Current through Register 2024 Notice Reg. No. 52, December 27, 2024
(a) Power Conductors. Electric power
conductors and equipment shall be considered as energized unless the employee
can visually determine that they are bonded to one of the grounds listed in
Subsection (d) of this Section.
(b)
Nonworking Open Wire. Nonworking open wire communications lines shall be bonded
to one of the grounds listed in Subsection (d) of this Section.
(c) Vertical Power Conduit, Power Ground
Wires and Street Light Fixtures.
(1) Metal
power conduit, exposed vertical power ground wires, and street light fixtures
which are below communications attachments or less than 20 inches above these
attachments, shall be considered energized and shall be tested for voltage
unless the employee can visually determine that they are bonded to the
communications suspension strand or cable sheath.
(2) If no hazardous voltage is shown by the
voltage test, a temporary bond shall be placed between such street light
fixture, exposed vertical power grounding conductor, or metallic power conduit
and the communications cable strand. Temporary bonds used for this purpose
shall have sufficient conductivity to carry at least 500 amperes for a period
of one second without fusing.
(d) Suitable Protective Grounding. Acceptable
grounds for protective grounding are as follows:
(1) A vertical ground wire which has been
tested, found safe, and is connected to a power system multigrounded neutral or
the grounded neutral of a power secondary system where there are at least three
services connected;
(2)
Communications cable sheath or shield and its supporting strand where the
sheath or shield is:
(A) Bonded to an
underground or buried cable which is connected to a central office ground,
or
(B) Bonded to an underground
metallic piping system, or,
(C)
Bonded to a power system multigrounded neutral or grounded neutral of a power
secondary system which has at least three services
connected;
(3) Guys which
are bonded to the grounds specified in Subsection (d)(1) and (2) of this
Section and which have continuity uninterrupted by an insulator; and
(4) If all of the preceding grounds are not
available, arrays of driven ground rods where the resultant resistance to
ground will be low enough to eliminate danger to personnel or permit prompt
operation of protective devices.
(e) Attaching and Removing Temporary Bonds.
When attaching grounds (bonds), the first attachment shall be made to the
protective ground. When removing bonds, the connection to the line or equipment
shall be removed first. Insulating gloves shall be worn during these
operations.
(f) Temporary Grounding
of Suspension Strand.
(1) The suspension
strand shall be grounded to the existing grounds listed in Subsection (d) of
this Section when being placed on jointly used poles and while performing work
during thunderstorms.
(2) Where
unsupported power crossings are encountered, the strand shall be bonded to an
existing ground listed in Subsection (d) of this Section as close as possible
to the crossing. This bonding is not required where crossings are made on a
common crossing pole unless there is an upward change in grade at the pole.
(Tie-down stress on the strand.) In this case, the bonding shall be at an
adjacent pole.
(3) Where
roller-type bonds are used, they shall be restrained so as to avoid stressing
the electrical connections.
(4)
Bonds between the suspension strand and the existing ground shall be at least
No. 6 AWG copper.
(5) Temporary
bonds shall be left in place until the strand has been tensioned, dead-ended,
and permanently grounded.
EXCEPTION: The installation of insulated
strand.
(g)
Antenna Work-Radio Transmitting Stations 3-30 MHZ.
(1) Prior to grounding a radio transmitting
station antenna, the employer shall ensure that the person in charge:
(A) Prepares and signs a danger
tag,
(B) Requests the transmitting
technician to shut down the transmitter and to ground the antenna with its
grounding switch,
(C) Is notified
by the transmitting technician that the transmitter has been shut down,
and
(D) Tags the antenna ground
switch personally in the presence of the transmitting technician after the
antenna has been grounded by the transmitting technician.
(2) Power shall not be applied to the
antenna, nor shall the grounding switch be opened under any circumstances while
the tag is affixed.
(A) Where no grounding
switches are provided, grounding sticks shall be used, one on each side of
line, and tags shall be placed on the grounding sticks, antenna switch, or
plate power switch in a conspicuous place.
(B) When necessary to further reduce
excessive radio frequency pickup, ground sticks or short circuits shall be
placed directly on the transmission lines near the transmitter in addition to
the regular grounding switches.
(C)
In other cases, the antenna lines may be disconnected from ground and the
transmitter to reduce pickup at the point in the field.
(3) All radio frequency line wires shall be
tested for pickup with an insulated probe before they are handled either with
bare hands or with metal tools.
(4)
The employer shall require that the transmitting technician warn the riggers
about adjacent lines which are, or may become, energized.
(5) The employer shall require that when
antenna work has been completed, the person in charge of the job returns to the
transmitter, notifies the transmitting technician in charge that work has been
completed, and personally removes the tag(s) previously
attached.
1.
Amendment of subsections (c), (f) and (g) filed 3-30-82; effective thirtieth
day thereafter (Register 82, No. 14).
2. Amendment of subsection
(g)(1)(A) filed 11-3-87; operative 12-3-87 (Register 87, No.
45).
Note: Authority cited: Section
142.3, Labor
Code. Reference: Section
142.3, Labor
Code.
