Equipment Operations Archives

December 2015 Q&A

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on December 16, 2015. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Q & A, Equipment Operations, Grounding.

Q: I’ve been reading ASTM 855, IEEE 1048 and the National Electrical Code, and I’m a little confused by the practice of grounding through a switch. Can you help me better understand this? A: In transmission/distribution applications, there is no issue with grounding through a switch. To explain, we always have to ask whether the issue is grounding through (in the path) a switch or grounding (by way of closing) a switch. The application may sound the same, but it depends on which standard you read. Our subject matter experts think the confusion lies in the well-known NEC rules, which require...

Rigging Fundamentals for Utilities

Written by Brian S. Hope, ASP, CSP, CUSA on August 23, 2015. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Equipment Operations.

Over the past 20 years I have had the great opportunity to travel the country observing everyday safety practices in the utility industry. During this time it has become clear to me that, more often than not, employees are practicing inadequate rigging techniques that put them and their co-workers at risk on a daily basis. These poor practices are being perpetuated from one generation of riggers to the next. Employees who learned improperly from previous trainers go on to train new employees in the same fashion. It seems that a number of workers have bought into the dangerous idea that unsafe...

Making the Switch

Written by Raffi Elchemmas, AEP, MBA on June 20, 2015. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Equipment Operations.

It is an undisputed and well-known fact that workers’ use of manual tools increases repetitive movement, introduces awkward working postures and elevates the risk of ergonomic injuries and illnesses. Throughout the past decade, the utility industry has done a great job of recognizing these ergonomic safety issues, and a number of utility tool manufacturers have responded by developing new battery-operated tools and tool features that address them. Slowly but surely, ergonomic safety is increasing in the workplace as investor-owned utilities, contractors, cooperatives and municipalities make...

Arrive Alive

Written by Laura McMillan on June 20, 2015. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Equipment Operations.

On a clear, sunny day following a fierce thunderstorm the night before, Mark drove off to work. The schedule for the day was busy with repairing downed lines in several heavily trafficked neighborhoods followed by some scheduled maintenance at a router station. Mark met up with his crew, reviewed the schedule and then the team headed out for what they expected to be a long day. The crew was experienced, though, so Mark felt confident they would be able to complete their list of tasks. In the driver’s seat of the crew cab on the way to repairing the downed lines, Mark thought about the task...

Voice of Experience: Fundamentals of Underground Padmount Transformers

Written by Danny Raines, CUSP on June 20, 2015. Posted in Safety Management, Voice of Experience, Equipment Operations, Grounding.

In recent months Incident Prevention has received several questions about underground (UD) padmount transformers, so in this installment of “Voice of Experience,” I’d like to take the time to cover the general aspects of these types of transformers. To begin, there are a few different types of single-phase and three-phase UD padmounts: live front with exposed live primary parts, 600-amp bolt-on elbows and loop feed with bushings and elbows. All of these transformers are available in several voltage ranges. The proper PPE must be worn when an employee is opening, entering and working on energized...

Train the Trainer 101: The OSHA-EEI Subpart V Settlement

Written by Jim Vaughn, CUSP on April 20, 2015. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Equipment Operations.

In February of this year, Edison Electric Institute (EEI) circulated an agreement with OSHA. This agreement – which can be viewed at www.osha.gov/dsg/power_generation/SubpartV-final-settlement.html – ended the petition for review filed over several new provisions of the April 11, 2014 final rule affecting the general and construction industry rules for transmission, distribution and line clearance work. The agreement as delivered consisted of the final agreement and four exhibits that specified the agreed-upon terms. Exhibit A is a series of 46 questions and answers reflecting more detailed...

Measuring, Planning and Cutting Methods for Chainsaw Operators

Written by Ken Palmer on February 16, 2015. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Equipment Operations.

The first two articles in this series discussed the risks of chainsaw operation as well as chainsaw safety, planning and precision felling techniques. In this final article, I will discuss several other topics that chainsaw operators should be knowledgeable about, including how to estimate tree height, make an open face notch and use felling wedges. Estimating Tree HeightAn important part of felling trees is the ability to estimate a tree’s height in order to determine its position as it falls, hits the ground and comes to rest. Accurate height estimation allows the operator to determine if...

Chainsaw Safety, Planning and Precision Felling Techniques

Written by Ken Palmer on December 10, 2014. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Equipment Operations.

Chainsaw operators have to be able to think on their feet and adjust to their surroundings. Accidents and injuries can be dramatically reduced, and productivity increased, when workers have the knowledge, training and skills they need to properly operate a chainsaw. In the following article – the second part of a three-part series – I will discuss a variety of components related to safely operating a chainsaw, including what operators need to know about PPE, body positioning and reaction forces. I will also detail a five-step felling plan used by chainsaw operators around the world that you...

The Risks and Rules of Chainsaw Operation

Written by Ken Palmer on October 16, 2014. Posted in Safety Management, Worksite Safety, Equipment Operations.

Welcome to the first in a three-part series about arborist safety. In the second and third parts of the series, we will take a look at tree-felling and cutting methods as well as storm response techniques for utility workers. This first article, however, will give readers a broad overview of chainsaw safety, including powerful statistics, reasons why chainsaw operators struggle to follow safe work practices, and the essential education and training for workers who engage in chainsaw-related activities. Chainsaw Injury StatisticsThere is a wealth of impactful information available about chainsaw...

Tag: Equipment Operations