Moving Equipment Safely around Power Lines

1. Moving Equipment Safely around Power Lines Presented by: Farmington Electric Utility FCSN-Equipment Move Task Force

2. Equipment Move Task Force&Farmington Electric Utility Presenter Steve Henson - System Operations Manager Farmington Electric Utility

3. Objective • An electrical hazard can exist during any number of situations or emergencies that oil field workers are exposed to every day. This training has been designed to assist area Companies and other agencies in providing a safe work atmosphere for their personnel in working around electricity and accidental contact and other electrical emergencies.

4. Agenda • Common Myths • The basic electric circuit • Effects of electricity on the human body • Line Identification • What to do if contact is made • Step Potential, How to get away!! • What can be done to make equipment moves safer?

5. Fatal Electrical Workplace Accidents 2003-2007 Worker contact with electric current was responsible for 1,213 fatal workplace accidents from 2003-2007 and 13,150 workers were so severely injured from electrical contacts that their injuries required time off from work. Data: Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)

6. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFi) • Power lines are the single greatest on the job electrical hazard, killing an average of 133 workers per year. • Our goal is to do our part in the Four Corners to reduce this number by educating our field personnel of the hazards associated with electrical power lines during equipment moves and working on the job sites.

7. Common Myths about Electricity • The lowest line on a pole is safe to contact. • Electricity will jump several feet to a person or object. • The tires on a vehicle will protect a person from electricity. • It is safe to use any insulating material to contact an electric line. (Wood, fiberglass, rope, PVC….) • All overhead power lines are insulated to protect against accidental contact.

8. Myth:The lowest line on a pole is safe to contact. The lowest line on a poleis not always the safest line. In the top picture, the low line is a communications line, a low hazard potential. However, the lowest line in the bottom picture shows the high voltage line as the lowest line on the pole and has a very high hazard potential. Utilities use this type of construction for lightning protection on the line.

9. Myth: Electricity will jump several feet to a person or object. This statement can be true depending on the voltage. You don’t need to contact a power line to be in danger; electricity can jump, or arc, from a power line to a worker who gets too close. The best insulator is lots of space. Workers should keep themselves and any equipment they’re using a minimum of ten feet away from power lines, but far greater safe distances are recommended when possible. Certain conditions, such as smoke or dust can increase the arcing distance considerably.

10. Myth: The tires on a vehicle will protect a person from electricity. Tires offer little or no protection to a driver or passenger who attempts to exit a vehicle when contact with high voltage is made. Most tires have steel cores and the rubber is contaminated from being on the roads. High voltage will track across the tires and go to ground. A very high amount of heat is created and in most cases the tires will start on fire. Multiple tires may be involved, we will discuss parallel paths in a later slide.

11. Myth:It is safe to use any insulating material to contact an electric line. (Wood, fiberglass, rope, PVC …) There are many different types of insulating materials. But onlythose toolsdesignedandtestedfor electrical work can be used to contact energized electric lines and equipment. These specialized tools also require proper training to use! Untested materials, such as wooden broom handles, 2x4’s, rope and PVC pipe, can be contaminated, wet or cracked allowing voltage to pass through the material.

12. Myth: All overhead power lines are insulated to protect against accidental contact. While a few power lines may have a covering to protect against weather, they are not insulated for contact. Birds can sit on power lines unhurt because they don’t represent a path to ground. You, your trucks and tools do.

13. The Basic Electrical System

14. The Basic Electrical Circuit • Voltage - The “pressure” that pushes an electrical charge through a conductor. • Amperage or Current - The measure of electrical current flow. • Resistance - The opposition to electrical current flow, measured in Ohms.

15. It’s your choice, the circuit can look like this….

16. Or like this…….

17. One Amp of Electricity or Less can KILL 1 Milliamp = 1/1000 of an amp 2 Milliamps – Mild shock 10 milliamps – Can’t let go 50 milliamps – Breathing difficult 100 milliamps – Heart Stops 300 milliamps – Severe Burns, breathing stops

18. Ohm’s Law

19. For example… • In your home, a 100 watt light bulb uses 120 volts and has 144 ohms of resistance, this equals 833 milliamps of current. 120 / 144 = .833 or 833 mA. • If you contact a 120 volt source in your home, and your body has 500 ohms of resistance, you will receive 240mA through your body. 120/500= .240 or 240 mA

20. High Voltage Electricity on the Human Body • Each victim will have an entrance and an exit wound on their body • The amount of damage to the body depends on the current, time of exposure, and the part of the body affected. • How much Electricity does it take to KILL? • Step Potential • Caution: A few of the following pictures are graphic.

21. 480 Volt Flash Burns

22. Exposure to between 4000 and 8000 volts. Entrance wound Exit wound

23. Exposure to an excess of 7500 volts

24. Burns from Electrical contact

25. Contact with a high voltage line can be devastating, damage to equipment, or worse…..

26. Yes! Even Deadly……

27. Step Potential High Voltage Line Path to ground

28. Step Potential Voltage Ring

29. If your vehicle or load comes in contact with power lines: • Attempt to drive away from the contact. If your vehicle will not move……. • Remain calm and stay in the vehicle. • Instruct bystanders to stay away. If you are able, call for emergency help or have someone else call. • If you must exit the vehicle due to fire or other life threatening situations, due so by standing at the edge of the vehicle and jump away. Keep both feet together and hop or shuffle away from the vehicle. DO NOT touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time!

30. How to move from a downed line.

31. Parallel Path In simple terms, current will follow more than one path to ground. If you touch a vehicle that is in contact with a high power line, and you see arcing at one of the tires, you may still become a path to ground. Electricity will find as many paths as is can to go to ground, all can be fatal.

32. Another example of a Parallel Path!

33. Contact with high voltage Distribution Line

34. Driving under high voltage lines

35. So what do the regulations say? OSHA Regulation states • 1910.333(c)(3)(iii) "Vehicular and mechanical equipment." • 1910.333(c)(3)(iii)(A) Any vehicle or mechanical equipment capable of having parts of its structure elevated near energized overhead lines shall be operated so that a clearance of 10 ft. (305 cm) is maintained. If the voltage is higher than 50kV, the clearance shall be increased 4 in. (10 cm) for every 10kV over that voltage. However, under any of the following condition, the clearance may be reduced: • 1910.333(c)(3)(iii)(A)(1) If the vehicle is in transit with its structure lowered, the clearance may be reduced to 4 ft. (122 cm). If the voltage is higher than 50kV, the clearance shall be increased 4 in. (10 cm) for every 10 kV over that voltage.

36. Identifying types of power lines • Power lines come in many different voltages and configurations. • Knowing what you are dealing with is very important. • You may not be able to identify the exact voltage, but at least know the class or type of line you are working around. • Transmission • Distribution • Secondary (low voltage) • Communications

37. Electric lines can come in many different shapes and sizes Transmission Distribution Secondary Communication

38. Transmission Lines Voltages from 69,000 to 345,000 volts in this area. (There are still higher voltages in other areas.)

39. 345KV transmission lines

40. 230KV transmission lines

41. 115KV transmission line

42. 69KV transmission line

43. Distribution Lines Voltages range from 2400 volts to 8,000 volts phase to ground and 4,160 volts to 14,400 volts phase to phase.

44. 3 Phase distribution line

45. 3 Phase distribution line

46. 3 Phase distribution line with neutral on top.

47. 3 Phase distribution line with slim line construction

48. Single phase line

49. Single phase line with neutral on top of pole.

50. Secondary Lines Lower voltages, from 110 volts to 480 volts, three phase and single phase. (Low voltage is generally considered anywhere from 1 to 600 volts)