OSHA Reopens Record on Electric Power Generation, Transmission, Distribution Due to IEEE Distance Corrections
October 12, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will open the record on a notice of proposed rulemaking on electric power generation, transmission and distribution, as well as for electrical protective equipment.
OSHA seeks comments related to safe proximity between a worker and exposed electrical parts.
In 2005, OSHA published a proposed rule to revise the general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission and distribution and for electrical protective equipment such as insulating blankets, gloves and rubber sleeves.
OSHA used principles adopted from the 1993 National Electrical Safety Code/American National Standards Institute (ANSI) C2-1993 and ANSI/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Standard 516-1987.
That proposal included revised minimum approach distances (MAD) to determine how close a worker or an object that the worker is holding can get to an electrical part.
IEEE later made corrections for calculating MAD and the current proposed rule includes those revisions.
For more information, review the Sept. 14 Federal Register posting, Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution - Electrical Protective Equipment - Limited Reopening of Record - Notice of Informal Public Hearing.
Source: U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).