Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 2940 - General Provisions
(a)
Safe Access. All work locations shall be safely accessible whenever work is to
be performed.
(b) Employer's
Responsibility. The employer shall furnish such safety devices and safeguards
as may be necessary to make the employment or place of employment as free from
danger to the safety and health of employees as the nature of the employment
reasonably permits. The employer shall examine or test each safety device at
such intervals as may be reasonably necessary to ensure that it is in good
condition and adequate to perform the function for which it is intended. Any
device furnished by the employer found to be unsafe shall be repaired or
replaced.
(1) Employees shall be instructed to
inspect each safety device, tool or piece of equipment, each time it is used
and to use only those in good condition. The employer shall require the use of
safety devices and safeguards where applicable.
(2) The training shall establish employee
proficiency in the work practices required by this section and shall introduce
the procedures necessary for compliance with these Orders.
(3) The employer shall ensure that each
employee has demonstrated proficiency in the work practices involved before
that employee is to be considered properly instructed/trained commensurate with
the requirements of this section and Section
3203 of the General Industry Safety
Orders.
(c) Qualified
Electrical Workers. Only qualified electrical workers shall work on energized
conductors or equipment connected to energized high-voltage systems. Except for
replacing fuses, operating switches, or other operations that do not require
the employee to contact energized high-voltage conductors or energized parts of
equipment, clearing "trouble" or in emergencies involving hazard to life or
property, no such employee shall be assigned to work alone. Employees in
training, who are qualified by experience and training, shall be permitted to
work on energized conductors or equipment connected to high-voltage systems
while under the supervision or instruction of a qualified electrical
worker.
(d) Observers. During the
time work is being done on any exposed conductors or exposed parts of equipment
connected to high-voltage systems, a qualified electrical worker, or an
employee in training, shall be in close proximity at each work location to:
(1) act primarily as an observer for the
purpose of preventing an accident, and
(2) render immediate assistance in the event
of an accident. Such observer will not be required in connection with work on
overhead trolley distribution circuits not exceeding 1,500 volts D.C. where
there is no conductor of opposite polarity less than 4 feet there from, or
where such work is performed from suitable tower platforms or other similar
structures.
(e)
Information Transfer.
(1) Communication
between employers. Before work begins, employers shall communicate to each
other the following:
(A) The characteristics
of the installation that are related to the safety of the work to be performed
and are listed in subsections (f)(1)(A) through (f)(1)(E) of this
section.
(B) Conditions that are
related to the safety of the work to be performed, that are listed in
subsections (f)(1)(F) through(f)(1)(H) of this section.
(C) Information about the design and
operation of the installation in order to conduct the assessments required by
this section.
(D) Any other
information about the design and operation of the installation that is
requested and is related to the protection of the employees.
(E) Unique hazardous conditions related to
the job.
(F) Any unanticipated
hazardous conditions discovered or found while performing work. Employers shall
provide this information to the other employer within 2 working days after
discovering the hazardous condition.
(G) The employers shall coordinate their work
rules and procedures so all employees are protected as required by these
Orders.
(2) The employer
shall ensure that each of their respective employees are instructed in the
hazardous conditions relevant to the employee's work as specified in subsection
(e)(1) of this section.
(f) Existing Characteristics and Conditions.
(1) Existing characteristics and conditions
of electric lines and equipment that are related to the safety of the work to
be performed shall be determined before work on or near the lines or equipment
is started. Such characteristics and conditions include, but are not limited
to:
(A) The nominal voltages of lines and
equipment,
(B) The maximum
switching-transient voltages,
(C)
The presence of hazardous induced voltages,
(D) The presence of protective grounds and
equipment grounding conductors,
(E)
The locations of circuits and equipment, including electric supply lines,
communication lines, and fire protective signaling circuits,
(F) The condition of protective grounds and
equipment grounding conductors,
(G)
The condition of poles, and
(H)
Environmental conditions relating to safety.
(g) Job Briefing.
(1) Before each job.
(A) In assigning an employee or a group of
employees to perform a job, the employer shall provide the employee in charge
of the job with all available information that relates to the determination of
existing characteristics and conditions required by subsection (f).
(B) The employer shall ensure that the
employee in charge conducts a job briefing that meets (g)(2) Subjects to be
covered, (g)(3) Number of briefing, (g)(4) Extent of the briefing, of this
section with the employees involved before they start each
job.
(2) Subjects to be
covered. The briefing shall cover at least the following subjects: hazards
associated with the job, work procedures involved, special precautions,
energy-source controls, and personal protective equipment
requirements.
(3) Number of
briefings.
(A) If the work or operations to
be performed during the work day or shift are repetitive and similar, at least
one job briefing shall be conducted before the start of the first job of each
day or shift.
(B) Additional job
briefings shall be held if significant changes, which might affect the safety
of the employees, occur during the course of the work.
(4) Extent of briefing.
(A) A brief discussion is satisfactory if the
work involved is routine and if the employees, by virtue of training and
experience, can reasonably be expected to recognize and avoid the hazards
involved in the job.
(B) A more
extensive discussion shall be conducted:
1.
If the work is complicated or particularly hazardous, or
2. If the employee cannot be expected to
recognize and avoid the hazards involved in the job.
NOTE to subsection (g)(4): The briefing must address all the subjects listed in subsection (g)(2) of this section.
(h) Conductive Articles. When an employee
performs work within reaching distance of exposed energized parts of equipment,
the employer shall ensure that the employee removes all exposed conductive
articles, such as keychains or watch chains, rings, or wrist watches or bands,
unless such articles do not increase the hazards associated with contact with
the energized parts.
Notes
2. Editorial correction renumbering former Article 85 to Article 36 filed 11-2-83 (Register 83, No. 45).
3. Amendment filed 12-10-87; operative 1-9-88 (Register 88, No. 1).
4. Amendment of subsection (b), new subsections (b)(1)-(3) and (e)-(g)(4)(B)2. and subsection relettering filed 2-27-2018; operative 4-1-2018 (Register 2018, No. 9).
Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code. Reference: Section 142.3, Labor Code.
2. Editorial correction renumbering former Article 85 to Article 36 filed 11-2-83 (Register 83, No. 45).
3. Amendment filed 12-10-87; operative 1-9-88 (Register 88, No. 1).
4. Amendment of subsection (b), new subsections (b)(1)-(3) and (e)-(g)(4)(B)2. and subsection relettering filed 2-27-2018; operative
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