In January of 1994, OSHA issued a new standard, 1910.269, to protect the safety and health of workers who operate and maintain electric power generation, transmission and distribution installations. It also revised the electrical protective equipment requirements for general industry with performance-oriented rules and issued standards for the safe use and care of electrical protective equipment. Compliance with OSHA’s rule and related revisions is expected to prevent about 60 worker deaths and more than 1,600 serious injuries annually which are caused by inadequate electrical protective equipment and training.
Background
Existing electrical regulations contained in Subpart S of the General Industry Standards (29 CFR Part 1910) address electric utilization systems. Subpart S protects most employees from the hazards associated with such electric utilization equipment as lighting fixtures, appliances and portable electric tools and with the premises wiring that supplies this equipment.
However, Subpart S does not contain requirements protecting employees from the hazards arising out of the operation and maintenance of electric power generation, transmission or distribution installations. Employees performing work on or nearby these installations face far greater electrical hazards than those faced by other workers performing work on or nearby electric utilization systems covered by Subpart S. The voltages involved are much higher, and a large part of their work involves potential exposure to energized parts of the power system.
Employees engaged in the construction of electric power transmission or distribution systems are protected by the provisions of Subpart V of the Construction Standards (29 CFR Part 1926).
Management and labor representatives from the electric utility industry requested OSHA to adopt a set of rules on the operation and maintenance of power generation, transmission and distribution installations. Toward this end, these representatives of management and labor developed a draft standard and submitted it to OSHA. The agency used their draft, along with relevant national consensus standards, as a basis for a rule.
The final rules add a section addressing electric power generation, transmission and distribution to Subpart R of the General Industry Standards (29 CFR Part 1910) and revise the electrical protective equipment section.
Elements of the rule
Provisions of the rule protect workers engaged in the operation and maintenance of electric power generation, transmission and installations including those doing the high-voltage and high-power testing associated with such systems.
29 CFR 1910.269 covers the following types of work operations:
- training
- enclosed spaces
- hazardous energy control
- working on or near energized parts
- deenergizing lines and equipment
- grounding for employee protection
- work on underground electrical installations and overhead lines
- line-clearance tree trimming
- work in substations and generating plants
- other special conditions and equipment unique to the generation, transmission and distribution of electric energy
This regulation applies to electric power generation, transmission and distribution installations, whether owned by a utility or not. The electric utility, other general industry and associated contract employers must comply with this standard.
Industrial generation, transmission and distribution installations at industrial plants are essentially the same as those of an electric utility, and their operation and maintenance is similar.
No comments:
Post a Comment