Code of Massachusetts Regulations
220 CMR - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC UTILITIES
Title 220 CMR 126.00 - Underground Electric Supply And Communication Lines 50,000 Volts And Below
Section 126.38 - Equipment
Universal Citation: 220 MA Code of Regs 220.126
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
(1) General.
(a) Equipment includes:
1. Buses, transformers, switches, etc.,
installed for the operation of the electric supply system.
2. Repeaters, loading coils, etc., installed
for the operation of the communication system.
3. Auxiliary equipment such as sump pumps,
convenience outlets, etc., installed incidental to the presence of the supply
or communication systems.
(b) Where equipment is to be installed in a
joint-use manhole, it shall be done with the concurrence of all parties
concerned.
(c) Supporting
structures, including racks, hangers, or pads and their foundations shall be
designed to sustain all loads and stresses expected to be imposed by the
supported equipment including those stresses caused by its operation.
(2) Design.
(a) All
equipment and mountings shall be designed for the thermal, chemical, mechanical
and environmental conditions expected at the location.
(b) All equipment including auxiliary devices
shall be designed to be adequate for the normal, emergency and fault conditions
expected during operation.
(c)
Switches shall be provided with clear indication of contact position, and the
handles or activating devices clearly marked to indicate operating directions.
Recommendation: The handles or control mechanism of all switches throughout the system should operate in a like direction to open and in a uniformly different direction to close in order to minimize errors.
(d)
Remotely controlled or automatic devices shall have provisions for local
blocking to prevent operation if such operation may result in a hazard to the
workman.
(e) Enclosures containing
fuses and interrupter contacts shall be designed to withstand the effect of the
normal, emergency and fault conditions expected on the system during
operations.
(f) When tools are to
be used to connect or disconnect energized devices, space or barriers shall be
designed to provide adequate clearance from ground or between phases.
(g) Where padmounted equipment is not within
a fenced or other protected area, it shall be locked to prevent access to
unauthorized persons.
(3) Location in Underground Structures.
(a) Equipment shall
not obstruct personnel access openings in manholes or vaults nor shall it
prevent easy egress by men working in the structures containing the
equipment.
(b) Equipment shall not
be installed closer than eight inches to the back of fixed ladders and shall
not interfere with the proper use of such ladders.
(c) Equipment should be arranged in a manhole
or vault to permit installation, operation and maintenance of all items in such
structures.
(d) Switching devices
which have provision for manual or electrical operation shall be operable from
a safe position. This may be accomplished by use of portable auxiliary devices,
temporarily attached.
(e) Equipment
should not interfere with drainage of the structure.
(f) Equipment shall not interfere with the
ability to ventilate any structure or enclosure.
(4) Installation.
(a) Provisions for lifting, rolling to final
position, and mounting shall be adequate for the weight of the
device.
(b) Live parts shall be
guarded or isolated to prevent contact by persons in a normal position adjacent
to the equipment.
(c) Operating
levers, inspection and test facilities shall be visible and readily accessible
when equipment is in final location without moving permanent
connections.
(d) Live parts shall
be isolated or protected from exposure to conducting liquids or other material
expected to be present in the structure containing the equipment.
(e) Operating controls of supply equipment,
readily accessible to unauthorized personnel, shall be secured by bolts, locks
or seals.
(5) Grounding.
(a) Cases
and enclosures made of conductive material shall be effectively grounded or
guarded.
(b) Supply and
communication cases and enclosures, if made of conductive material and
installed above ground, shall be bonded together except where guarded or
separated by more than five feet.
(c) Guards constructed of conductive material
shall be effectively grounded.
(6) Identification. Where transformers, regulators or other similar equipment not located in the same manhole operate in multiple, special tags, diagrams, or other suitable means shall be used to indicate that fact.
Exception: This requirement does not apply where disconnecting devices are provided to permit cutting such equipment completely off the system.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Massachusetts may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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