Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Post-Tensioning Cable Handling and Testing
This document outlines the mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the safe handling and testing of post-tensioning cables. It aims to prevent injuries resulting from cable failure or the sudden release of tension. Adherence to these guidelines is crucial for ensuring worker safety during post-tensioning operations.
General PPE Requirements
- Head Protection: Hard hats meeting ANSI Z89.2-1971, "Safety Requirements for Industrial Protective Helmets for Electrical Workers, Class B" should be worn whenever there is exposure to possible high voltage electrical contact.
- Eye Protection: Safety glasses or goggles meeting the requirements of $1910.133 (a)(2) thru (a)(6) shall be provided and the employer shall ensure its use by employees where foreign objects may enter the eyes due to work operations.
- Hand Protection: Gloves appropriate for the task, such as insulating gloves when handling cable suspension strand which is being installed on poles carrying exposed energized power conductors.
Detailed PPE and Safety Procedures
The following sections detail specific PPE requirements and safety procedures to mitigate risks associated with post-tensioning cable handling and testing.
Electrical Safety and Grounding
- Insulating Gloves: When handling cable suspension strand being installed on poles carrying exposed energized power conductors, employees must wear insulating gloves and avoid body contact with the strand until it has been tensioned, dead-ended, and permanently grounded.
- Grounding Procedures: Electric power conductors and equipment shall be considered energized unless the employee can visually determine that they are bonded to one of the acceptable grounds. When attaching grounds (bonds), the first attachment shall be made to the protective ground. When removing bonds, the connection to the line or equipment shall be removed first. Insulating gloves shall be worn during these operations.
Overhead Line Safety
- Insulating Gloves: When handling cable suspension strand which is being installed on poles carrying exposed energized power conductors, employees shall wear insulating gloves and shall avoid body contact with the strand until after it has been tensioned, dead-ended and permanently grounded.
Fall Protection
- Fall Arrest Systems: A positioning system or a personal fall arrest system shall be provided and the employer shall ensure their use when work is performed at positions more than 4 feet (1.2 m) above the ground, on poles, and on towers.
- Inspection of Climbing Equipment: The employer shall ensure that all climbing equipment is inspected before each day's use to determine that it is in safe working condition.
Reinforcing Steel and Post-Tensioning
- Fall Protection Systems: Employees shall not be permitted to place or tie reinforcing steel in walls, piers, columns, etc., more than 6 feet above an adjacent surface, unless a personal fall protection system is used in accordance with Section 1670 or other method affording equivalent protection from the hazard of falls from elevated surfaces.
Additional Safety Measures
- Barricades and Signage: Ensure signs and barricades are erected to limit access into the stressing area only to personnel engaged in stressing or de-tensioning operations. Prohibit other construction trades from working in the barricaded area during stressing operations.
Training and Competency
- Qualified Personnel: Only persons trained in the operation of the derrick shall be permitted to operate the derrick.
- Employee Training: Employers shall ensure that each employee who performs reinforcing steel and/or post- tensioning activities has been provided training by a qualified person in the hazards associated with these activities, and the proper procedures and equipment to perform these activities.
Regular Inspections and Maintenance
- Equipment Inspection: The employer shall ensure that the derrick and its associated equipment are inspected by a competent person at intervals set by the manufacturer but in no case less than once per year. Records shall be maintained including the dates of inspections, and necessary repairs made, if corrective action was required.
- Tool Inspection: Personal protective equipment, protective devices and special tools needed for the work of employees shall be provided and the employer shall ensure that they are used by employees. Before each day's use the employer shall ensure that these personal protective devices, tools, and equipment are carefully inspected by a competent person to ascertain that they are in good condition.
Cable Fault Locating and Testing
- High Voltage Precautions: Employees involved in using high voltages to locate trouble or test cables shall be instructed in the precautions necessary for their own safety and the safety of other employees.
- Isolation and Warnings: Before voltage is applied, cable conductors should be isolated to the extent practicable, and employees warned to stay clear while voltage is applied.
Table: Glove Tests - Water Level
Table I-5 - Glove Tests - Water Level 1,2
| Class of glove | AC proof test mm. | AC proof test in. | DC proof test mm. | DC proof test in. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | 38 | 1.5 | 38 | 1.5 |
| 0 | 38 | 1.5 | 38 | 1.5 |
| 1 | 38 | 1.5 | 51 | 2.0 |
| 2 | 64 | 2.5 | 76 | 3.0 |
| 3 | 89 | 3.5 | 102 | 4.0 |
| 4 | 127 | 5.0 | 153 | 6.0 |
The water level is given as the clearance from the reinforced edge of the glove to the water line, with a tolerance of +13 mm. (±0.5-inch). If atmospheric conditions make the specified clearances impractical, the clearances may be increased by a maximum of 25 mm. (1 inch).
Table: Rubber Insulating Equipment Voltage Requirements
Table I-6 - Rubber Insulating Equipment Voltage Requirements
| Class of equipment | Maximum use voltage¹ AC - rms | Retest voltage² AC - rms | Retest voltage² DC - avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | 500 | 2,500 | 10,000 |
| 0 | 1,000 | 5,000 | 20,000 |
| 1 | 7,500 | 10,000 | 40,000 |
| 2 | 17,000 | 20,000 | 50,000 |
| 3 | 26,500 | 30,000 | 60,000 |
| 4 | 36,000 | 40,000 | 70,000 |
The maximum use voltage is the a-c voltage (rms) classification of the protective equipment that designates the maximum nominal design voltage of the energized system that may be safely worked. The nominal design voltage is equal to the phase-to-phase voltage on multiphase circuits. However, the phase- to-ground potential is considered to be the nominal design voltage if: (1) There is no multiphase exposure in a system area and if the voltage exposure is limited to the phase-to-ground potential, or (2) The electrical equipment and devices are insulated or isolated or both so that the multiphase exposure on a grounded wye circuit is removed.
Disclaimer
This safety document is intended as a guide and should be adapted to suit the specific conditions of each project. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that all workers are properly trained and equipped to perform their duties safely.
Safety powered by SALUS
Important Safety Note:
Always verify safety information with your organization's specific guidelines and local regulations.