(a) Insulating Equipment.
(1) Insulating equipment designed for the
voltage levels to be encountered shall be provided and the employer shall
ensure that they are used by employees as required by this section. This
equipment shall meet the electrical and physical requirements contained in the
standards for marking, inspection, performance and testing shown in Appendix
C.
(2) Whenever rubber insulating
gloves are used, they shall be protected by outer canvas or leather gloves.
This equipment shall meet the electrical physical requirements contained in the
standards shown in Appendix C.
(3)
Insulating equipment fabricated of material other than rubber shall provide
electrical and mechanical protection at least equal to that of rubber
equipment.
(4) The employer is
responsible for the periodic visual and electrical re-testing of all insulating
gloves, sleeves and blankets. The following maximum re-testing intervals for
the items covered by the listed ASTM standards shall apply:
GLOVES, SLEEVES, BLANKETS, AND OTHER INSULATING
EQUIPMENT (In-service care)
|
ELECTRICAL TEST
INTERVALS |
|
|
ASTM
STANDARD |
|
MONTHS |
|
|
|
Standard Specification for In-Service Care
of |
*6 months for gloves |
Insulating Gloves and Sleeves, ASTM F
496-08 |
*12 months for sleeves |
|
|
Standard Specification for In-Service Care of
Insulating Blankets, ASTM F 479 (2011) |
*12 months for
blankets |
|
|
|
For line hose and
covers |
Standard Specification for In-Service Care
of |
(When found to be |
Insulating Line Hose and Covers, |
damaged or defective) |
ASTM F 478-09 |
|
|
|
* Gloves, sleeves, and blankets that have been
electrically tested but not issued for service shall not be placed into service
unless they have been electrically tested within the previous twelve
months.
(5) Gloves, sleeves
and blankets shall be marked to indicate compliance with the re-test schedule
and shall be marked with either the date tested, or the date the next test is
due.
(6) When not being used,
insulating gloves and sleeves shall be stored in glove bags or suitable
containers. Insulating blankets shall be stored in a canister or other means
that offers equivalent protection.
(7) Insulating equipment shall be stored away
from direct sunlight, steampipes, radiators and other sources of excessive
heat, excessive humidity, ozone, and other damaging substances and conditions.
Insulating equipment shall be protected from physical damage. Gloves, sleeves
and blankets shall not be folded while in storage; however, blankets shall be
permitted to be rolled for storage.
(8) Insulating equipment shall be visually
inspected for defects and damage, and shall be cleaned prior to use each
day.
(9) Rubber gloves shall be air
and water tested at the beginning of each work period and at any other time
when the glove's condition is in doubt. The gloves shall:
(A) Be visually examined over their entire
inner and outer surface for any defects, i.e., burns, cuts, cracks, punctures
and weak spots; and
(B) Have the
cuff stretched to detect abrasions and weak spots.
(10) Insulating equipment found to be
defective or damaged shall be immediately removed from service.
(11) Repaired insulating equipment shall be
retested before it may be used by employees.
(12) The employer shall certify that
equipment has been tested in accordance with the requirements of Appendix C of
this Article. The certification shall identify the equipment that passed the
test and the date it was tested and shall be made available upon request to the
Division of Occupational Safety and Health employees or authorized
representatives.
(b) Fall
Protection. When work is performed at elevated locations more than 4 feet (1.2
meters) above the ground on poles, towers or similar structures, the employer
shall require the employees to use either fall arrest equipment, fall
restriction equipment, work positioning equipment, or travel restricting
equipment, if other fall protection methods have not been provided (e.g.,
guardrails, safety nets, etc.). The use of body belts for fall arrest systems
is prohibited.
(1) Personal fall arrest
systems shall meet the requirements of Section
1670(b) of the
Construction Safety Orders.
(2)
Climbing or changing location. Qualified employees climbing or changing
locations on poles, towers, or similar structures shall use fall protection
equipment.
EXCEPTION to subsection (b)(2): Employer can
demonstrate that the use of fall protection equipment is infeasible or creates
a greater hazard.
(c) Linemen's Body Belts, Safety Straps,
Lanyards, and Fall Restriction Equipment.
(1)
Linemen's body belts and safety straps purchased after January 1, 1993, shall
be labeled as meeting the requirements contained in ASTM F 887-91, Standard
Specifications for Personal Climbing Equipment.
EXCEPTION: Linemen's body belts and safety straps
purchased before January 1, 1993 which are labeled/tagged as meeting either the
ANSI A10.14 or ASTM F 887 Standard in effect at the time of
purchase.
(2) Personal fall
arrest and positioning equipment used by employees who are exposed to hazards
from flames or electric arcs, as determined by the employer under Section
2940.11, shall be labeled as
meeting ASTM F 887-04, Standard Specifications for Personal Climbing Equipment,
which is hereby incorporated by reference.
(3) Wood pole fall restriction equipment
shall meet the requirements of ASTM F887-10, Standard Specifications for
Personal Climbing Equipment, July 1, 2010 edition, which is hereby incorporated
by reference.
(4) Body belts,
safety straps, and lanyards shall be inspected by a qualified person each day
before use to determine that they are safe. Those determined to be unsafe shall
be immediately removed from service.
(5) Safety straps shall not be used when any
portion of the red safety marker strip in the strap is
exposed.
(d) Portable
Ladders and Platforms.
(1) The requirements
for portable ladders contained in the General Industry Safety Orders, Section
3276 applies except the
requirements specifically noted in subsection (d)(4) of this section.
(2) Portable conductive ladders shall not be
used near energized conductors or exposed energized parts of equipment except
as may be necessary in specialized high-voltage work such as in high-voltage
substations where non-conductive ladders might present a greater hazard than
conductive ladders.
(3) Portable
conductive ladders shall be legibly marked with signs reading "Caution--Do Not
Use Near Energized Electrical Equipment" or equivalent wording.
(4) Special ladders and platforms used for
overhead line work.
(A) The requirements for
portable ladders contained in Section
3276 apply in addition to the
requirements of this section except for Section
3276(e)(7) and
(e)(9) when used in conjunction with overhead
linework.
(B) In the configurations
in which they are used, portable platforms and ladders shall be capable of
supporting without failure at least 2.5 times the maximum intended
load.
(C) Portable ladders and
platforms shall not be loaded in excess of the working loads for which they are
designed.
(D) Portable ladders and
platforms shall be secured to prevent them from becoming
displaced.
(e)
Live Line Tools.
(1) Live line tools shall
meet the requirements specified in Appendix "B."
(2) Daily Inspection. Live line tools shall
be visually inspected for defects before use each day.
(A) Tools to be used shall be wiped clean. If
any defect or contamination that could adversely affect the insulating
qualities or mechanical integrity of the live-line tool is present after
wiping, the tool shall be removed from service.
NOTE to subsection (e)(2): Examples of defects that
could adversely affect insulating qualities or mechanical integrity are found
in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers', IEEE Guide for
Maintenance Methods on Energized Power Lines, IEEE Std
516TM-2009, Sections
5.7 and
5.8.
(3) Biennial Inspection. Live-line tools used
for primary employee protection shall be removed from service every 2 years,
and whenever required under subsection (e)(2) of this section, for examination,
cleaning, repair, and testing as follows:
(A)
Each tool shall be thoroughly examined for defects.
(B) If a defect or contamination that could
adversely affect the insulating qualities or mechanical integrity of the
live-line tool is found, the tool shall be repaired and refinished or shall be
permanently removed from service. If no such defect or contamination is found,
the tool shall be cleaned and waxed.
(C) The tool shall be tested under the
following conditions:
1. After the tool has
been repaired or refinished regardless of composition or
2. Live line tool made of wood or hollow
fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP).
EXCEPTION: to subsection (e)(3)(C): Live line tool made
of solid or foam-filled FRP that has been examined and no repair or refinishing
was performed, and the employer can demonstrate that the tool has no defects
that could cause it to fail during use.
(D) The test method used shall be designed to
verify the tool's integrity along its entire working length and, if the tool is
made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, the test method shall verify its
integrity under wet conditions.
(E)
The voltage applied during the tests shall be as follows:
1. 246,100 volts per meter (75,000 volts per
foot) of length for 1 minute if the tool is made of fiberglass, or
2. 164,000 volts per meter (50,000 volts per
foot) of length for 1 minute if the tool is made of wood, or
3. Other tests that the employer can
demonstrate are equivalent.
NOTE to subsection (e): Guidelines for the examination,
cleaning, repairing, and in-service testing of live-line tools are specified in
the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers', IEEE Guide for
Maintenance Methods on Energized Power Lines, IEEE Std
516TM-2009.
(f) Conductive measuring tapes, ropes or
similar measuring devices shall not be used when working on or near exposed
energized conductors or parts of equipment.
(g) Handtools and Pneumatic Tools.
(1) Hydraulic tools which are used on or near
exposed energized conductors or equipment shall use non-conductive hoses. All
valves, pipes, non-conductive hoses, filters and fittings shall have adequate
strength for normal operating pressures. The provisions of Section
3556, General Industry Safety
Orders, Title 8, California Code of Regulations, shall also apply.
(A) The hydraulic system supplying a
hydraulic tool used where it may contact exposed live parts shall provide
protection against loss of insulating value, for the voltage involved, due to
the formation of a partial vacuum in the hydraulic line.
(B) Employees shall be instructed to not use
any part of their bodies to locate, or attempt to stop, a hydraulic
leak.
(2) Pneumatic tools
which are used on or near exposed energized conductors or equipment shall:
(A) have non-conductive hoses having adequate
strength for the normal operating pressures and
(B) have an accumulator on the compressor to
collect moisture.
NOTE: For the purposes of subsections (f) and (g)
energized conductors on which temporary insulating devices have been installed
shall be considered "exposed."
(3) Pressure shall be released before
connections are broken, unless quick acting, self-closing connectors are used.
Hoses shall not be kinked.
(4)
Hydraulic and Pneumatic tools shall not be operated above the maximum rated
operating pressure.
(5) Cord and
plug-connected equipment shall be grounded in accordance with Sections
2395.45 and
2395.59.
EXCEPTION: to subsection (g)(5): This option may not be
used where the introduction of the ground into the work environment increases
the hazard to an employee.
(h) Grounding requirements for portable and
vehicle mounted generators shall be in accordance with Section
2395.6.
(i) Conductive Objects. Conductive objects of
a length capable of contacting energized conductors shall not be carried into
the level of such conductors unless suitable means are taken to prevent
accidental contact.
(j) Lines used
for emergency rescue such as lowering a person to the ground shall have a
minimum breaking strength of 2650 pounds and shall be readily available on the
job site.
(k) Apparel. The employer
shall ensure that each employee who is exposed to the hazards of flames or
electric arcs does not wear clothing that, when exposed to flames or electric
arcs, could increase the extent of injury that would be sustained by the
employee. This subsection prohibits clothing made from the following types of
fabrics: acetate, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, and rayon, either alone or
in blends, unless the employer can demonstrate that the fabric has been treated
with flame retardant.
NOTE For apparel requirements for the power generation,
transmission, and distribution industry, see Section
2940.11 for the protection from
flames and electric arcs.