ELECTRICAL WORK

PRACTICES

Hazardous (Classified) Locations

Electrical Safety Work Practices
Work Practice Selection and Use
Equipment Use
Personal Protection Safeguards.
Introduction
 This module is based on 29
CFR 1910 Subpart S and
covers electrical work
requirements designed to
minimize potential accidents.
The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration’s
(OSHA) standards were
developed to cover electrical
system parts an employee
would normally use or contact.
In general, all equipment
should be de-energized before
an employee works on it.
 Otherwise, protective
equipment and insulated tools
are required.

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Objectives
 At the end of the Electrical Work Practices
module, you should be able to:

 Identify hazardous locations

 Define proper safety related work practices
 Define safeguards for personal protection.

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Hazardous (Classified)
Locations
 Hazardous (classified)
locations present a real
threat to worker safety.
 They are areas where a
potential for explosion and
fire exist due to the
presence of flammable:
 Gases
 Vapors
 Finely pulverized dusts
 Ignitable fibers or flyings.

 The Hazardous (Classified)

Locations section is based
on 29 CFR 1910.307.
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Hazardous (Classified)
Locations
 It presents a description of
and the requirements for
working in hazardous
(classified) locations.
 This section covers the
topics listed on the left.
 29 CFR 1910.307 is based
on the National Electrical
Code (NEC), NFPA 70.

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Causes
 Hazardous locations can
be found in most
workplaces.

 A hazardous (classified)
location may result from the
normal processing of
certain volatile chemicals,
gases, grains, etc., or it
may result from accidental
failure of storage systems
for these materials.

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Causes
 It is also possible that a
hazardous location may
occur when volatile
solvents or fluids, used in a
normal maintenance
routine, vaporize to form an
explosive atmosphere.

 Each room, section, or

area shall be considered
individually when
determining hazardous
classification.

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Precaution
 Despite the hazards of a
location, every precaution
must be taken to guard
against ignition of the
atmosphere.
 Certainly no open flames are
permitted in these locations.
 Electric equipment capable of
igniting flammable materials or
gases shall not be used,
unless measures are taken to
prevent hazardous conditions
from developing.
 There are many ways in which
electrical equipment can act
as a source of ignition in a
hazardous location:

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Precaution
 Switches, circuit breakers,
motor starters, contactors,
plugs, and receptacles all
release arcs and sparks as
contacts open and close
during normal operation
 Lighting fixtures and motors
are classified as "heat
producing". They will become
a source of ignition if their
surface temperature exceeds
the ignition temperature of the
flammable material or gas
 An abnormality or failure in an
electrical system, such as the
failure of insulation, can
release sparks, arcs, or heat.

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Wiring Installation
 It is important to have an
awareness of the problems
that electrical equipment and
wiring create when they are
located in hazardous
(classified) locations because
several OSHA standards
require the installation of
electrical wiring and
equipment in these locations.
 Most of these locations are
defined in the "Hazardous
(Classified) Locations" module
available from the "Hazardous
Materials" selection on the
main menu.

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices- Introduction
 Any location with electrical
equipment creates
dangerous working
conditions.
 OSHA Safety Related Work
Practice standards for
general industry were
developed to protect
employees from the
electrical hazards to which
they may be exposed even
when equipment is in
compliance with the
installation requirements of
Subpart S. Electrical.

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices- Introduction
 OSHA Safety-Related
Work Practice standards
for general industry,
1910.331 - .399, are
performance-oriented
regulations that
complement the existing
electrical installation
standards

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices- Introduction
 These work-practice
standards include
requirements for:

 Work performed on or
near exposed energized
and de-energized parts of
electric equipment
 Use of electrical protective
equipment
 Safe use of electric
equipment.

 The topics covered are

listed to the left

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices - Scope
 The provisions of 1910.331
designate the scope of safety-
related work practices based on
an employee’s classification as
qualified or unqualified.
 A qualified employee is an
employee with training in avoiding
electrical hazards when working
near exposed energized parts
while an unqualified employee has
little or no training in this area.
 Both qualified and unqualified
employees are covered by the
standard when working on, near,
or with the following installations:

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices - Scope
 Premises Wiring - Installations of
electric conductors and equipment
within or on buildings or other
structures, and on other premises
such as yards, carnivals, parking
lots, and industrial substations
 Wiring for Connections to Supply -
Installations of conductors that
connect to the supply of electricity
 Other Wiring - Installations of
other outside conductors on the
premises
 Optical Fiber Cable - Installations
of optical fiber cable where such
installations are made along with
electric conductors.

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices - Scope
 Any unqualified employee
working on, near, or with the
following installations are
covered by standard
1910.331:
 Generation, transmission,
and distribution installations
located in buildings used for
such purposes or located
outdoors
 Communications installations
containing communications
equipment to the extent that
the work is covered under
OSHA standard 1910.268

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices - Scope
 Installations in vehicles such
as ships, watercraft, railway
rolling stock, aircraft, or
automotive vehicles other
than mobile homes and
recreational vehicles
 Railway installations used 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.
 Qualified employees are not
covered by standard 1910.331
when working on the above
four installations.

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices - Descriptions
 Employees covered by
standard 1910.331 must
follow the safe work
practices listed here:
 Keep a prescribed distance
from exposed energized
lines
 Avoid the use of electric
equipment when the
employee or the equipment
is wet
 Lockout and tag equipment
which is de-energized for
maintenance

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Electrical Safety Work
Practices - Descriptions
 Use electrical protective
devices such as:
 Rubber gloves and rubber
mats to insulate against
live parts
 Live-line tools which
provide a means of
manipulating live parts
from a distance. Live-line
tools must also insulate
workers from live parts.

 The protective capabilities

of equipment is dependent
on proper manufacturing
and maintenance.

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Differentiation with CFR
1910.147
 It is important to understand
the distinction between OSHA
Standards 1910.331 - .399
and OSHA Standard
1910.147, Control of
Hazardous Energy
(Lockout/Tagout).

 The lockout/tagout standard

(1910.147) helps safeguard
employees from hazardous
energy while they are
performing servicing or
maintenance on machines and
equipment.

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Differentiation with CFR
1910.147
 Standard 1910.147 covers
electrical energy sources, but
it specifically excludes
"exposure to electrical hazards
from work on, near, or with
conductors or equipment in
electrical utilization
installations," which is covered
by Subpart S, Electrical.
 Thus, the lockout/tagout
standard does not cover
electrical hazards associated
with conductors, and only
defines requirements for
electrical machinery and
equipment that are covered by
this lockout standard.

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Training
 29 CFR 1910.332 describes
training requirements for
employees who face a risk of
electric shock that is not
reduced to a safe level by the
electrical installation
requirements of 1910.303 - .
308.
 Employees in occupations
exposed to electric shock risk
must be trained. Click on the
term below to see a list of
occupations that require such
training.
 Occupations Exposed to Elec
tric Shock Risk

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Training
 With the exception of
electricians and welders,
workers do not need to be
trained 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 a hazard to
exist.
 The training required by this
section shall be of the
classroom or on-the-job type.
The degree of training
provided shall be determined
by the risk to the employee.

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Training
 Employees shall be trained in
safety-related work practices
required by 1910.331-.355 that
pertain to their respective job
assignments.

 In addition, unqualified
employees who are covered
by the scope of this standard
shall also be trained in any
electrically related safety
practices not specifically
addressed by 1910.331 - .335,
but which are necessary for
their safety.

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Training
 At a minimum, qualified
persons shall be trained in and
familiar with the:

 Skills and techniques

necessary to distinguish
exposed live parts from other
parts of electric equipment
 Skills and techniques
necessary to determine the
nominal voltage of exposed
live parts
 Clearance distances
specified in this standard and
the corresponding voltages to
which the qualified person
will be exposed.

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Quiz Question:
 Hazardous (classified) locations are
areas where employees are in danger
of electric shock.

 True
 False

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Quiz Question:
 The lockout/tagout standard
(1910.147) covers electrical hazards
associated with conductors and
equipment.

 True
 False

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Selection and Use of Work
Practices - Introduction
 The Selection and Use of
Work Practices section, based
on standard 1910.333, covers
employees working on or near
the topics listed on the left.
 In general, safety-related work
practices shall be used to
prevent employees from being
shocked by equipment which
may be energized.
 Specific safety-related work
practices shall be consistent
with the associated electrical
hazards as described in this
section.

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Exposed De-energized Parts
 Live parts to which an
employee may be exposed
shall be de-energized before
the employee works on or
near them. However, de-
energizing is not required if it:
 Introduces additional or
increased hazards
 Is infeasible due to equipment
design or operational limits
 Contains live parts that
operate at less than 50 volts to
ground and does not increase
the risk of electrical burns or
explosion due to electric arcs.

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Exposed De-energized Parts
 While any employee is
exposed to contact with de-
energized fixed electric
equipment or circuits, the
circuits energizing the parts
shall be locked out, tagged, or
both.
 De-energized conductors and
electric equipment parts that
have not been tagged shall be
treated as energized parts.
 Click below to review the
proper lock out/tagging
procedures.

 Lock Out/Tagging Procedure

s

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Exposed Energized Parts
 Sometimes equipment cannot be
de-energized due to operational
limits, equipment design, or risk of
increased hazards.

 Only qualified persons may work

on electric circuit parts or
equipment that have not been de-
energized under the procedures of
standard 1910.333.

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Exposed Energized Parts
 Qualified persons shall be capable
of working safely on energized
circuits and shall be familiar with:
 Proper use of special
precautionary techniques
 Personal protective equipment
 Insulating and shielding materials
 Insulated tools.

 To protect employees working on

exposed live parts, safety-related
work practices shall be used.
Such work practices protect
employees against contact with
energized circuit parts directly with
any part of their body or indirectly
through a conductive object.

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Exposed Energized Parts
 If work is to be performed near overhead lines, the lines shall
be de-energized and grounded, unless other protective
measures are provided before work is started.
 If the lines are to be de-energized, arrangements to de-
energize and ground the lines shall be made with the operator
or controller of the electric circuits involved.
 If protective measures such as guarding, isolating, or
insulating are provided, these precautions shall prevent
employees from contacting lines directly with any body part or
conductive materials, tools, or equipment.
 The closest an unqualified person may come to an
unguarded, energized overhead line is 10 feet plus 4 inches
for every 10 kV over 50 kV. This rule also applies to any
conductive material with which he or she is in contact.

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Exposed Energized Parts
 The closest a qualified person and the longest conductive
material he or she possesses may come to an unguarded,
energized overhead line is designated in Table S-5 of
1910.333(c)(3)(ii), unless certain insulation requirements are
met.
 The closest any part of a vehicle or mechanical equipment
that is capable of being elevated may come to an unguarded,
energized overhead line is 10 feet plus 4 inches for every 10
kV over 50 kV. However, the standard outlines situations
where the clearance can be reduced for elevated equipment.

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Exposed Energized Parts
 Energized parts, conductive
materials, and equipment that
are in contact with any part of
an employee's body shall be
handled in a manner that will
prevent them from contacting
exposed energized conductors
or circuit parts.
 If an employee must handle
long dimensional conductive
objects (such as ducts and
pipes) in areas with exposed
live parts, the employer shall
institute work practices (such
as the use of insulation,
guarding, and material
handling techniques) which
will minimize the hazard.
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Exposed Energized Parts
 Conductive articles of jewelry
and clothing may not be worn
if they might contact exposed
energized parts, unless they
are rendered non-conductive
by covering, wrapping, or
other insulating means.

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Exposed Energized Parts
 Where live parts present an
electrical contact hazard,
employees may not perform
housekeeping duties at
distances close enough for
possible contact unless
adequate safeguards (such as
insulating equipment or
barriers) are provided.
 Electrically conductive
cleaning materials may not be
used in proximity to energized
parts unless procedures are
followed which will prevent
electrical contact.

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Exposed Energized Parts
 If a portable ladder is to be
used where the employee or
ladder could contact exposed
energized parts, the ladder
shall have non-conductive
siderails.
 Only a qualified person
following the requirements of
this section may defeat an
electrical safety interlock, and
then only temporarily while he
or she is working on the
equipment.
 The interlock system shall be
returned to its operable
condition when the work is
completed.

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Exposed Energized Parts
 Employees may not enter
spaces containing exposed
energized parts unless
illumination is provided that
enables the employees to
perform the work safely.
 Where lack of illumination or
an obstruction precludes
observation of the work to be
performed, employees may
not perform tasks near
exposed energized parts.
 Employees may not reach
blindly into areas which may
contain energized parts.

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Quiz Question:
 De-energized equipment must be
locked out.

 True
 False

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Quiz Question:
 The closest an unqualified employee
may come to an overhead line is 10
feet plus:

 6 inches for every 10 kV over 50 kV

 8 inches for every 10 kV over 50 kV
 10 inches for every 10 kV over 50 kV
 4 inches for every 10 kV over 50 kV

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Equipment Use -
Introduction
 The Equipment Use section is
based on 29 CFR 1910.334. It
describes the topics listed on
the left.
 Proper use of equipment is at
the core of maintaining worker
and equipment safety.
 Equipment that is transported
and used in different locations
is susceptible to improper use,
because each new location
presents different hazards that
must be assessed.

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Portable Electric Equipment
 Portable electric equipment
requirements apply to cord-
and plug-connected
equipment including
flexible cord sets
(extension cords).

 The requirements include

the following.

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Portable Electric Equipment
 Portable cord- and plug-
connected equipment and
flexible cord sets shall be
visually inspected for external
defects and for evidence of
possible internal damage
before use on any shift. If the
equipment and extension
cords remain connected once
they are put in place and are
not exposed to damage, they
do not need to be visually
inspected until they are
relocated. Defective or
damaged items shall be
removed from service until
repaired.

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Portable Electric Equipment
 Portable equipment shall be
handled carefully to prevent
damage. Flexible electric
equipment cords may not be
used for raising or lowering the
equipment nor should they be
fastened with staples or
otherwise hung in such a
fashion that could damage the
outer jacket or insulation.

 Locking-type connectors shall

be properly secured after
connection.

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Portable Electric Equipment
 Portable electric equipment
and flexible cords used in
highly conductive work
locations or in job locations
where employees are likely
to contact water or
conductive liquids, shall be
approved for those
locations.
 Employees' hands may not
be wet when plugging and
unplugging flexible cords
and cord- and plug-
connected equipment, if
energized equipment is
involved.
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Portable Electric Equipment
 Energized plug and
receptacle connections
may be handled only with
insulating protective
equipment if the connection
could provide a conducting
path to the employee's
hand.

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Portable Electric Equipment
 When a flexible cord is used with
grounding-type equipment, the
cord shall contain an equipment
grounding conductor.
 Attachment plugs and receptacles
may not be connected or altered in
a manner which would prevent
proper continuity of the equipment
grounding conductor at the point
where plugs are attached to
receptacles. Additionally, these
devices may not be altered to
allow the grounding pole of a plug
to be inserted into slots intended
for connection to the current-
carrying conductors.
 Adapters which interrupt the
continuity of the equipment
grounding connection may not be
used.

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Test Instruments and
Equipment
 Testing instruments and equipment are
subject to damage much like other
portable equipment.

 Since test instruments are utilized in

different work environments, they are
prone to misuse.

 The following regulations for their use

and handling were developed.

 Only qualified persons may perform

testing work on electric circuits or
equipment.

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Test Instruments and
Equipment
 Test instruments and equipment and
all associated test leads, cables, power
cords, probes, and connectors shall be
visually inspected for external defects
and damage before the equipment is
used.

 If there is a defect or evidence of

damage that might expose an
employee to injury, the defective or
damaged item shall be removed from
service, and it will not be used until
necessary repairs and tests to render
the equipment safe have been made.

 Test instruments and equipment and

their accessories shall be rated for the
circuits and equipment to which they
will be connected and shall be
designed for the environment in which
they will be used.

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Electric Power and Lighting
Circuits
 Equipment should only be used
for its designated purpose.
 Load rated switches, circuit
breakers, or other devices
specifically designed as
disconnecting means shall be
used for the opening, reversing, or
closing of circuits under load
conditions.
 Cable connectors not of the load-
break type, fuses, terminal lugs,
and cable splice connections may
not be used for such purposes,
except in an emergency.

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Electric Power and Lighting
Circuits
 After a circuit is de-energized by a
circuit protective device, the circuit
may not be manually re-energized
until it has been determined that
the equipment and circuit can be
safely energized.
 The repetitive manual re-closing of
circuit breakers or re-energizing of
charged circuits through replaced
fuses is prohibited.
 Overcurrent protection of circuits
and conductors may not be
modified, even on a temporary
basis, beyond that allowed in
standard 1910.304(e), the
installation safety requirements for
overcurrent protection.

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Personnel Protection
Safeguards - Introduction
 The Safeguards for Personal
Protection section, based on
standard 1910.335, describes the
proper use and maintenance of
protective equipment to ensure the
safety of employees working in the
area of energized electrical
equipment.
 The topics covered are listed to
the left.
 In general, employees working in
areas where there are potential
electrical hazards shall be
provided with, and shall use,
electrical protective equipment
that is appropriate for the specific
parts of the body to be protected
and for the work to be performed.

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Use of Personal Protective
Equipment
 Employees shall wear non-
conductive head protection
wherever there is a danger of
head injury from electric shock
or burns due to contact with
exposed energized parts.

 Employees shall wear

protective equipment for the
eyes or face wherever there is
danger of injury to the eyes or
face from electric arcs or
flashes or from flying objects
resulting from electrical
explosion.

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Use of Personal Protective
Equipment
 Protective equipment shall be
maintained in a safe, reliable
condition and shall be
periodically inspected or
tested, as required by
1910.137.

 If the insulating capability of

protective equipment may be
subject to damage during use,
the insulating material shall be
protected. (For example, an
outer covering of leather is
sometimes used for the
protection of rubber insulating
material.)

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General Protective Equipment
and Tools
 It is not enough to use insulated personal protection equipment when working
near energized conductors or circuit paths.
 General tools or handling equipment must also be insulated if the tools could
come in contact with energized electric parts.
 Fuse handling equipment, insulated for the circuit voltage, shall be used to
remove or install fuses when the fuse terminals are energized.
 Ropes and handlines used near exposed energized parts shall be non-
conductive.
 Protective shields, protective barriers, or insulating materials shall be used to
protect each employee from shock, burns, or other electrically-related injuries
while that employee is working near exposed energized parts which might be
accidentally contacted or where dangerous electric heating or arcing might
occur.
 When normally enclosed live parts are exposed for maintenance or repair,
they shall be guarded to protect unqualified persons from contact with the live
parts.
 If the insulating capability of insulated tools or handling equipment is subject
to damage, the insulating material shall be protected.

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Alerting Techniques
 Employees should be warned
about hazards which could
cause injury due to electric
shock, burns, or failure of
electric equipment parts by the
following techniques:

 Safety signs and tags -

Safety signs, safety symbols,
or accident prevention tags
shall be used where
necessary to warn
employees about electrical
hazards which may endanger
them, as required by
standard 1910.145

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Alerting Techniques
 Barricades - Barricades shall
be used in conjunction with
safety signs where it is
necessary to prevent or limit
employee access to work
areas exposing employees to
uninsulated energized
conductors or circuit parts.
 Conductive barricades may
not be used where they might
cause an electrical contact
hazard
 Attendants - If signs and
barricades do not provide
sufficient warning and
protection from electrical
hazards, an attendant shall
be stationed to warn and
protect employees.

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Quiz Question:
 Portable plug- and cord-connected
equipment shall be inspected before
every shift, unless they are not moved
nor subject to damage.

 True
 False

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Quiz Question:
 Only qualified employees may perform
tests on electric circuits or equipment.

 True
 False

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Quiz Question:
 Personal protection equipment must be:

 Maintained in a safe reliable location

 Used whenever an employee is near electric
equipment
 Worn to protect eyes and heads at all times
 Periodically inspected or tested
 Supplied by the employer

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Summary
 During this module we have discussed the
scope and philosophy of Subpart E of the
OSHA standard and presented issues and
requirements for:

 Electrical Safety Related Work Practices

 Selection and Use of Work Practices
 Working On or Near Energized Parts
 Equipment Use
 Personal Protection Safeguards
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