Subpart V—Electric Power Transmission and Distribution
§ 1926.964 Overhead lines and live-line barehand work.

(a) General —(1) Application. This section provides additional requirements for work performed on or near overhead lines and equipment and for live-line barehand work.
(2) Checking structure before climbing. Before allowing employees to subject elevated structures, such as poles or towers, to such stresses as climbing or the installation or removal of equipment may impose, the employer shall ascertain that the structures are capable of sustaining the additional or unbalanced stresses. If the pole or other structure cannot withstand the expected loads, the employer shall brace or otherwise support the pole or structure so as to prevent failure.
Note to paragraph ( a )(2): Appendix D to this subpart contains test methods that employers can use in ascertaining whether a wood pole is capable of sustaining the forces imposed by an employee climbing the pole. This paragraph also requires the employer to ascertain that the pole can sustain all other forces imposed by the work employees will perform.
(3) Setting and moving poles. (i) When a pole is set, moved, or removed near an exposed energized overhead conductor, the pole may not contact the conductor.
(ii) When a pole is set, moved, or removed near an exposed energized overhead conductor, the employer shall ensure that each employee wears electrical protective equipment or uses insulated devices when handling the pole and that no employee contacts the pole with uninsulated parts of his or her body.
(iii) To protect employees from falling into holes used for placing poles, the employer shall physically guard the holes, or ensure that employees attend the holes, whenever anyone is working nearby.
(b) Installing and removing overhead lines. The following provisions apply to the installation and removal of overhead conductors or cable (overhead lines).
(1) Tension stringing method. When lines that employees are installing or removing can contact energized parts, the employer shall use the tension-stringing method, barriers, or other equivalent measures to minimize the possibility that conductors and cables the employees are installing or removing will contact energized power lines or equipment.
(2) Conductors, cables, and pulling and tensioning equipment. For conductors, cables, and pulling and tensioning equipment, the employer shall provide the protective measures required by § 1926.959(d)(3) when employees are installing or removing a conductor or cable close enough to energized conductors that any of the following failures could energize the pulling or tensioning equipment or the conductor or cable being installed or removed:
(i) Failure of the pulling or tensioning equipment,
(ii) Failure of the conductor or cable being pulled, or
(iii) Failure of the previously installed lines or equipment.
(3) Disable automatic-reclosing feature. If the conductors that employees are installing or removing cross over energized conductors in excess of 600 volts and if the design of the circuit-interrupting devices protecting the lines so permits, the employer shall render inoperable the automatic-reclosing feature of these devices.
(4) Induced voltage. (i) Before employees install lines parallel to existing energized lines, the employer shall make a determination of the approximate voltage to be induced in the new lines, or work shall proceed on the assumption that the induced voltage is hazardous.
(ii) Unless the employer can demonstrate that the lines that employees are installing are not subject to the induction of a hazardous voltage or unless the lines are treated as energized, temporary protective grounds shall be placed at such locations and arranged in such a manner that the employer can demonstrate will prevent exposure of each employee to hazardous differences in electric potential.
Note to paragraph ( b )(4)( ii ): Appendix C to this subpart contains guidelines for protecting employees from hazardous differences in electric potential as required by this paragraph.
Note to paragraph ( b )(4): If the employer takes no precautions to protect employees from hazards associated with involuntary reactions from electric shock, a hazard exists if the induced voltage is sufficient to pass a current of 1 milliampere through a 500-ohm resistor. If the employer protects employees from injury due to involuntary reactions from electric shock, a hazard exists if the resultant current would be more than 6 milliamperes.
(5) Safe operating condition. Reel-handling equipment, including pulling and tensioning devices, shall be in safe operating condition and shall be leveled and aligned.
(6) Load ratings. The employer shall ensure that employees do not exceed load ratings of stringing lines, pulling lines, conductor grips, load-bearing hardware and accessories, rigging, and hoists.
(7) Defective pulling lines. The employer shall repair or replace defective pulling lines and accessories.
(8) Conductor grips. The employer shall ensure that employees do not use conductor grips on wire rope unless the manufacturer specifically designed the grip for this application.
(9) Communications. The employer shall ensure that employees maintain reliable communications, through two-way radios or other equivalent means, between the reel tender and the pulling-rig operator.
(10) Operation of pulling rig. Employees may operate the pulling rig only when it is safe to do so.
Note to paragraph ( b )(10): Examples of unsafe conditions include: employees in locations prohibited by paragraph (b)(11) of this section, conductor and pulling line hang-ups, and slipping of the conductor grip.
(11) Working under overhead operations. While a power-driven device is pulling the conductor or pulling line and the conductor or pulling line is in motion, the employer shall ensure that employees are not directly under overhead operations or on the crossarm, except as necessary for the employees to guide the stringing sock or board over or through the stringing sheave.
(c) Live-line barehand work. In addition to other applicable provisions contained in this subpart, the following requirements apply to live-line barehand work:
(1) Training. Before an employee uses or supervises the use of the live-line barehand technique on energized circuits, the employer shall ensure that the employee completes training conforming to § 1926.950(b) in the technique and in the safety requirements of paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Existing conditions. Before any employee uses the live-line barehand technique on energized high-voltage conductors or parts, the employer shall ascertain the following information in addition to information about other existing conditions required by § 1926.950(d):
(i) The nominal voltage rating of the circuit on which employees will perform the work,
(ii) The clearances to ground of lines and other energized parts on which employees will perform the work, and
(iii) The voltage limitations of equipment employees will use.
(3) Insulated tools and equipment. (i) The employer shall ensure that the insulated equipment, insulated tools, and aerial devices and platforms used by employees are designed, tested, and made for live-line barehand work.
(ii) The employer shall ensure that employees keep tools and equipment clean and dry while they are in use.
(4) Disable automatic-reclosing feature. The employer shall render inoperable the automatic-reclosing feature of circuit-interrupting devices protecting the lines if the design of the devices permits.
(5) Adverse weather conditions. The employer shall ensure that employees do not perform work when adverse weather conditions would make the work hazardous even after the employer implements the work practices required by this subpart. Additionally, employees may not perform work when winds reduce the phase-to-phase or phase-to-ground clearances at the work location below the minimum approach distances specified in paragraph (c)(13) of this section, unless insulating guards cover the grounded objects and other lines and equipment.
Note to paragraph ( c )(5): Thunderstorms in the vicinity, high winds, snow storms, and ice storms are examples of adverse weather conditions that make live-line barehand work too hazardous to perform safely even after the employer implements the work practices required by this subpart.
(6) Bucket liners and electrostatic shielding. The employer shall provide and ensure that employees use a conductive bucket liner or other conductive device for bonding the insulated aerial device to the energized line or equipment.
(i) The employee shall be connected to the bucket liner or other conductive device by the use of conductive shoes, leg clips, or other means.
(ii) Where differences in potentials at the worksite pose a hazard to employees, the employer shall provide electrostatic shielding designed for the voltage being worked.
(7) Bonding the employee to the energized part. The employer shall ensure that, before the employee contacts the energized part, the employee bonds the conductive bucket liner or other conductive device to the energized conductor by means of a positive connection. This connection shall remain attached to the energized conductor until the employee completes the work on the energized circuit.
(8) Aerial-lift controls. Aerial lifts used for live-line barehand work shall have dual controls (lower and upper) as follows:
(i) The upper controls shall be within easy reach of the employee in the bucket. On a two-bucket-type lift, access to the controls shall be within easy reach of both buckets.
(ii) The lower set of controls shall be near the base of the boom and shall be designed so that they can override operation of the equipment at any time.
(9) Operation of lower controls. Lower (ground-level) lift controls may not be operated with an employee in the lift except in case of emergency.
(10) Check controls. The employer shall ensure that, before employees elevate an aerial lift into the work position, the employees check all controls (ground level and bucket) to determine that they are in proper working condition.
(11) Body of aerial lift truck. The employer shall ensure that, before employees elevate the boom of an aerial lift, the employees ground the body of the truck or barricade the body of the truck and treat it as energized.
(12) Boom-current test. The employer shall ensure that employees perform a boom-current test before starting work each day, each time during the day when they encounter a higher voltage, and when changed conditions indicate a need for an additional test.
(i) This test shall consist of placing the bucket in contact with an energized source equal to the voltage to be encountered for a minimum of 3 minutes.
(ii) The leakage current may not exceed 1 microampere per kilovolt of nominal phase-to-ground voltage.
(iii) The employer shall immediately suspend work from the aerial lift when there is any indication of a malfunction in the equipment.
(13) Minimum approach distance. The employer shall ensure that employees maintain the minimum approach distances, established by the employer under § 1926.960(c)(1)(i), from all grounded objects and from lines and equipment at a potential different from that to which the live-line barehand equipment is bonded, unless insulating guards cover such grounded objects and other lines and equipment.
(14) Approaching, leaving, and bonding to energized part. The employer shall ensure that, while an employee is approaching, leaving, or bonding to an energized circuit, the employee maintains the minimum approach distances, established by the employer under § 1926.960(c)(1)(i), between the employee and any grounded parts, including the lower boom and portions of the truck and between the employee and conductive objects energized at different potentials.
(15) Positioning bucket near energized bushing or insulator string. While the bucket is alongside an energized bushing or insulator string, the employer shall ensure that employees maintain the phase-to-ground minimum approach distances, established by the employer under § 1926.960(c)(1)(i), between all parts of the bucket and the grounded end of the bushing or insulator string or any other grounded surface.
(16) Handlines. The employer shall ensure that employees do not use handlines between the bucket and the boom or between the bucket and the ground. However, employees may use nonconductive-type handlines from conductor to ground if not supported from the bucket. The employer shall ensure that no one uses ropes used for live-line barehand work for other purposes.
(17) Passing objects to employee. The employer shall ensure that employees do not pass uninsulated equipment or material between a pole or structure and an aerial lift while an employee working from the bucket is bonded to an energized part.
(18) Nonconductive measuring device. A nonconductive measuring device shall be readily accessible to employees performing live-line barehand work to assist them in maintaining the required minimum approach distance.
(d) Towers and structures. The following requirements apply to work performed on towers or other structures that support overhead lines.
(1) Working beneath towers and structures. The employer shall ensure that no employee is under a tower or structure while work is in progress, except when the employer can demonstrate that such a working position is necessary to assist employees working above.
(2) Tag lines. The employer shall ensure that employees use tag lines or other similar devices to maintain control of tower sections being raised or positioned, unless the employer can demonstrate that the use of such devices would create a greater hazard to employees.
(3) Disconnecting load lines. The employer shall ensure that employees do not detach the loadline from a member or section until they safely secure the load.
(4) Adverse weather conditions. The employer shall ensure that, except during emergency restoration procedures, employees discontinue work when adverse weather conditions would make the work hazardous in spite of the work practices required by this subpart.
Note to paragraph ( d )(4): Thunderstorms in the vicinity, high winds, snow storms, and ice storms are examples of adverse weather conditions that make this work too hazardous to perform even after the employer implements the work practices required by this subpart.