CFR

1926.954—Grounding for protection of employees.

(a) General. All conductors and equipment shall be treated as energized until tested or otherwise determined to be deenergized or until grounded.

(b) New construction. New lines or equipment may be considered deenergized and worked as such where:

(1) The lines or equipment are grounded, or

(2) The hazard of induced voltages is not present, and adequate clearances or other means are implemented to prevent contact with energized lines or equipment and the new lines or equipment.

(c) Communication conductors. Bare wire communication conductors on power poles or structures shall be treated as energized lines unless protected by insulating materials.

(d) Voltage testing. Deenergized conductors and equipment which are to be grounded shall be tested for voltage. Results of this voltage test shall determine the subsequent procedures as required in § 1926.950(d).

(e) Attaching grounds. (1) When attaching grounds, the ground end shall be attached first, and the other end shall be attached and removed by means of insulated tools or other suitable devices.

(2) When removing grounds, the grounding device shall first be removed fromt the line or equipment using insulating tools or other suitable devices.

(f) Grounds shall be placed between work location and all sources of energy and as close as practicable to the work location, or grounds shall be placed at the work location. If work is to be performed at more than one location in a line section, the line section must be grounded and short circuited at one location in the line section and the conductor to be worked on shall be grounded at each work location. The minimum distance shown in Table V-1 shall be maintained from ungrounded conductors at the work location. Where the making of a ground is impracticable, or the conditions resulting therefrom would be more hazardous than working on the lines or equipment without grounding, the grounds may be omitted and the line or equipment worked as energized.

(g) Testing without grounds. Grounds may be temporarily removed only when necessary for test purposes and extreme caution shall be exercised during the test procedures.

(h) Grounding electrode. When grounding electrodes are utilized, such electrodes shall have a resistance to ground low enough to remove the danger of harm to personnel or permit prompt operation of protective devices.

(i) Grounding to tower. Grounding to tower shall be made with a tower clamp capable of conducting the anticipated fault current.

(j) Ground lead. A ground lead, to be attached to either a tower ground or driven ground, shall be capable of conducting the anticipated fault current and shall have a minimum conductance of No. 2 AWG copper.

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