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The procedure provides minimum guidelines for safety-related work practices. This is to insure a safe and healthful work environment for University employees who may be exposed to electrical circuits or electrical hazards.

Objective

The University will use NCOSHA Standards 1910.331 through .335 in the development of this requirement. It applies to University employees both qualified and unqualified who work on, near, or with electrical circuits, except where qualified employees are excluded.

The required training and work procedures include but are not limited to:

a. De-energized parts
b. Verification of de-energization
c. Re-energization
d. Distinguish live parts from other parts
e. Work on or near overhead power lines
f. Portable ladders
g. Conductive apparel
h. Housekeeping duties
I. Electrical safety interlocks
j. Lockout/tagout
k. Cord and plug connected equipment
l. Eye and face protection
m. Safe clearance distances for voltages, and
n. Insulated tools.

Responsibility

Each department is responsible for complying with this section.

Electrical safety-related work practices apply to: 1) qualified persons - those familiar with the construction and operation of electrical equipment, and the hazards involved and who have training in avoiding the electrical hazards of working on or near energized parts; 2) unqualified persons-those with little or no such training working on, near or with the following installations:

1. Premises Wiring: Installations of electric conductors and equipment within or on buildings or other structures, and on other premises such as yards, parking lots, other lots, and industrial substations.
2. Wiring for connection to supply: Installations of conductors that connect to the supply of electricity.
3. Other Wiring: Installations of other outside conductors on the premises.
4. Optical Fiber Cable: Installation of optical fiber cable where such are made along with electric conductors.

Other work covered by unqualified persons includes work on, near or with:

1. Generation, transmission, and distribution installations
2. Communications installations
3. Installations in vehicles
4. Railway installations

Excluded work by qualified person includes work on or directly associated with the following installations:

1. Generation, transmission and distribution installations for the generation, control, transformation, transmission, and distribution of electric energy (including communication and metering) located in buildings used for such purposes, or located outdoors.

Note 1: Included in this practice is work on or directly with installation of utilization equipment that is not an integral part of a generating installation

Note 2: Work on or directly with generation, transmission, or distribution installations includes:

a) Repairing overhead or underground distribution lines or repairing a feed-water pump for the boiler, in a generating plant.
b) Line-clearance, tree trimming and replacing utility poles.
c) Work on electric utilization circuits in a generating plant provided that:

- Such circuits are co-mingled with installations of power generating equipment or circuits; and

- The generation equipment or circuits present greater electrical hazards than those posed by the utilization equipment or circuits (such as exposure to higher voltages or lack of over current protection).

2. OSHA 29CFR 1910.268 covers telecommunication communication installations
.
3. Installations in vehicles include: ships, watercraft, railway rolling stock, aircraft, or automotive vehicles other than mobile home and recreational vehicles.

4. Railway installations for generation, transformation, transmission, or distribution of power used exclusively for operation of rolling stock or installations of railways used exclusively for signaling and communication purposes.

Training

Those employees facing a higher than normal risk of electric shock require training. That is, those employee's working in areas not reduced to a safe level by the installation requirements of the National Electrical Code or OSHA General Requirements for Electrical System and Equipment Design.

Employees in the following occupations require training, as well as other employees, expected to encounter risk or injury due to electric shock or other electrical hazards.

Typical occupational categories of employees facing a higher than normal risk of electrical accident would be:

Blue collar supervisors
Electrical & electronic engineers
Electrical & electronic equipment assemblers
Electrical & electronic technicians
Electricians
Industrial machine operators
Material handling equipment operators
Mechanics and repairers (maintenance employees)
Painters
Riggers & roustabouts
Stationary engineers
Welders

Employees in these groups do not need training if their work, or the work of those they supervise, does not bring them close enough to exposed parts of electric circuits operating at 50 volts or more to ground for hazard to exist.

Content of Training

1. All employees who face a risk of electrical shock, burns, or other related injuries not reduced to a safe level by the installation requirements of OSHA Sub-part W must have training. The training will cover the respective OSHA standards, all safety- related work practices, and equipment by OSHA Standard 1910.331 through 1910.335 that pertain to their job assignments.

2. Additional requirements for unqualified persons - In addition to being trained in the safety practices related work, unqualified employees facing a risk of electric shock must have training in any electrically related safety practices not covered in these requirements or the OSHA Standards but which are necessary for employees' safety.