Information
-
Audit Title
-
Document No.
-
Client / Site
-
Conducted on
-
Prepared by
-
Location
-
Personnel
Installation & Maintenance of Safety Grounds (Section 1)
-
Only approved grounding devices shall be used. Safety grounds shall be tested annually (by February 1) and marked to indicate the year tested as outlined in ED-TI-18.001 Section 4, Safety Grounds and Field Test Procedures for Safety Grounds, and ED-TI-18.006 Section 8, Color Codes for Electrical Tests for Hot Sticks, Insulated Measuring Sticks, Safety Grounds, Extension Cords and Electric Tools.
-
A voltage detection device shall be used prior to placing of safety grounds to detect nominal potentials. Buzzing with a Hot Stick is acceptable only if the voltage detection device is inoperable or in emergency situations. This requirement does not apply to gas-insulated switchgear (see paragraph 5 of this procedure, Gas-Insulated Switchgear Grounding).
-
When attaching grounds to flat, the set screw shall be tightened.
-
All safety grounds and ground sticks shall be visually inspected before each use.
-
After repair or replacement of conductor or clamps, each safety ground shall be tested and marked with color tape as designated in ED-TI-18.005 Section 4 & ED-TI-18.006 Section 8.
-
Employees on the ground should avoid unnecessary contact or work within 10 feet (3m) of any structure, temporary ground rod, or equipment connected to the worksite safety grounding system, since a rise in potential above the surrounding terrain may occur. If employees must perform work within this 10-foot zone, they should not stay any longer than is required to perform their work.
-
All ground sticks should be tested at regular intervals (see test criteria in TVA Safety Procedure 1102, requirements 8.1 and 8.8).
-
A systematic installation and removal procedure should be utilized using uniquely numbered ground disks and record-keeping to reduce the risk of leaving safety grounds in place when they should have been removed.
Equipment Safety Grounds (Section 2)
-
All equipment safety grounds shall be green jacketed or marked with a 3-foot-green heat-shrink on the ground end.
-
Equipment safety grounds shall be completely uncoiled while in use.
-
Only one safety ground shall be attached to each stirrup in locations where multiple grounds are required due to increased fault current.
Transmission Line Grounding (Section 4)
-
Where a potential worksite safety grounding system is established, employees on the ground shall be protected from hazardous step and touch potentials by grounding mats, insulating platforms, or markers.
-
Markers shall be installed to provide a 10-foot buffer zone around temporary safety ground rods used in the worksite safety grounding system.
-
Safety ground rods should be 5/8 inch, bronze, copper, or copper weld at least five (5) feet (1.5m) long and be of the driven type.
-
Ground rods should be driven to the maximum depth possible. If a rod cannot be driven 4 feet (1.2m), a total of three (3) rods shall be driven in a triangular pattern 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3m) between each one and as deep as possible. The three (3) rods should be electrically connected with safety grounds prior to connecting them to the worksite safety grounding system.
Conductor Stringing or Removal Grounding (Section 5)
-
Traveling grounds shall exert constant pressure on the wire being pulled.
-
Pulling and tensioning equipment shall be bonded and effectively grounded and not operated from the ground except from bonded mats.
-
Approved traveling grounds shall be installed within 20 feet (6.1m) of the tensioning and pulling machines in order to ground each pulling line, conductor, sub-conductor, and OHGW.
-
Check ATIS records for potential grounding class.
