Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution

Scope

OSHA’s requirements for the operation and maintenance of electric power generation, control, transformation, transmission, and distribution lines and equipment. These requirements apply to power generation, transmission, and distribution installations, including related equipment for the purpose of communication or metering that are accessible only to qualified employees. This includes the generation, transmission, and distribution installations of electric utilities, as well as equivalent installations of industrial establishments.

Regulatory citations

• 29 CFR 1910.269 — Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution

Key definitions

• Contract employer: An employer, other than a host employer, that performs work covered by this section under contract.
• First-aid training: Training in the initial care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (which includes chest compressions, rescue breathing, and, as appropriate, other heart and lung resuscitation techniques), performed by a person who is not a medical practitioner, of a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be administered.
• Host employer: An employer that operates, or that controls the operating procedures for, an electric power generation, transmission, or distribution installation on which a contract employer is performing work covered by this section.
• Line-clearance tree trimmer: An employee who, through related training or on-the-job experience or both, is familiar with the special techniques and hazards involved in line-clearance tree trimming.
• Line-clearance tree trimming: The pruning, trimming, repairing, maintaining, removing, or clearing of trees, or the cutting of brush, that is within the following distance of electric supply lines and equipment:
  • For voltages to ground of 50 kilovolts or less—3.05 meters (10 feet);
  • For voltages to ground of more than 50 kilovolts—3.05 meters (10 feet) plus 0.10 meters (4 inches) for every 10 kilovolts over 50 kilovolts.
• Qualified employee (qualified person): An employee (person) knowledgeable in the construction and operation of the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution equipment involved, along with the associated hazards.

Summary of requirements

• Train all employees performing electric power generation, transmission, and distribution work, in the safety practices and procedures for their assignments and applicable emergency procedures.
• Inform the contract employers, before work begins, of the characteristics of the host employer’s installation that are related to the safety of the work to be performed and conditions that are related to the safety of the work to be performed, information about the design and operation of the host employer’s installation that the contract employer needs to make the assessments required, and any other information about the design and operation of the host employer’s installation that is known by the host employer, that the contract employer requests, and that is related to the protection of the contract employer’s employees.
• Provide medical services and first aid required in 29 CFR 1910.151.
• If performing field work involving two or more employees at a work location, then ensure at least two trained persons are available. However, for line-clearance tree trimming performed by line-clearance tree trimmers who are not qualified employees, only one trained person need be available if all new employees are trained in first aid within 3 months of their hiring dates.
• Perform a job briefing when assigning an employee or a group of employees to perform a job, providing the employee in charge of the job with all available information that relates to the determination of existing characteristics and conditions.
• Establish a hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training, and periodic inspections to ensure that, before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, start up, or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment is isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative.
• Develop safe work practices for entry into, and work in, enclosed spaces and for rescue of employees from such spaces. Provide equipment to ensure the prompt and safe rescue of employees from the enclosed space.
• Performance of excavation operations complies with Subpart P of Part 1926.
• Ensure personal protective equipment meets the requirements of Subpart I of this part.
• Use portable ladders and platforms that follow the requirements in Subpart D of this part, in addition to requirements for portable ladders or platforms used on structures or conductors in conjunction with overhead line work.
• Follow the requirements for use of hand and portable power equipment and portable and vehicle-mounted generators used to supply cord- and plug-connected equipment.
• Remove live-line tools used for primary employee protection from service every 2 years, and whenever required under paragraph 29 CFR 1910.269(j)(2)(ii) for examination, cleaning, repair, and testing.
• Ensure materials handling and storage complies with applicable material-handling and material-storage requirements, including those in Subpart N of this part.
• Ensure only qualified employees work on or with exposed energized lines or parts of equipment. Ensure at least two employees are present while any employees perform certain types of work.
• Follow all the procedures for de-energizing lines and the use of equipment for employee protection.
• Properly ground lines or equipment.
• Establish and enforce work practices for the protection of each worker from the hazards of high-voltage or high-power testing at all test areas, temporary and permanent. Ensure the work practices include, as a minimum, test area safeguarding, grounding, the safe use of measuring and control circuits, and a means providing for periodic safety checks of field test areas.
• Inspect the critical safety components of mechanical elevating and rotating equipment before use on each shift.
• Operate mechanical equipment so that the employers minimum approach distances are maintained from exposed energized lines and equipment.
• Determine, before allowing employees to climb or access elevated structures (such as poles or towers), that these structures can handle the stresses that climbing or the installation or removal of equipment may impose.
• Ensure line-clearance tree trimming is performed properly.
• Ensure communication facilities where employees are working on microwave communications systems and the electromagnetic-radiation level exceeds the radiation levels at 29 CFR 1910.97(a)(2) that the area is posted with appropriate warning signs.