(1) Application.
Division 2/RR covers the operation and maintenance of electric power
generation, control, transformation, transmission, and distribution lines and
equipment. These provisions apply to:
(a)
Power generation, transmission, and distribution installations, including
related equipment for the purpose of communication or metering that are
accessible only to qualified employees;
Note to paragraph (1)(a): The types of
installations covered by this paragraph include the generation, transmission,
and distribution installations of electric utilities, as well as equivalent
installations of industrial establishments. This includes facilities producing
electric energy from other forms of energy, including but not limited to
thermal, hydroelectric, photovoltaic, wind-generated, wave energy, and chemical
energy from fuel cells and batteries. Division 2/S covers supplementary
electric generating equipment that is used to supply a workplace for emergency,
standby, or similar purposes only.
(b) Other installations at an electric power
generating station, as follows:
(A) Fuel and
ash handling and processing installations, such as coal conveyors,
(B) Water and steam installations, such as
penstocks, pipelines, and tanks, providing a source of energy for electric
generators, and
(C) Chlorine and
hydrogen systems;
(c)
Test sites where employees perform electrical testing involving temporary
measurements associated with electric power generation, transmission, and
distribution in laboratories, in the field, in substations, and on lines, as
opposed to metering, relaying, and routine line work;
(d) Work on, or directly associated with, the
installations covered in paragraphs (1)(a) through (1)(C) of this rule; and
(e) Line-clearance tree-trimming
performed for the purpose of clearing space around electric power generation,
transmission, or distribution lines or equipment and on behalf of an
organization that operates, or that controls the operating procedures for,
those lines or equipment, as follows:
(A)
Entire Division 2/RR, except paragraph (1) of
437-002-2317, applies to
line-clearance tree trimming covered by the introductory text to paragraph
(1)(e) of
437-002-2300 when performed by
qualified employees (those who are knowledgeable in the construction and
operation of the electric power generation, transmission, or distribution
equipment involved, along with the associated hazards).
(f) Notwithstanding paragraph
(1)(a) of this rule, Division 2/RR does not apply to electrical installations,
electrical safety-related work practices, or electrical maintenance
considerations covered by Division 2/S or Division 3/K.
Note 1 to paragraph (1)(f): Oregon OSHA considers
work practices conforming to 1910.332 through 1910.335 of Division 2/S as
complying with the electrical safety-related work-practice requirements of
Division 2/RR identified in Table 1 of Appendix A-2 to Division 2/RR, provided
that employers are performing the work on a generation or distribution
installation meeting 1910.303 through 1910.308 of Division 2/S. This table also
identifies provisions in Division 2/RR that apply to work by qualified persons
directly on, or associated with, installations of electric power generation,
transmission, and distribution lines or equipment, regardless of compliance
with 1910.332 through 1910.335 of Division 2/S.
Note 2 to paragraph (1)(f): Oregon OSHA considers
work practices performed by qualified persons and conforming to Division 2/RR
as complying with 1910.333(c) and 1910.335 of Division 2/S.
(g) Division 2/RR applies in addition to all
other applicable standards contained in Division 2. Employers covered under
Division 2/RR are not exempt from complying with other applicable provisions in
Division 2 by the operation of 1910.5(c) of Division 2. Specific references in
Division 2/RR to other subdivisions are for emphasis only.
(h) Division 2/RR also covers the
construction of electric power transmission and distribution lines and
equipment. As used in this Subdivision, the term "construction" includes the
erection of new electric transmission and distribution lines and equipment, and
the alteration, conversion, and improvement of existing electric transmission
and distribution lines and equipment. Division 2/RR applies to safety-related
work practices for qualified employees.
(i) This rule applies in addition to all
other applicable standards contained in Division 3, relating to construction
activities. Employers engaged in construction activities covered under Division
2/RR are not exempt from complying with other applicable provisions in Division
3 by the operation of
437-003-0005 Additional
Applicability, of Division 3/A. Specific references in Division 2/RR to other
subdivisions of Division 3 are provided for emphasis only.
(2) Training.
(a) All employees performing work covered by
this rule must be trained as follows:
(A)
Each employee must be trained in, and familiar with, the safety-related work
practices, safety procedures, and other safety requirements in this rule that
pertain to their job assignments.
(B) Each employee must also be trained in and
familiar with any other safety practices, including applicable emergency
procedures (such as pole-top and manhole rescue), that are not specifically
addressed by this rule but that are related to their work and are necessary for
their safety.
(C) The degree of
training must be determined by the risk to the employee for the hazard
involved.
(b) Each
qualified employee must also be trained and competent in:
(A) The skills and techniques necessary to
distinguish exposed live parts from other parts of electric equipment,
(B) The skills and techniques
necessary to determine the nominal voltage of exposed live parts,
(C) The minimum approach distances specified
in this rule corresponding to the voltages to which the qualified employee will
be exposed and the skills and techniques necessary to maintain those distances,
(D) The proper use of the special
precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and
shielding materials, and insulated tools for working on or near exposed
energized parts of electric equipment, and
(E) The recognition of electrical hazards to
which the employee may be exposed and the skills and techniques necessary to
control or avoid these hazards.
Note to paragraph (2)(b): For the purposes of this
rule, a person must have the training required by paragraph (2)(b) of this rule
to be considered a qualified employee.
(c) Each line-clearance tree trimmer who is
not a qualified employee must also be trained and competent in:
(A) The skills and techniques necessary to
distinguish exposed live parts from other parts of electric equipment,
(B) The skills and techniques
necessary to determine the nominal voltage of exposed live parts, and
(C) The minimum approach distances
specified in this rule corresponding to the voltages to which the employee will
be exposed and the skills and techniques necessary to maintain those distances.
(d) The employer must
determine, through regular supervision and through inspections conducted on at
least an annual basis, that each employee is complying with the safety-related
work practices required by this rule.
(e) An employee must receive additional
training (or retraining) under any of the following conditions:
(A) If the supervision or annual inspections
required by paragraph (2)(d) of this rule indicate that the employee is not
complying with the safety-related work practices required by this rule, or
(B) If new technology, new types
of equipment, or changes in procedures necessitate the use of safety-related
work practices that are different from those which the employee would normally
use, or
(C) If they must employ
safety-related work practices that are not normally used during their regular
job duties.
Note to paragraph (2)(e)(C): Oregon OSHA considers
tasks that are performed less often than once per year to necessitate
retraining before the performance of the work practices involved.
(f) The training
required by paragraph (a)(2) of this rule must be of the classroom or
on-the-job type.
(g) The training
must establish employee proficiency in the work practices required by this rule
and must introduce the procedures necessary for compliance with this rule.
(h) The employer must ensure that
each employee has demonstrated proficiency in the work practices involved
before that employee is considered as having completed the training required by
paragraph (a)(2) of this rule.
Note 1 to paragraph (2)(h): Though they are not
required by this paragraph, employment records that indicate that an employee
has successfully completed the required training are one way of keeping track
of when an employee has demonstrated proficiency.
Note 2 to paragraph (2)(h): For an employee with
previous training, an employer may determine that that employee has
demonstrated the proficiency required by this paragraph using the following
process:
(1) Confirm that the employee
has the training required by paragraph (a)(2) of this rule,
(2) Use an examination or interview to make
an initial determination that the employee understands the relevant
safety-related work practices before they perform any work covered by this
rule, and
(3) Supervise the
employee closely until that employee has demonstrated proficiency as required
by this paragraph.
(3) Information
transfer.
(a) Before work begins, the host
employer must inform contract employers of:
(A) The characteristics of the host
employer's installation that are related to the safety of the work to be
performed and are listed in paragraphs (4)(a) through (4)(e) of this rule;
Note to paragraph (3)(a)(A): This paragraph
requires the host employer to obtain information listed in paragraphs (4)(a)
through (4)(e) of this rule if it does not have this information in existing
records.
(B) Conditions
that are related to the safety of the work to be performed, that are listed in
paragraphs (4)(f) through (4)(h) of this rule, and that are known to the host
employer;
Note to paragraph (3)(a)(B): For the purposes of
this paragraph, the host employer need only provide information to contract
employers that the host employer can obtain from its existing records through
the exercise of reasonable diligence. This paragraph does not require the host
employer to make inspections of worksite conditions to obtain this
information.
(C)
Information about the design and operation of the host employer's installation
that the contract employer needs to make the assessments required by this rule;
and
Note to paragraph (3)(a)(C): This paragraph
requires the host employer to obtain information about the design and operation
of its installation that contract employers need to make required assessments
if it does not have this information in existing records.
(D) 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.
Note to paragraph (3)(a)(D): For the purposes of
this paragraph, the host employer need only provide information to contract
employers that the host employer can obtain from its existing records through
the exercise of reasonable diligence. This paragraph does not require the host
employer to make inspections of worksite conditions to obtain this
information.
(b)
Contract employers must comply with the following requirements:
(A) The contract employer must ensure that
each of its employees is instructed in the hazardous conditions relevant to the
employee's work that the contract employer is aware of as a result of
information communicated to the contract employer by the host employer under
paragraph (3)(a) of this rule.
(B)
Before work begins, the contract employer must advise the host employer of any
unique hazardous conditions presented by the contract employer's work.
(C) The contract employer must
advise the host employer of any unanticipated hazardous conditions found during
the contract employer's work that the host employer did not mention under
paragraph (3)(a) of this rule. The contract employer must provide this
information to the host employer within 2 working days after discovering the
hazardous condition.
(c) The contract employer and the host
employer must coordinate their work rules and procedures so that each employee
of the contract employer and the host employer is protected as required by this
rule.
(4) Existing
characteristics and conditions. Existing characteristics and conditions of
electric lines and equipment that are related to the safety of the work to be
performed must be determined before work on or near the lines or equipment is
started. Such characteristics and conditions include, but are not limited to:
(a) The nominal voltages of lines and
equipment,
(b) The maximum
switching-transient voltages,
(c)
The presence of hazardous induced voltages,
(d) The presence of protective grounds and
equipment grounding conductors,
(e) The locations of circuits and equipment,
including electric supply lines, communication lines, and fire-protective
signaling circuits,
(f) The
condition of protective grounds and equipment grounding conductors,
(g) The condition of poles, and
(h) Environmental conditions relating to
safety.
