MOBILE COMMUNICATION COMPANY INTERNATIONAL

QHSE SYSTEM MANUAL

MBZ/QHSESM/01 Title Rev No Issue Date

Annexure 11 Electrical Safety Procedures 03 01/11/2021

Procedures of Working in Electrical Hazardous Areas

 Procedures of Working in Electrical Hazardous Areas
Purpose

This awareness describes minimum requirements for safely performing work on or near electrical
equipment, including power lines.

General Requirement

A. Only properly equipped personnel who are trained and certified for the type of electrical work
shall perform maintenance or operation work on electrical equipment or be present within
minimum clearances of such equipment.
B. Personnel authorized to work on electrical equipment with electrical safety training certificate.
C. Personnel shall not wear rings, wristwatches, jewelry or other similar metallic objects while
working within arm’s length of energized electrical equipment.
D. Ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs, see Figures 1 and 2) or ground-fault isolation systems
shall be used for portable electrical tools, temporary wiring, and confined space entry activities
and in potentially wet or damp areas.
E. Electrical and static-producing equipment, including air movers, shall be properly grounded
and bonded and shall be provided with ground-fault protection.

Figure 1 GFCI (Building Settings)

Figure 2 GFCI (Industrial Settings)

F. Installation of electrical equipment and circuits shall conform to NFPA 70, relevant electrical
engineering standards (e.g., P-series) and the approved design package.
G. When electrical equipment is to be worked on while de-energized, it shall be properly isolated
(e.g., disconnected from all power sources, locked, tagged, cleared, tried). For electrical
systems, appropriate isolation shall include locking or removal of switches, circuit breakers,
fuses or other isolating devices, or disconnection of all power supplies. Isolation of electrical
power equipment and circuits operated at 480 volts or higher shall include disconnection of all
power sources, voltage testing and grounding. Locks and hold tags shall be used to prevent
circuits from being inadvertently energized (see Figure 3).

Figure 3 Electrical Isolation Lock and Hold Tags

H. Metal ladders shall not be used when working on or near energized electrical equipment or
conductors; only nonconductive ladders (e.g., fiberglass) shall be used.
I. Proper personal protective equipment (PPE), including flame resistant clothing (FRC), hardhat,
safety glasses, rubber gloves with leather protectors and safety shoes, shall be worn when
working on or near electrical equipment.
J. Rubber blankets shall be used to provide insulation from nearby exposed energized conductors.
K. Prior to each use, the user of rubber insulating gloves shall visually inspect. The leather
(mechanical) protectors shall always be worn over high voltage rubber insulating gloves.
L. Hand/power tools and personal ground cables (jumpers) shall be visually inspected by the user
prior to each use.
M. Defective electrical equipment and tools shall not be used and shall be immediately removed
from the job site.
N. Insulated/insulating protective equipment (e.g., rubber gloves and blankets) and hot sticks shall
be periodically tested and tagged by a qualified testing laboratory, as per the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
O. Electrical testing equipment (e.g., voltage meters) shall be periodically calibrated and tagged
by a testing laboratory as per the manufacturer’s recommendation.
P. Personal ground cables shall be properly inspected/tested and tagged at least annually.
Q. Electrical interlocks shall not be rendered inoperative by removal, modification or destruction.
R. Fuses shall be removed with approved fuse pullers and replaced only with the proper type and
rated fuse.
S. Noncurrent-carrying metal parts of electrical equipment shall be properly grounded to prevent
discharge of electricity.
T. When operating or closing a disconnect switch, personnel shall remove all jewelry,
wristwatches, etc., stand to the side of the switch and move the switch with a quick upward or
downward single motion. Personnel shall turn their head away from the switch, except when
wearing an arc rated face shield (i.e., required for work on electrical equipment operated above
240 volts).
U. Tables 1 and 2, and Figure 4 shall be used to determine the safe distance for personnel working
near energized electrical equipment.
 Figure 4 Working conditions near Exposed Live Parts

V. Vehicles shall not be allowed to pass over exposed cables, unless the cables have been
adequately protected.
W. Confined space entry shall be permitted until the atmosphere inside has been tested and is found
to be safe.
X. Work platforms and mobile equipment used near energized electrical equipment shall be
properly grounded. See Figure 5

Figure 5 Grounded work platform

Temporary Electrical Installations

A. Temporary electrical system installations shall conform to NFPA 70, National Electrical Code
(NEC).
B. Installation of temporary electrical equipment shall be performed by, or under the direction of,
an authorized/certified electrician in accordance with the NEC.
C. Prior approval shall be obtained before connecting temporary electrical installations to existing
installations.
D. Receptacles shall not be connected to the same circuits that supply temporary lighting.
E. Ground-fault protection (e.g., GFCIs) shall be provided for all temporary wiring installations.

Hazardous (Classified) Locations

A. Electrical wiring and equipment used in electrically classified (hazardous) areas shall be
designed and installed per NEC requirements for the specific service required.
B. Electrical equipment shall be rated (e.g., intrinsically safe) as required for the specific electrical
classification of the hazardous area.
 C. Electrical equipment shall not be used in electrically classified locations, unless it is marked to
show the class, group and operating temperature for which it is approved.
D. Metal conduits in electrically classified (hazardous) locations shall be threaded, made wrench
tight and sealed as required.

Work on Live Electrical Equipment

A. Work shall not be performed on energized electrical equipment, unless the nature of the task
requires the work to be performed while the equipment is energized (e.g., measuring voltage,
switching, and hot phasing).
B. Only properly certified personnel (e.g., Building Maintenance) shall perform work on energized
electrical equipment.
C. At least one member of each crew authorized to work on energized electrical equipment shall
have current first aid/basic life support (BLS) certificates.
D. Work permits shall be obtained prior to commencing work on live equipment.
E. Before beginning work on live equipment, required PPE that is rated for the electrical service
shall be worn.
F. Personnel shall not work alone on energized electrical equipment, except as permitted or with
the presence of building maintenance.
G. Work on energized electrical equipment shall be limited to one electrical phase at a time, as
applicable (e.g., performing hot phasing).