Live Line Work: Does Your Day Start With Luck or Safety?

The utility industry is filled with risks and hazards that other lines of business do not experience. Electrical work has been repeatedly identified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries as one of the most dangerous jobs.  Although the equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and procedures have improved dramatically over the last 15 to 20 years, we still see many needless injuries and fatalities each year. The solution may seem straightforward and simple; however, with studies showing 90 percent of all incidents being the result of human error, whether equipment related or human-induced, the solution may not be so easy. Today, many companies have administrative safety procedures and policies that either meet OSHA requirements or exceed them – yet the challenge is so many still choose to take shortcuts. Things that we might miss or take for granted when working in hazardous work environments can ultimately lead to dangerous safety risks. So how do we encourage workers to follow procedures, maintain a focus on safety, and avoid shortcuts? The answer isn’t by leaving it up to luck. It has to be a conscious decision to be safety minded. Don’t Fall Victim to a Case of the Mondays A great way to create safety awareness is by establishing a Monday safety kickoff. John Voyer, Manager of Substation Operations for Green Mountain Power (GMP), states, “Every Monday we have a safety meeting – a reminder that the weekend is over and that it’s time to get your head in the game for the week. It pumps up safety awareness.” GMP isn’t the only organization that finds this approach to be an effective one. “Communication of a weekly safety message designed to be relevant to the season is an important start to the week and helps in safety reporting,” says Mike Pazzanese, CUSP-Certified Director of Health/Safety and Training for ElecComm. “The safety message is short, focused, and to the point, making it easy to digest.” Staying mentally clocked-in is important as well. As much as you may want to quickly finish a job or scoot out quickly on a Friday, the same behaviors can have you cutting risky corners. In fact, the National Sisterhood United for Journeymen Linemen (NSUJL)** was started in remembrance of John (JP) Plante. JP, an electrical lineman, sadly died at the end of the day on a Friday trying to wrap up an error he noticed on the line.   Rae Johnson, one of the founding members of the NSUJL and a former lineworker, speaks often about the man who inspired the start of the organization. “It was the end of the workday. He was alone. JP was checking a job, saw something not right, and figured he could go up there and fix it. He ended up falling 90 feet off of the pole and died as a result. He was experienced and probably never considered that trying to get the job done quickly was so dangerous.” Whether it’s Friday at quitting time, the start of a Monday, or any other day, take the time and the care needed. Overlooking little details can end up causing a huge problem. “Every little detail matters. No little detail can be overlooked.” – Rae Johnson, National Sisterhood United for Journeymen Linemen (NSUJL) Keep It Safety Simple (KISS) You’ve probably heard of “Keep It Simple Stupid” or KISS. In the utility industry, this can also be referred to as “Keep It Safety Simple.” Since supervising safety professionals are not always there to guide or oversee work on a regular basis, providing convenient safety tools for quick reference in the field offers a quick, convenient way to refer back to safety in the field. Once you have equipped your team with these safety tools, call attention back to them on a regular basis to help ensure that they are being used. Encourage junior crew members or apprentices to conduct job briefs periodically. They may be more apt to see little hazards that the crew leaders may overlook or take lightly. Ultimately, all crew members must be able to stop work if they see an unsafe condition. Head Check: Get in the Safety Mindset Before getting on a line, ask yourself, “Am I mentally prepared to be in a hazardous situation?” Being in a safety mindset, focused on the job at hand, is the first line of defense in preventing injury. If you see someone who is not in the right mindset, don’t hesitate to ground them from the job. This is important for their safety and the safety of everyone on the job. The NSUJL’s message to every lineman is always “be your brother or sister’s keeper.” There is nothing wrong with being grounded, but pride can get in the way of that. Rae recounts the story of a Florida worker was going through a personal situation. His attention was on that and not on the job. He tried to continue on with his work, got in a bucket when he shouldn’t have, and he subsequently lost his life. At some utility companies, the workforce is asked to conduct job briefs and day to day work as if their own son, daughter, or loved one is on that job with them. Corners should never be cut, and putting the job into perspective helps increase situational awareness. Considering family or loved ones brings the point home, according to Mike Pazzanese, ElecComm Corporation. “If your safety message is easy, straightforward, and to the point, there is an increased likelihood that your message will be supported and followed in the field.” – Mike Pazzanese, Director of Health/Safety and Training, ElecComm Corporation Your Equipment Is Your Last Line of Defense Extend the same safety awareness to the tools and equipment that are in use every day. The daily grind, weather conditions, and even storage practices play a hand in how safe the in-use equipment is. ASTM and OSHA standards require the daily inspections of equipment prior to use and after any breaks. This includes all rubber goods, fiberglass live line tools, grounding equipment, arc wear, trucks, vehicles, eyewear, hard hats, and more. ASTM standards outline the requirements for each. Monthly vehicle inspections account for tools that are needed, missing, and in need of calibration or testing. PPE is a lineworker’s last line of defense. Equipment must be in good condition or repaired/replaced if any damage is suspected or if the goods are past their due date for retesting. Rubber goods, such as gloves, sleeves, blankets and line hose, should be rolled, inflated, and inspected prior to every use (ASTM F496-08, F479-06, F478-06). “Cover all the phases. Make it look like a rubber Christmas tree. 70 percent of the accidents that we are called upon to assist are a failure to properly ground and cover.” – Rae Johnson, NSUJL Never pass things off as being fine – always check equipment to ensure that it is properly protecting you and your team. Check Rubber Goods for Deterioration A popular misconception is that if you haven’t used the equipment, it’s going to remain fine for use a week, a month, two months or more down the line. However, many factors can deteriorate the goods. Storage in too hot, cold, dry, or humid conditions can reduce the elasticity and flexibility of rubber goods. Incorrect storage practices can also lead to cracking and dry rot. It’s no different than rubber gaskets and bands that deteriorate over time on other parts and tools. Inspect rubber goods for the 24 types of visual failures outlined by ASTM F1236-96. Goods should also show a valid date stamp and be in compliance based on ASTM testing intervals as outlined in ASTM F496, F478, F479, F712, and F1116. Make Compliance Easier With 3 Internal Steps When discussing compliance, it can be strenuous to manage safety rotations and have compliant equipment at the ready for emergency situations. Time is money and lack of compliant equipment can keep you off a jobsite or result in OSHA fines, both of which are a significant financial hit. To make the compliance process easier, there are three internal steps that can be taken to help manage the process.  1. Consider Incentives for Safety Reward employees for catching out-of-compliance materials or reporting safety hazards. It brings pride to the workplace, helps avoid close calls in the long run, and reduces the likelihood of a costly incident or fine in the event of an inspection.  2. Implement a Second Set of Mission-Critical Equipment Many safety and tool managers choose to have a second set of critical equipment on hand. These are products that could hinder an emergency response, be delayed due to manufacturer inventory shortages, or may be easily damaged in the field, such as rubber gloves. Some companies even opt for a second, full rubber goods exchange set so there is never a rotation delay and there is always a backup set for emergency or storm support.  3. Bring in a Third-Party Partner There is value in bringing in additional support personnel from third-party companies that are experts in the core competencies required to manage safety rotations and offer compliance solutions. An effective third-party candidate will be knowledgeable about compliance standards and up to date on all certifications, while also having an extensive and diverse support background. When working with third-parties, make sure that they offer solutions to preserve all historical testing and compliance data. Having significant reporting data will be critical in the event of an OSHA inspection. So the Question Is… With 90 percent of incidents being the result of human error, as Mike Pazzanese says, “would you let your loved one into that situation?” If not, rethink the situation and take the necessary controls to avoid a hazardous situation. As always, making it home safely at the end of the day is more likely when you keep a safety mindset and avoid leaving it up to luck. Contributors Mike Pazzanese has 35 years of utility-related operations and safety experience. Mike is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP). He is currently the Director of Health/Safety and Training at ElecComm Corporation in Wilmington, MA. Rae Johnson is one of the founding members of the National Sisterhood United for Journeymen Linemen (NSUJL). Rae has personally been involved with IBEW local 126 since 1997 when she started as a flagger and worked her way up through the ranks to Apprentice Linemen. John Voyer, Manager of Substation Operations for Green Mountain Power (GMP), is responsible for the safe, reliable operation and maintenance of GMP’s Substation facilities throughout Vermont. John is a Vermont Licensed Master Electrician, Journeyman Lineworker, and a rated Relay Technician. Sources *OSHA 1910.269(a)(2)(iv) requires regular supervision and inspections conducted on at least an annual basis, that each employee practices safe working conditions. Additional training (or retraining) is to take place if the employees are not complying with safety-related work practices or if there are any equipment or safety-related procedures that need to be implemented or changed. **NSUJL (National Sisterhood United for Journeyman Linemen) (https://nsujl.org/) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting fallen or injured IBEW Journeymen Linemen, Utility Linemen, Apprentice Linemen, Groundmen, Operators, Line Clearance Tree Trimmers (LCTT) and/or their spouses and minor children.

Electrical Safety: 6 Steps to Staying Grounded

While working on an electrical line, promoting electrical safety is absolutely critical. The line you are working on could become energized in an instant, creating a dangerous, even deadly, situation. Lightning, human error, static electricity, induced voltage and backfeed are all serious dangers to line workers. A top priority in electrical safety is keeping electricity grounded while work is performed. Grounding electricity prevents it from seeking your body as the grounding path. OSHA and ASTM have mandated specific requirements to ensure that you remain safely grounded by using the right equipment and keeping that equipment functioning properly through inspections, cleaning and recertification. Follow these requirements, as well as company best practices, to support a safe work zone where the probability of an incident is reduced. Here are six steps to stay safe and grounded before and during electrical work. 1. Review Electrical Safety Practices Before Beginning Completing a job safely always starts with knowing and understanding your company’s safe work practices. Creating a safe environment includes conducting a hazard assessment prior to work (see OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269(a)(3) and .269(c)). An assessment will guide you through the completion of a job in a safe and efficient manner from beginning to end. Proper grounding practices are also included in an assessment. 2. Get up to Electrical Grounding Standards  Protective grounding should have an electrical impedance low enough to cause the immediate operation of protective devices in case of accidental operation of the lines or equipment (OSHA 29CFR 1910.269(n)(4)). Grounding equipment must be capable of conducting the resulting fault current that could flow at the point of grounding for the time necessary to clear the fault. Use a professional testing facility when custom building ground sets to ensure that your equipment is up to code. Installation and removal of protective grounding should always be done with live-line tools. The ground-end connection should be installed first and removed last when removing the grounds (OSHA 29CFR 1910.269(n)(6)). Liveline tools must be properly inspected before use for any damage that could inhibit their protective properties. Equipment that has suspected damage should be removed from use in the field (ASTM 711-02, 8.1) and sent to a professional testing facility. According to John “Grizzy” Grzywacz, Professor Emeritus of the OSHA National Training Institute, “Most utility accidents and fatalities with respect to line contact are a result of lack of appropriate PPE, lack of insulated line cover up, or lack of appropriate grounding.” 3. Select the Right Equipment for the Job  Grounding Components: When building sets, you can choose from a variety of electrical grounding components. Because grounding components (cables, ferrules and clamps) are furnished to meet the needs of various applications, each must meet the maximum current that could flow through the completed set at any time. As a general rule, your equipment is only as strong as the weakest component. For example, if one component is a grade 2 and the rest of the set is equipped to meet the current flow of a grade 4, your grounding equipment is rated at a grade 2. Clamps: In addition to ensuring that all components meet the fault current requirements for the job at hand, consider the clamp style and cable length. Under fault conditions, grounding cables can whip violently. For this reason, select clamps based on what they will be clamped onto to avoid fly off. Stocking grounding sets of various cable lengths is advised. Cabling that is too long creates an added hazard and could cause further injury, additional damage, or worse. Check grounds for breakage at clamps. If damage is found, remove the cable from use immediately and send it for further inspection. Check cable for any flattened or smashed sections. Wire brushing should occur before and after use to remove dirt and corrosion. Cable Jackets: Cable can be purchased with colored jackets or clear. Colored jackets, such as yellow, can offer better visibility of the ground set. A clear jacket provides better visibility to the copper stranding within, making damage inspection easier. Ground cables are stated in American Wires Gage numbers (AWG) and are also classified by type. Specifications for temporary grounding equipment can be found in ASTM F855-1990. 4. Oversee Regular Cleaning and Storage Regular cleaning of ground sets prolongs the life and safety of the set. Several factors can reduce a set’s effectiveness or contribute to its demise. Dirt and water can actually conduct electricity. The everyday, petroleum-based products that grounds come in contact with can damage the integrity of the ground set and reduce protective properties. Wire brushing of the ground clamps to remove corrosion and dirt, as well as cleaning the grounding cable with a rubber goods cleaner, should be done immediately before and after each use. Don’t forget to wire brush the cable that the clamps will be attached to. Proper cleaning also allows for better inspection of the equipment and may reveal damage that would have previously gone unnoticed. When sending grounds for recertification or repair, a professional facility will take the time to remove all corrosion and dirt from the ground set. Your set will look brand new and provide peak performance. When storing ground sets, keep them in a protective ground set bag. As with all safety equipment, store sets in a temperature-controlled environment, out of direct sunlight and high humidity. 5. Conduct Daily Inspections  Before each use, inspect clamps, cables, support studs, shrink tubing and ferrules to ensure that there is no structural damage. Clamps should be free of loose parts, sharp edges, splits and cracks. They should be able to be operated smoothly by hand (see ASTM F855-09, 10, 23, 36). Carefully inspect the area where the cable meets the ferrule for any breakage. Then begin inspecting the cable jacket for any corrosion (indicated by swollen or soft spots), flattened or smashed sections, or any cuts or breakage in the cable jacket. Any damaged ground set should be taken out of use and sent for repair and recertification. While damage can sometimes be easily identified, regular wear and tear, extreme voltage, and moisture can all cause unseen damage. For this reason,  follow industry best practices and establish planned repair and recertification intervals based on the type and frequency of work. 6. Manage Maintenance and Recertification  Broken and damaged grounds should be sent in for repair and recertification. It is highly recommended that ground sets without seemingly obvious structural damage also be sent to a certified test lab for regular recertification. Certified test labs completely disassemble and clean each component, including ferrules, clamps and cable. Each is tested separately per ASTM standards. Any necessary repairs or replacement parts are made as the device is reassembled. Then the complete ground set is tested. Once the ground set passes testing, it is labeled with test dates and due dates for recertification. This keeps crews in the loop about upcoming test interval expiration dates. The complexity of the recertification and repair process requires highly skilled and experienced personnel. It’s no surprise, then, that the industry trend is moving toward having an experienced testing laboratory complete these processes. If It’s Not Grounded… Proper electrical grounding keeps you compliant and ensures that you remain safe while working on the line. Remember, a line that is de-energized can easily become energized in the blink of an eye, so stay safe and safely grounded at all times. If it’s not grounded, it’s not dead!

Why Testing Rubber Goods Is Essential to Electrical Safety

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the average annual fatality rate for power line workers is 56 deaths per 100,000 employees. To keep workers safe, there are several personal protective equipment (PPE) items that should be utilized in the field. One of the most important lines of defense is rubber goods. The risk of injury, and even death, from electric shock is drastically reduced by taking a few simple steps with your rubber goods. Keep up with daily inspections and cleaning, use safe storage methods, and safety test your equipment regularly at an experienced, accredited testing lab. Learn why rubber goods are so important to worker safety and how to ensure that your equipment is ready for any situation.   Why Rubber Goods? Rubber goods can include gloves, sleeves, boots, blankets, line hose, and more. These are key PPE in preventing electrical current from entering your body and causing injury or death. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires rubber goods to be worn when workers are within close proximity to electrical equipment. OSHA upholds and enforces the way electrical work can be performed based on the standards issued by the ASTM F18 Committee. This committee is made up of experts in the electrical industry who set national standards and guidelines. Getting Up to Code Complying with ASTM standards, in addition to regular care and maintenance, reduces the risk of injury in the field. Better yet, it makes users and their companies OSHA compliant. This keeps workers safe and reduces the risk of an OSHA fine. In addition to daily inspection, proper storage, and care, rubber goods should be sent to a top-quality, NAIL for PET-accredited rubber testing facility. At these facilities, equipment is tested and recertificated to stay compliant with ASTM standards (ASTM 478-09, 7.1, F479-06, 8.1.1, and F496-08, 7.1). ASTM F496, 7.1 states that rubber gloves should be electrically tested before their first use and every six months after. Sleeves, line hose, blankets and hoods have their own specific testing cycles. Cycle dates are determined by the end user, but maximum testing intervals are mandated by ASTM. All ASTM codes are available online for review. “It costs a little more, but you would hate to have something happen in the field … something that could have been avoided.” – Supply Manager, Wisconsin Testing in Six Steps Maintaining a safe work environment starts with having the right equipment and processes in place. Attention to detail and quality control should be a top priority when selecting rubber goods. Outsourcing rubber goods testing can provide convenience and ease of mind. High-quality testing of rubber goods consists of: Cleaning Visual inspection Electrical testing Certification Date stamping Packing Shipping Let’s discuss each of these testing methods in more detail: Cleaning A NAIL for PET-accredited test lab handles cleaning the outside and inside of all rubber goods. The lab removes old stamps and dirt. Goods then dry completely before going on to a visual test that is performed by a trained inspector (ASTM 1236-96). Properly cleaning rubber goods removes conductive and compromising dirt and oil, while allowing for the best visual inspection. Visual Inspection While rubber goods may look safe, inflation or rolling of rubber goods can reveal hidden damage. During visual inspection of gloves and sleeves, the rubber is inflated, inspected, turned inside-out, inflated and inspected once again. Blankets are carefully rolled and scanned on both sides. Line hoses are opened up and then rolled. Inflation and rolling allow for a better scan of the rubber. It also exposes physical imperfections. If there are any scratches, punctures, or cracking in the rubber, it doesn’t pass visual inspection and won’t move on to the next step. Electrical Testing Electrical testing of rubber consists of exposing the rubber to an electrical voltage. The amount of voltage is based on the rubber’s class (ASTM F496: Section 7). Rubber is electrically tested beyond its maximum field use to make sure that it can withstand the electrical stress it will be subjected to while in use. If an electrical failure occurs, a hole will burn through the rubber. The item is then stamped as a failure because it is unfit for electrical use. Certification, Date Stamping, Packing and Shipping After the rubber passes the visual and electrical testing, it is then certified with a date stamp. This stamp includes either the date of the test or the expiration date, the voltage the PPE was tested up to, and the name of the testing facility. Special ink is used for the stamping. It’s safe for use on rubber and won’t fade or wipe off during normal use. Once the stamps have dried, gloves and sleeves are dusted with 100 percent talc powder to absorb any remaining moisture (ASTM F478, F479 and F496). Gloves and sleeves are then placed in new plastic bags and heat sealed. Blankets and line hose are placed securely in plastic containers or totes. Proper care is taken to ensure that the goods are not crushed or folded when packaged. It’s recommended that plastic totes be used for shipping to provide solid protection while in transit. Are your rubber goods keeping your employees safe? Regular testing of rubber goods makes it easy to answer this question. Testing does more than bring your facility into compliance. It keeps employees safe from dangerous, even deadly, situations. Take a few minutes to inspect equipment so you can be properly protected from any electrical danger.