(a) Application. This section applies to all
work on or in proximity to underground high-voltage cables, conductors or
equipment, and to the operations necessary to raise or lower cables, conductors
or equipment to such underground locations.
(b) Manholes, Vaults, or Similar Structures.
(1) The employer shall determine if entry
into the space is under Section
2943.1 for Enclosed Spaces or the
permit required confined space under Article 108 of the General Industry or
Article 37 of the Construction Safety Orders and shall comply with the
appropriate safety orders.
(2) The
employer shall ensure that employees use a ladder or other climbing device to
enter and exit a manhole or subsurface vault exceeding 4 feet (1.22 meters) in
depth. The employee shall not climb into or out of a manhole or vault by
stepping on cables or hangers.
(3)
Whenever the cover is removed from a manhole, vault, or similar structure:
(A) An employee shall be stationed at the
surface as long as workers are in the structure, and
(B) warning devices shall be placed so as to
warn vehicular or pedestrian traffic and shall not be removed until the cover
is in place.
(4)
Attendants for manholes and vaults. While work is being performed in a manhole
or vault containing energized electric equipment, an employee with first-aid
training shall be available on the surface in the immediate vicinity of the
manhole or vault entrance to render emergency assistance.
(5) If entry is by Section
2943.1, the employee on the surface
may enter a manhole or vault briefly to provide nonemergency
assistance.
(6) If entry is by
Section
2943.1 for the purpose of
inspection, housekeeping, taking readings, or similar work, an employee working
alone may enter, for brief periods of time, a manhole or vault where energized
cables or equipment are in service if the employer can demonstrate that the
employee will be protected from all electrical hazards.
(7) Communications. The employer shall ensure
that employees maintain reliable communications, through two way radios or
other equivalent means, among all employees involved in the job.
(8) Hoisting equipment. Equipment used to
lower materials and tools into manholes or vaults shall be capable of
supporting the weight to be lowered and shall be checked for defects before
use.
(9) Clear the area of
employees. Before anyone lowers tools or material into the opening for a
manhole or vault, each employee working in the manhole or vault shall be clear
of the area directly under the opening.
(10) When employees are working in an
underground structure, the automatic circuit recloser on the circuit being
worked shall be made non-automatic when:
(A)
operating energized oil type switches from inside the structure,
(B) splicing energized underground
cable,
(C) patching energized lead
cable,
(D) relocating energized
underground cable or equipment other than minor cable movements for additional
clearance or routine maintenance such as cleaning cable, fire-proofing,
replacing cable support blocks, etc.,
(E) filtering or replacing oil in energized
underground equipment, or
(F) the
supervisor in charge deems it necessary for the safety of the employees
performing the work.
(11)
When employees are in an underground structure where newly installed, rebuilt
or modified cable or equipment is being energized for the first time, the
automatic circuit recloser on the circuit involved shall be made
non-automatic.
(12) Sheath
continuity. When employees perform work on buried cable or on cable in a
manhole or vault, the employer shall maintain metallic-sheath continuity, or
the cable sheath shall be treated as energized.
(c) Trenching and Excavating.
(1) Trenching and excavation operations shall
comply with the applicable provisions of the Construction Safety
Orders.
(2) Where cable(s) exist in
an excavation, such cable(s) shall be protected from physical damage during
excavation.
(d) Duct
Rods. The employer shall ensure that, if employees use duct rods, the employees
install the duct rods in the direction presenting the least hazard to
employees. The employer shall station an employee at the far end of the duct
line being rodded to ensure that the employees maintain the required minimum
approach distances.
(e) Multiple
Cables. When multiple cables are present in a work area, the employer shall
identify the cable to be worked by electrical means, unless its identity is
obvious by reason of distinctive appearance or location or by other readily
apparent means of identification. The employer shall protect cables other than
the one being worked from damage.
(f) Moving Cables. The employer shall ensure
that employees inspect energized cables to be moved for abnormalities.
EXCEPTION: When subsection (g)(2) of this section
permits employees to perform work that could cause a fault, the employee shall
be protected from possible effects of failure using shields or other devices
capable of containing the adverse effect of the fault.
(g) Protection Against Faults.
(1) Cables with abnormalities. Where a cable
in a manhole or vault has one or more abnormalities that could lead to a fault
or be an indication of an impending fault, the employer shall deenergize the
cable with the abnormality before any employee may work in the manhole or
vault.
(A) The employer shall treat the
following abnormalities as indications of impending faults unless the employer
can demonstrate that the following conditions could not lead to a fault:
1. oil or compound leaking from cable or
joints,
2. broken cable sheaths or
joint sleeves,
3. hot localized
surface temperatures of cables or joints, or
4. joints swollen beyond normal tolerance.
EXCEPTION to subsection (g)(1): When service-load
conditions and a lack of feasible alternatives require that the cable remain
energized. In that case, employees may enter the manhole or vault provided the
employer protects them from the possible effects of a failure using shields or
other devices that are capable of containing the adverse effects of a
fault.
(2) If the work employees will perform in a
manhole or vault could cause a fault in a cable, the employer shall deenergize
that cable before any employee works in the manhole or vault. The following
type of work practices are considered as work practices that could reasonably
cause a fault:
(A) If the work practices used
could foreseeably lead to the penetration of the cable; or
(B) If the work practices used could
foreseeably place other damaging stresses on the cable jacket or insulation,
such as bending beyond the manufacturer's specifications.
EXCEPTION to subsection (g)(2):
EXCEPTION No . 1: When service load conditions and a
lack of feasible alternatives require that the cable remain energized. In that
case, employees may enter the manhole or vault provided the employer protects
them from the possible effects of a failure using shields or other devices that
are capable of containing the adverse effects of a fault.
EXCEPTION No . 2: Qualified persons under the
observance of a qualified electrical worker or qualified person authorized by
the utility company may slice through or chip duct work, concrete asphalt, or
similar material under the following conditions:
1. The chipping or slicing is performed with
the use of hand tools, such as hammer and cold chisel, with movements that
could potentially penetrate the cable directed away from the cable or limited
by use of tool guard to prevent contact with the cable, and non-conductive
barrier is inserted (if practicable) to protect the cable from penetration once
sufficient material has been broken to make that action possible, or
2. Chipping of slicing performed with power
tools using the following procedures: power tools are operated in a direction
away from the energized cable unless tool guard are used to prevent contact
with the cable; power tool are not used within 0.5 inch of an energized cable
unless tool guards to prevent contact with energized cable are used; and a
non-conductive protective barrier is inserted (if practicable) to protect the
cable from penetration once sufficient material has been broken to make the
action possible.
3. The removal of
arc-proof covering or similar material from energized cable for cable
identification and other purposes as long as the cable exhibits no visible
abnormalities and the removal of this material is performed in a manner that
will not impose damaging stresses on the cable insulation or jacket. For
example, this work could include the use of a utility knife or similar tool to
penetrate the tape (but not the cable jacket or insulation) so that the tape
may then be removed by hand.
(h) Working on Cables, Conductors or
Equipment Energized at 7,500 Volts or Less.
(1) Employees shall not be permitted to cut,
splice, or move cables energized at 7,500 volts or less without first obtaining
permission from the employee in charge.
(2) Before cutting into a cable or opening a
splice, the cable shall be identified and verified to be the proper
cable.
(3) Suitable rubber gloves
with protectors and protective clothing in accordance with Section
2940.11 shall be worn when working
on exposed conductors or equipment energized at 7,500 volts or less. Other
exposed energized or grounded conductors or equipment in the work area, with
which contact can be readily made, shall be covered with adequate protective
devices, barricaded or otherwise isolated.
(4) Before breaking the electrical continuity
of metallic sheaths of cables energized at 7,500 volts or less, both sides of
the break shall be bonded together across the break.
(5) When working on exposed underground
conductors or parts of equipment energized at 7,500 volts or less, adequate
barriers or suitable protective covering shall be provided if a working space
of 36 inches cannot be obtained.
(i) Working on Cables, Conductors or
Equipment Energized in Excess of 7,500 Volts.
(1) When working on cables, conductors or
equipment energized in excess of 7,500 volts, all exposed energized cables,
conductors or equipment within reach of any part of the body shall be covered
with suitable protective equipment in accordance with Sections
2940.6 and
2940.11 or barricaded.
(2) The only work permitted on cables,
conductors or equipment energized in excess of 7,500 volts shall be:
(A) replacing fuses, operating switches, or
other operations that do not require the employee to contact energized
conductors or parts of equipment with any part of the employee's
body,
(B) working on the exterior
of such cables or equipment, provided all current-carrying parts are
effectively covered by grounded shielding or metallic enclosures, and
(C) work in the high voltage compartment of
padmounted transformers and similar equipment installed above ground, provided
the work is done by suitable devices. Rubber gloves shall not be considered to
be suitable devices.
(3)
Cables energized in excess of 7,500 volts shall be moved only under the
direction of the employee in charge. Before moving cables, they shall be
examined for any defects which might result in failure if the cable were
moved.
(j) Working on
De-Energized Cables, Conductors or Equipment.
(1) De-energize cables, conductors, or
equipment in accordance with the procedures in Section
2940.14 and Section
2940.15.
(2) When working on de-energized cables,
conductors or equipment, all exposed energized conductors or equipment within
reach of any part of the body, shall be covered with suitable protective
equipment in accordance with Sections
2940.6 and
2940.11.
(3) Where more than one cable exists in an
excavation, cables other than the one being worked on shall be physically
protected as necessary.
(4) Where
more than one cable exists in an excavation, the cable to be worked on shall be
identified by electrical means or spiking unless its identity is
obvious.
(5) Before cutting into a
cable or opening a splice, the cable shall be identified and verified to be the
proper cable.
(k)
Grounding De-Energized Conductors or Equipment. Any exposed ungrounded part of
conductors or equipment, not worked upon in accordance with the provisions of
subsections (h) or (i) above, shall not be worked upon until the provisions in
Sections
2940.14 and
2940.15 have been complied
with.
Notes
Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, §
2943
1.
Editorial correction of section heading and subsection designations filed
11-2-83 (Register 83, No. 45).
2. Amendment filed 12-10-87;
operative 1-9-88 (Register 88, No. 1).
3. Amendment of subsection
(b)(1) filed 9-26-2001; operative 10-26-2001 (Register 2001, No.
39).
4. Amendment 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.
1. Editorial
correction of section heading and subsection designations filed 11-2-83
(Register 83, No. 45).
2. Amendment filed 12-10-87; operative
1-9-88 (Register 88, No. 1).
3. Amendment of subsection (b)(1)
filed 9-26-2001; operative 10-26-2001 (Register 2001, No. 39).
4.
Amendment filed 2-27-2018; operative
4/1/2018
(Register
2018, No. 9).