WORKING ON OR NEAR DE-ENERGIZED EQUIPMENT AS SUGGESTED BY IEEE STD 902-1998

WHY WE SHOULD WORK ON NEAR OR DE-ENERGIZED EQUIPMENT?

Working on or near de-energized equipment.

The definition of the term de-energized can be found in IEEE Std 100-1996 and in several other documents. It is defined as "free from any electrical connection to a source of potential difference and from electric charge; not having a potential different from that of the earth".

At first thought, some people might think that they are safe if the electrical equipment on which they are going to work is de-energized. However, things are not always as they appear.

The unexpected happens. A person should think, "What if...?." What if the wrong disconnect switch was opened? Or, since you can't watch the switch and work at the same time, what if someone turns the switch back on while you are busy working?

What if a source of voltage from another circuit somehow gets accidentally connected onto the conductors on which you are going to work? What if a very large induced voltage is present? The point is that there are several things to consider to ensure a person's safety while working. De energizing is only one part of creating an electrically safe work condition.

Establishing an electrically safe work condition
In the past, the methods that electrical personnel followed to protect themselves were lumped into a term called clearance procedures. In some cases, clearance simply meant permission to work on a particular system, whether it was energized or not.

In other cases, clearance meant taking measures to ensure that equipment is de-energized, and to reinforce those measures with formal safeguards against altering that de-energized status for as long as clearance is required. The latter use of the word clearance is closer to the hazardous energy control requirements in place today.

The term clearance is falling out of use in modern electrical safety terminology because it does not mean safety. Clearance (for work) is defined in 29 CFR 1910.269 as "authorization to perform specified work or permission to enter a restricted area."

Today, for safety purposes, the phrase "establish an electrically safe work condition" is preferred. An electrically safe work condition is defined in Part II of NFPA 70E- 1995. Section 2-3.1.3 of that document states

An electrically safe work condition shall be achieved and verified by the following process:

a) Determine all possible sources of electrical supply to the specifc equipment. Check applicable up-to-date drawings, diagrams, and identifcation tags.

b) After properly interrupting the load current, open the disconnecting device(s) for each source.

c) Where it is possible, visually verify that all blades of the disconnecting devices are fully open, or that drawout type circuit breakers are withdrawn to the fully disconnected position.

d) Apply lockout/tagout devices in accordance with a documented and established  policy.

e) Use an adequately rated voltage detector to test each phase conductor or circuit part to verify that it is de-energized. Before and after each test, determine that the voltage detector is operating satisfactorily.

f) Where the possibility of induced voltages or stored electrical energy exists, ground the phase conductors or circuit parts before touching them. Where it could be reasonably anticipated that the conductors or circuit parts being de-energized could contact other exposed energized conductors or circuit parts, apply ground connecting devices rated for the available fault duty.

When nondrawout, molded-case circuit breakers are being used as the disconnecting device mentioned in item b), visual verification of an open circuit, as suggested in item c), cannot be made.

One technique that could be used to verify true opening is to have a voltmeter, or other voltage indicating device, safely applied somewhere away from the breaker enclosure itself on the load side of the breaker before the breaker is opened.

Always try to place the voltmeter at a point where exposure to energized conductors is minimized. Then, have someone watch the meter as the breaker is being opened. Simultaneous opening of the breaker and disappearance of voltage is generally a good indicator of disconnection.

If that can't be done, the next best way is to measure load-side voltage (using safe practices and appropriate protective and test equipment), remove the meter, open the breaker, and measure again immediately. With multiple pole systems, all load-side poles should be verified to have voltage prior to disconnection.

Again, apply a voltmeter to one of the poles. After the breaker is opened and the first pole is verified, move the meter, as safely and quickly as possible, to verify deenergization of the other poles.