34 Pa. Code Ch. 39 — Safety Standards—General

§ 39.405. Removing grounds. In removing a protective ground the employe shall not remove the grounding device from the ground connection until the device has been disconnected from normally live current-carrying parts. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.384 (…

SPECIAL RULES FOR EMPLOYES—SUPPLY STATION ANDSWITCHBOARD OPERATORS § 39.411. General provisions. Engineers, machine attendants, switchboard operators, and helpers shall study and strictly observe the following, in addition to all the general rules in § § 39.331—39.405 (relating t…

§ 39.412. Care about machines. (a) Care shall be exercised to prevent oil cans, tools, dusters, or wiping cloths from catching in moving parts of machinery. In passing any switchboard or machine in operation, employes shall not touch it unnecessarily nor allow metal tools or othe…

§ 39.413. Care about live or moving parts. (a) No employe shall work on or near exposed live or moving parts unless authorized to do such work, and he shall strictly observe the rules applicable to such work. (b) When working near fuses and circuit breakers or other apparatus whi…

§ 39.414. Handling fuses or brushes. (a) In handling fuses above 750 volts, use shall be made of the special rods or tongs. Such person shall stand on insulating platforms, or mats, if provided. The body shall be kept as distant and as far below as possible. (b) Link fuses shall …

§ 39.415. Battery rooms. (a) No employe shall smoke or cause arcing in storage battery rooms. The use of open flames should be avoided, especially while the cells are gassing, and should be permitted only in special cases under the direct supervision of an experienced person, and…

§ 39.416. Working in elevated positions. When working in an elevated position, especially above live or moving parts, employers shall assure the security of position and support, and precautions should be taken to avoid dropping tools or materials. Cross References This section c…

§ 39.417. Handling switchboard equipment. (a) Ungrounded metal parts of devices on switchboards shall be handled as if operating at the highest voltage to which any portion of the equipment on the same switchboard panel is subject, unless the parts are known, by test or otherwise…

§ 39.418. Reporting circuit trouble to chief operator. Employes shall report to their immediate superior or the chief operator any unusual conditions of load, and the indication of any accidental ground on an outgoing circuit. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § …

§ 39.419. Reporting defects. Employes shall promptly report to superiors any dangerous conditions of equipment or surroundings, including defective tools, switches, or protective devices, or live cases or frames of apparatus or instruments. Cross References This section cited in …

OVERHEAD LINE OPERATION § 39.421. General provisions. Linemen and assistants and groundmen, in construction, extension, removal, or repair work, shall study and strictly observe the provisions of § § 39.421—39.429 as well as the general rules in sections § § 39.331—39.405 which a…

§ 39.422. Testing structures before climbing. Before climbing poles, ladders, scaffolds or other elevated structures, care shall be taken to assure that the pole, ladder, scaffold, tree, crossarm, messenger wire, cable car, or boatswain’s chair, or other elevated support, is stro…

§ 39.423. Use of pole steps. When poles are stepped, use should be made of such steps in climbing. Employes shall not support themselves by pins, brackets, or conductors. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.421 (relating to general provisions); 34 Pa. Code § 3…

§ 39.424. Spurs. Spurs with gaffs worn short shall not be used. The gaffs on spurs shall be kept sharp, and spurs shall fit properly. Spurs shall not be worn on work for which they are not required, nor while men are traveling to or from work. Cross References This section cited …

§ 39.425. Care about live parts. (a) Employes shall not go among any wires until their voltage is known. Leaning over and crowding through unprotected wires should be avoided if possible. Employes shall place themselves so that they do not fall on wires if an accident occurs. (b)…

§ 39.426. Touching live parts. (a) Employes shall not allow any portion of the body to come in contact with any live or grounded part other than that worked on. (b) When touching supply lines or equipment, employes shall avoid, as far as possible, touching ground wires, guy wires…

§ 39.427. Protecting traffic. (a) When working overhead, employes shall keep tools and materials not in use in proper receptacles; tools or materials should not be thrown to or from the man on the pole, but should be raised or lowered by means of a hand line, using proper recepta…

§ 39.428. Stringing wires. (a) Employes shall not string wire near live lines except by means of suitable insulating hand lines or other appliances. Care shall be taken to avoid bringing string wire in contact with the live lines. Employes shall regard them as live wires of the s…

§ 39.429. Reporting defects. Employes shall promptly report to their immediate superior any dangerous conditions of their own or other utilities observed arising from defective insulators, pins, crossarms, abnormally sagging wires, and the like. Cross References This section cite…

UNDERGROUND LINE OPERATION § 39.431. General provisions. Cable splicers and other workmen in underground construction or operation shall study and strictly observe this section and § § 39.432—39.438 in addition to the general rules in § § 39.331—39.405 which apply to their work. …

§ 39.432. Guarding manholes, handholes, and street openings. When removing manhole or handhole covers or making excavations, employes shall promptly protect the opening with a barrier, temporary cover or other suitable guard, and see that danger signals or red lights are displaye…

§ 39.433. Testing for gas. Employes shall not enter manholes until they have assured themselves that the manholes are free from dangerous gases, by testing with approved safety lamps, by ventilation, or by other adequate methods. Reference should be made to § 39.542 (relating to …

§ 39.434. Watchman on surface at manholes. Employes shall not enter a manhole unless a temporary cover is placed over the opening or a watchman is stationed at the surface. If any gas may be present employes shall see that the watchman is stationed at the surface. If any hazard i…

§ 39.435. Avoiding flames. (a) Employes shall not smoke in manholes; they shall avoid, as far as practicable, open flames or torches in or near manholes. (b) Employes shall avoid sparks in handling live parts or cable sheaths and avoid igniting the flux in soldering and wiping jo…

§ 39.436. Pulling cables. When pulling in cables employes shall insure that the gear can not slip so as to injure workmen. They shall avoid the danger of having the hands drawn into the tackle by the pulling line. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.431 (relat…

§ 39.437. Testing and splicing live cable. (a) If lines and cables are not properly identified by markings or positions, employes shall not work upon them. (b) Employes shall always ascertain, if practicable, whether cables are alive by testing with the test devices provided, bef…

§ 39.438. Reporting defects. Employes shall promptly report to immediate superiors any dangerous condition of their own or other utilities, whether observed in underground or overhead construction. Report shall particularly be made of unsanitary conditions, gas or missing cable t…

SERIES LAMP OPERATION § 39.441. General provisions. Series lamp trimmers, hangers and inspectors shall study and strictly observe this section and § § 39.442—39.447 in addition to the general rules in § § 39.331—39.405 and the special rules in § § 39.421—39.438 which apply to the…

§ 39.442. Precaution on series circuits. Series lamps and devices in series circuits should always be treated as alive unless disconnected by absolute cut-outs or protected by the grounding of the circuit. Reference should also be made to § § 39.401—39.405. Cross References This …

§ 39.443. Handling series lamps. (a) Trimmers, inspectors, or patrolmen shall wear suitable insulating gloves and stand on insulating platforms or dry, well seasoned wood poles while touching series lamps or their cut-outs, when these are alive. (b) If stools or tower wagons are …

§ 39.444. Bridging series lamps. Before working on lamps or other devices in live series circuits, employes shall bridge the device with jumpers such as series lamp cut-outs usually provided so that the circuit cannot be opened at the device and be completed through the body or a…

§ 39.445. Testing series lamp circuits. Series lamp circuits should not be tested at their full operating voltage unless it is impracticable to test otherwise. Tests should be made only in accordance with a time schedule, concerning which persons whose safety may be affected are …

§ 39.446. Periodically disconnected circuits. If circuits, such as series lamp circuits, are not effectively grounded during the idle period, rules for handling live parts shall be strictly observed. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.441 (relating to general…

§ 39.447. Reporting defects. Employes shall report promptly to immediate superiors any abnormally sagging wires, broken insulators, leaning poles, defective poles steps, broken globes or lamp supports, and other defects giving rise to a dangerous condition of employes or other ut…

METER OPERATION § 39.451. General provisions. Meter setters and testers shall study and strictly observe this section and § § 39.452—39.457 in addition to all the general rules in § § 39.331—39.405 which apply to their work. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39…

§ 39.452. Taped joints. Employes shall not leave joints or loose ends of wires untaped unless they are otherwise protected. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.451 (relating to general provisions); and 34 Pa. Code § 39.461 (relating to general requirements).…

§ 39.453. Care about live parts. Employes shall not use bare fingers or hands to determine whether a circuit is alive nor shall they replace fuses in live circuits above 750 volts except by means of the suitable appliances provided. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. C…

§ 39.454. Opening circuits at switches. Special care should be exercised in opening circuits at meter connections unless the circuits have been first properly opened at switches. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.451 (relating to general provisions); and 34 …

§ 39.455. Current transformer secondaries. Before working on an instrument or other device in a current transformer secondary circuit employes shall bridge the device with jumpers so that the circuit cannot be opened at the device. Employes shall not open such a circuit at meter …

§ 39.456. Special tools. Employes shall use only handtools suited to the work in hand, to reduce the danger of short circuits. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.451 (relating to general provisions); and 34 Pa. Code § 39.461 (relating to general requirements)…

§ 39.457. Reporting defects. Employes shall promptly report to immediate superiors any live meter case or any condition of a meter or its connections of the interior wiring or of overhead lines, of their own or other utilities, which may endanger life and property. Cross Referenc…

TESTING OPERATIONS § 39.461. General requirements. Electrical testers, helpers and others working about electrical tests shall study and strictly observe this section and § § 39.462—39.467 in addition to the general rules in § § 39.331—39.405. Owing to the diversified character o…

§ 39.462. Authorization for work. (a) Employes shall not work on or about equipment or lines without first receiving authorization from the person in charge. (b) If such equipment or lines are under control of a chief operator, this authorization shall come from him. This shall i…

§ 39.463. Checking of conditions. (a) Employes shall thoroughly familiarize themselves with conditions surrounding equipment or lines to be tested before making any change in these conditions. (b) Employes shall not make any change in equipment or lines unless they fully understa…

§ 39.464. Foreman. One properly qualified person shall be in immediate charge of testing work, or workmen shall be instructed as to the work they are to perform and the employe instructing them shall be considered in charge of the work. Cross References This section cited in 34 P…

§ 39.465. Warnings and barriers. (a) The employer shall display danger signs and erect suitable guards about equipment or lines under test when in places where traffic is frequent, if live or moving parts would otherwise be exposed. (b) When temporary wiring, belts, pulleys or ot…

§ 39.466. Requirement for two workmen. No person shall work alone in testing or experimental work on or about parts on which the voltage may exceed 750 volts, except in routine testing where the live parts are properly guarded. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code §…

§ 39.467. Reporting defects. Employes shall promptly report to immediate superiors any conditions of equipment or lines under test which may endanger life or property. Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 39.461 (relating to general requirements).

TUNNEL AND SUBWAY OPERATION § 39.471. General requirements. (a) Tunnel and subway electricians, operators, and others working on or about underground electrical equipment, not in stations, substations, or in underground conduit systems, shall study and strictly observe this secti…

§ 39.472. Live electrical parts. (a) Before handling electrical equipment or wires, employes shall ascertain whether they are alive or dead. Employes should not work on live equipment or wires when the current may be shut off without interrupting necessary operations. (b) No pers…