responsible for increasing amplification when they
				will be on-site and the need for the controlling energy source to be reduced to
				a safe level or turned off.
(12)
				The employer of the controlling energy source must notify the employer of the
				affected and authorized employees that the controlling energy source has been
				reduced to within the MPE limits or turned off completely before work
				begins.
(13) The employer must
				ensure affected and authorized employees must test to ensure the energy source
				has been reduced to within the MPE limits or isolated or eliminated by testing
				and verification through approved methods and equipment.
(14) The employer must ensure that written
				energy control procedures are in a language comprehensible by each employee
				working on or around the hazardous vicinity of a telecommunication
				site/facility.
(15) The employer
				must make sure energy control procedures specifically identify at least the
				following: (This includes remote control sites/facilities and remote
				worksites.)
(a) What personnel are considered
				affected or authorized, and how to contact;
(b) What location and equipment the procedure
				is verified for;
(c) When the
				procedure must be used;
(d) How the
				procedure is verified to be up-to-date and accurate;
(e) What the specific procedural steps are
				for:
(i) Notifying employers able to increase
				amplification;
(ii) Notifying all
				affected personnel;
(iii) Shutting
				down or reduction to within the MPE limits;
(iv) Eliminating or isolating the energy
				source;
(v) Securing the energy
				source;
(vi) Placing, removing, and
				transferring lockout/tagout devices and who is responsible for them;
(vii) How to test the machine or equipment to
				verify the effectiveness of lockout devices, reduction to MPE limits, and other
				energy control measures.
(16) The employer must ensure that when
				reducing hazardous energy to within the MPE limits (alternative effective
				means) the employees in hazardous areas must be trained to all requirements in
				this section.
(17) Training.
(a) You must effectively train employees and
				establish proficiency on this chapter and your site specific hazards to ensure
				they:
(i) Understand the purpose and function
				of the energy control program; and
(ii) Have the knowledge and skills necessary
				to carry out their responsibilities safely.
Note:
Additional and supplemental training for
						  other forms of hazardous energy are covered under chapter 296-803 WAC.
(b) You must establish proficiency for each
				employee in a language comprehensible in all of the following:
(i) Identification of the type(s) and
				magnitude of energy available on a telecommunication site/facility.
(ii) Recognizing hazardous energy sources
				that are potential and present.
(iii) Methods to eliminate, isolate or reduce
				to within the MPE limits:
(A) Which type of
				control (elimination, isolation or reducing to within the MPE limits) affords
				the best protection to the employee; and
(B) What steps must be supplemented with
				additional safeguards when using alternative effective means under (c) of this
				subsection.
(iv) The
				purpose and use of the energy control procedures listed in this
				chapter;
(v) Lockout, tagout and
				alternate effective means systems, devices, procedures and processes to be
				used;
(vi) Control of hazardous
				energy procedures to be used;
(vii)
				Prohibition against attempting to restart, reenergize, amplify or touch a
				machine or equipment that has been locked out or controlled through alternate
				effective means;
(viii) That
				lockout is the primary method of energy control, and that other means do not
				provide equal protection;
(ix)
				Means and methods of communication with the employers responsible for and able
				to increase amplification.
(c) Required supplementary training for
				alternative effective means. You must establish additional proficiency if you
				use alternate effective means as energy control. This additional preparation
				must include the following:
(i) When the
				employer is permitted to reduce the energy to within the MPE limits only if it
				is infeasible to lockout the energy source;
(ii) The process for contacting all employers
				who have potential to increase amplification on any equipment, component,
				transmitter or receiver on the telecommunication site/facility which creates a
				hazardous vicinity;
(iii) The
				process for documentation of the methods required for reducing to within the
				MPE limits;
(iv) That alternate
				effective means are not as effective as lockout;
(v) That alternate effective means rely upon
				someone else for your protection;
(vi) That alternate effective means give a
				false sense of security;
(vii)
				Authorization for use of alternate effective means must:
(A) Be in a language comprehensible by all
				affected and authorized employees;
(B) Be documented by authorized
				employees;
(C) Be documented by
				employers responsible for and able to increase amplification.
(viii) Selection and use of
				personnel RFR metering/monitoring devices;
(ix) Emergency procedures and contact
				requirements in the event of energy control failure;
(x) Personal protective equipment and RFR
				suits/etc. used for protection:
(A) Donning
				and doffing procedures;
(B)
				Specifications/inspection/life expectancy;
(C) Cleaning;
(D) Wear and tear.
(d) You must document that
				employee training has been completed and kept up to date according to WAC
				296-32-22525. It must be
				supplemented with the additional requirements, including all
				documents/videos/supporting information used in the training.
Note:
Training records may be electronic.
(18) Retraining.
(a) Retraining must be provided for all
				authorized and affected employees whenever there is a change in their job
				assignments, a change in machines, equipment, or processes that present a new
				hazard or whenever there is a change in the energy control
				procedures.
(b) Retraining must
				also be conducted whenever a periodic inspection reveals, or whenever the
				employer has reason to believe, that there are deviations from or inadequacies
				in an employee's knowledge or use of the energy control procedures.
(c) The retraining must reestablish employee
				proficiency and must introduce new or revised control methods and procedures,
				as necessary.
(d) The employer must
				certify that employee training has been accomplished and is being kept up to
				date. The certification must contain each employee's name and dates of
				training.
(19) Annual
				inspection/review.
(a) The controlling
				employer of the energy source must conduct an inspection/review of the
				equipment shut-down or alternative effective means' procedures at least
				annually to:
(i) Make sure employees know and
				have been applying the energy control procedures appropriate for the work and
				hazards;
(ii) Correct any
				deviations or inadequacies identified as well as identify unique
				hazards;
(iii) Inform all
				contractors, leasees, subcontractors of retraining that needs to occur due to
				changes, modifications or additions.
(b) The controlling employer of the energy
				source must perform an annual inspection/review:
(i) The annual inspection/review must be
				performed by an authorized employee who is not using the energy control
				procedures being inspected;
(ii)
				The employer of the exposed and affected employees conducting work on the
				communication site/facility must ensure that the annual inspection/review has
				been performed by the controlling employer of the energy source.
(c) The employer must ensure that
				the annual inspection/review is documented and that the documentation includes
				all of the following:
(i) Equipment energy
				control procedures for the devices and components which possess hazardous
				energy potential that are to be eliminated, isolated, or reduced to within MPE
				limits;
(ii) Date of the
				inspection/review;
(iii) Employees
				included that have performed the procedures for the previous year;
(iv) Person doing the
				inspection/review.
(d)
				The annual inspection/review and any deviations must be kept on-site for one
				year. All forms of documentation must be kept for life of the equipment or
				twenty years, whichever comes first.
(20) Site/facility evaluations.
(a) The employer of the controlling energy
				source must conduct, document and retain telecommunication site/facility
				location evaluations.
(b) The
				employer of the controlling energy source must ensure that telecommunication
				sites/facilities location evaluations required under WAC
				296-32-24005(5),
				(6), (7) are supplemented with:
(i) A topographic map of the exact field
				location and any site/facility within a predicted worst-case power density
				distance as outlined in the FCC Office of Engineering of Technology, Bulletin
				65, Edition 97-01;
(ii) A
				comprehensive cross sectional diagram of the structure, and where antennas,
				transmitting devices and other apparatuses are located;
(iii) A comprehensive cross sectional diagram
				of the structure's hazardous energy and hazardous vicinity associated with each
				of the sources;
(iv) The host
				employer/contractor responsible (carrier, leasee or renter) party's contact
				information for each of the antennas, transmitters, and/or apparatus;
(v) Contact information for any employer who
				is able to increase amplification on the telecommunication site/facility being
				worked on, or any site/facility within the hazardous vicinity or able to
				transmit hazardous energy to employees at the job site's location;
(vi) Contact information of the site/facility
				owner;
(vii) A listing of work
				completed on the site/facility in the last twelve months.
(c) Information in the telecommunication
				site/facility location evaluations must be easily comprehensible by any
				employee conducting work on, or within the hazardous vicinity of the
				site.
(21) Energy
				control and devices.
(a) The employer must
				provide appropriate means to control energy through elimination, isolation, or
				alternative effective means from energy sources.
(b) The employer must make sure lockout and
				tagout devices meet all of the following:
(i)
				Create no additional hazards;
(ii)
				Have a distinctive design or appearance;
(iii) Are the only devices used for
				controlling energy;
(iv) Are not
				used for any other purpose;
(v) Are
				durable enough to withstand the environment they are used in for the maximum
				time they are expected to be used;
(vi) Are standardized within the site by
				color, shape or size;
(vii)
				Identify the specific person who is protected by the lockout or tagout
				device.
(c) The employer
				must make sure lockout devices are strong enough so that removing them by other
				than the normal unlocking method requires:
(i)
				Excessive force; or
(ii) Unusual
				techniques such as the use of bolt cutters or other metal cutting
				tools.
(d) The employer
				must make sure tagout devices meet these additional requirements:
(i) Make sure all tags:
(A) Meet the format and design criteria of
				danger/warning tags located in ANSI Z535.5, 2011;
(B) Use the same print and format within a
				site/facility;
(C) Are constructed
				and printed so they will not deteriorate and the message on the tag remains
				legible when:
(I) Exposed to
				weather;
(II) Used in wet or damp
				locations;
(III) Used in a
				corrosive environment such as areas where acid or alkali chemicals are handled
				or stored.
(D) Have a
				warning about not energizing or increasing the power to the machine, equipment
				or component.
(ii) Make
				sure tagout devices are strong enough to prevent unintentional or accidental
				removal.
(iii) Make sure the means
				used to attach the tag to the energy-isolating device meets all of the
				following:
(A) Is not reusable;
(B) Is self-locking;
(C) Can be attached by hand;
(D) Cannot be released with a force of less
				than fifty pounds;
(E) Is similar
				in design and basic characteristics to a one-piece, all-environment-tolerant,
				nylon cable tie.
(e) The employer must provide appropriate
				testing/monitoring equipment to assess the potential types and magnitude of
				energy available at the telecommunication site/facility.
(22) Use of energy control.
(a) The employer must use energy control
				procedures in this section to protect employees from potentially hazardous
				energy.
(b) The employer must use a
				lockout system if it is feasible and the energy source can be locked out.
(i) If a lockout system is used, it must be
				applied at each source of energy and only by the authorized employee who may be
				exposed to the hazardous energy;
(ii) If multiple employers/authorized
				personnel are to work on a telecommunication site/facility, group energy must
				afford the same protection as individual lockout.
(c) The employer must use a tagout system
				only if an energy source cannot be locked out. If it is infeasible to lock out
				an energy source, you may be permitted to reduce the energy source exposure to
				within the MPE limits. If it is feasible to lock out a source of energy, you
				must do so. If the source cannot be locked, you must use tagout.
(d) You must make sure lockout devices hold
				the energy-isolating device in a "safe" or "off" position.
(e) You must meet these additional
				requirements when applying a tagout device:
(i) Make sure a tagout device is put on an
				energy-isolating device so it clearly shows that moving the energy-isolating
				device from the "safe" or "off" position is prohibited;
(ii) Make sure a tagout device, when used
				with an energy-isolating device that can be locked out, is fastened to the
				device at the same point a lock would have been attached;
(iii) Make sure a tagout device that cannot
				be attached directly to an energy-isolating device is located:
(A) As close as safely possible to the
				energy-isolating device; and
(B) In
				a position that is immediately obvious to anyone attempting to operate the
				energy-isolating device.
(23) Reducing to within the maximum
				permissible exposure limits (MPE limits) - Authorization steps.
(a) The employer must meet these additional
				requirements when applying a tagout device for alternative effective means
				protection to receive authorization to work:
(i) The authorized employee must coordinate
				with a qualified transmitter engineer/operator to ensure energy control
				procedures are being followed;
(ii)
				The authorized employee must have on-their-person testing devices capable of
				monitoring all potential energy output and alarming if an increase occurs in
				any component, device or equipment;
(iii) The qualified transmitter
				engineer/operator must contact all employers responsible for amplifying power
				within the hazardous vicinity of the affected and authorized employees on the
				site and ensure the following:
(A) The
				individual applying the tag gives their name, title and manager's number to the
				qualified transmitter engineer/operator;
(B) The individual applying the tag notifies
				the qualified transmitter engineer/operator that they know and understand their
				responsibilities and requirements of this section;
(C) The individual applying the tag reduces
				the energy to the specified amount, as determined by the qualified transmitter
				engineer/operator, and allowed by the PEL;
(D) This energy reduction is verified by the
				qualified transmitter engineer/operator on-site;
(E) A tagout device is secured on the dial,
				knob, terminal, switch or device used to increase or decrease power for each
				transmitter, component and equipment capable of introducing hazardous
				energy;
(F) The qualified
				transmitter engineer/operator documents the name, date, and time of contact as
				well as what energy was controlled at the time;
(G) The qualified transmitter
				engineer/operator contacts the authorized persons on-site, and ensures that
				they verify the power is reduced to acceptable levels according to the MPE
				limits.
(iv) When the
				authorized employee has completed their job, and outside of the hazardous
				vicinity, they will inform the qualified transmitter engineer/operator
				on-site;
(v) The qualified
				transmitter engineer/operator on-site will verify no employees are within the
				hazardous vicinity;
(vi) The
				qualified transmitter engineer/operator will contact all employers capable of
				amplifying power and have the tagout devices removed. The qualified transmitter
				engineer/operator will document the person they spoke to, the time, and the
				date the tagout was "closed";
(vii)
				The qualified transmitter engineer/operator will return the equipment back to
				normal power.
(b) The
				employer must protect employees from the hazards of potential, stored, residual
				or active hazardous energy by:
(i) Making sure
				all potentially hazardous stored and residual energy is relieved, discharged,
				disconnected, restrained, or otherwise rendered safe after the lockout or
				tagout devices have been put on the energy-isolating devices;
(ii) Continuous verification of the control
				of machines, equipment, transmitters, receivers or that could reaccumulate
				stored energy to a hazardous level until:
(A)
				Service or maintenance is completed; or
(B) The possibility of accumulating hazardous
				energy does not exist.
(c) The employer must make sure each
				authorized employee verifies that the machine, equipment, transmitter, receiver
				or antenna that has been locked, tagged or reduced to within the MPE limits is
				safe to work around before starting work.
(d) The employer must ensure that before
				lockout/tagout devices are removed and the energy is restored to machine or
				equipment, procedures must be followed and actions taken by the authorized
				employees to ensure the following:
(i) The
				work area must be inspected to ensure that nonessential items have been removed
				and that machine or equipment components are operationally intact;
(ii) The work area must be checked and
				verified to ensure that all employees have been notified, safely positioned or
				removed;
(iii) The employer of the
				affected employees must notify the employer of the controlling energy source
				that it is safe to restore the energy source;
(iv) After (a) through (c) of this subsection
				have been completed, locks and/or tags can be removed and energy restored to
				regular power:
(A) If the type of control was
				elimination or isolation and was locked or tagged out, the lock or tag must be
				removed by the authorized person who applied it.
(B) If the type of control was reduction to
				MPE limits or alternative effective means, the tag can be removed by the
				individual who applied it.
(v) In the case of elimination or isolation
				the employer may have the lockout or tagout device removed by someone other
				than the authorized employee who applied it if all of the following conditions
				are met:
(A) The energy control program has a
				documented, specific procedure and training for this situation.
(B) You can show that the specific procedures
				used are as safe as having the device removed by the authorized employee who
				applied it.
(C) The specific
				procedures include at least the following:
(I) Verifying the authorized employee who
				applied the device is not at the site/facility;
(II) Making all reasonable efforts to contact
				and inform the authorized employee that the lockout or tagout device is being
				removed;
(III) Making sure the
				authorized employee is informed, before resuming work at the site/facility,
				that the lockout or tagout device has been removed.
(e) The employer must
				meet these requirements if it is necessary to temporarily energize a machine,
				equipment or component for testing or positioning:
(i) Ensure all authorized or affected
				personnel are notified and out of hazardous vicinities where exposure to
				hazardous energy could injure them;
(ii) Follow the energy control program
				procedures to:
(A) Have all affected and
				authorized personnel and employees move outside the hazardous
				vicinity;
(B) Have the authorized
				individual remove the lockout or tagout device or alternative effective means
				device;
(C) Contact the employer
				able to increase or amplify power and have them remove the lockout or tagout
				device;
(D) Energize or increase
				power to the machine, equipment or component;
(E) Conduct testing or positioning;
(F) Isolate, eliminate or reduce the power to
				within the MPE limits;
(G) Reapply
				the lockout or tagout device when testing or positioning is
				completed;
(H) Ensure proper
				protection is afforded through alternative effective means;
(I) Use metering, monitoring or testing
				devices to determine levels of energy are safe to reenter the area.
(f) The employer must
				make sure each authorized employee:
(i) Puts a
				personal lockout or tagout device on the isolation device, group lockout
				device, lockbox, or comparable mechanism before beginning work;
(ii) Does not remove it until they have
				finished work on the machine or equipment; and
(iii) Using an energy control alternative
				effective means, must have a means to contact the employer who has the ability
				to increase amplification, and how a tagout device will be applied and removed.
(24) Group
				lockout/tagout and shift changes.
(a)
(i) The employer must protect employees
				during shift or personnel changes by doing the following:
(ii) Use specific procedures for shift or
				personnel changes to:
(A) Make sure there is
				continuous lockout or tagout protection during the change; and
(B) Provide for the orderly transfer of
				lockout or tagout device protection between employees.
(b) The employer must make sure
				your group energy control procedures provide each member of a crew, craft,
				department, or other group with the same level of protection as that provided
				by an individual lockout or tagout device.
(c) The employer must assign a primary
				authorized employee during group energy control who:
(i) Has overall responsibility for the
				service or maintenance;
(ii)
				Attaches their lockout or tagout device to the energy-isolating device when the
				equipment is deenergized and before any work begins;
(iii) Ensures all employees have been
				notified and removed from the hazardous vicinity; and
(iv) Is the last person to remove their
				lockout or tagout device when the job is completed.
(d) The employer must do all of the following
				if more than one group works on a machine, equipment, transmitter or receiver
				that has to be locked, tagged or reduced to within the MPE limits:
(i) Assign an authorized person as the group
				coordinator with overall responsibility to:
(A) Coordinate the different work groups;
				and
(B) Maintain continuous
				lockout, tagout or reduction to within the MPE limits protection.
(ii) Assign a primary authorized
				employee in each group who has:
(A)
				Responsibility for the group of employees who are protected by a group lockout
				or tagout device; and
(B) A way to
				determine which employees of the group are exposed to the machine or equipment
				that is locked or tagged out.