Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Post-Tensioning Cable Handling and Testing

This document outlines the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the safe handling and testing of post-tensioning cables. It addresses potential hazards and necessary safety precautions to minimize risks to personnel. This guidance is based on industry best practices and regulatory standards to ensure a safe working environment.

General PPE Requirements

Head Protection: When there is a risk of high voltage electrical contact, head protection meeting ANSI Z89.2-1971, "Safety Requirements for Industrial Protective Helmets for Electrical Workers, Class B" is required. The employer must ensure that employees use this head protection.
Eye Protection: Eye protection that meets the requirements of §1910.133 (a)(2) thru (a)(6) must be provided and used by employees where foreign objects may enter the eyes due to work operations.
Hand Protection: Insulating gloves designed for the voltage levels to be encountered shall be provided and used by employees. The employer is responsible for the periodic retesting of all insulating gloves. Gloves and blankets shall be marked to indicate compliance with the retest schedule, and shall be marked with the date the next test is due. Gloves found to be defective in the field or by the tests shall be destroyed by cutting them open from the finger to the gauntlet.

Specific PPE and Safety Precautions for Post-Tensioning Cable Operations

The following PPE and precautions are mandated during post-tensioning operations to ensure the safety of all personnel involved:

Stressing Area Control

Signs and barricades must be erected to limit access into the stressing area to only personnel engaged in stressing or de-tensioning operations.
Other construction trades are prohibited from working in the barricaded area during stressing operations.

Work Platform Requirements

An adequate safe work platform of a minimum of three feet measured from the end of the floor slab to the platform toeboard, such as an extension of the formwork, for stressing tendons, cutting tendon tails, and grouting where tensioning operations are above grade must be provided.
The work platform shall include guardrails and toeboards meeting the requirements of Section 1621, and shall be kept clear of any debris or materials not related to the stressing or de-tensioning operation.

Electrical Safety and Grounding

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.
Electric power conductors and equipment shall be considered as energized unless the employee can visually determine that they are bonded to one of the 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.

Additional Safety Measures

Training: Employers shall provide training in the various precautions and safe practices and shall ensure that employees do not engage in the activities until such employees have received proper training in the various precautions and safe practices. The employer shall certify that employees have been trained by preparing a certification record which includes the identity of the person trained, the signature of the employer or the person who conducted the training, and the date the training was completed.
Inspections: 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.

Table I-6 - Rubber Insulating Equipment Voltage Requirements

*¹The 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.

The proof-test voltage shall be applied continuously for at least 1-minute, but no more than 3 minutes.*

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

Disclaimer

This safety document is intended as a guide and should be adapted to suit the specific conditions of each project and in compliance with all applicable regulations. Always refer to the latest regulatory standards and consult with safety professionals for detailed guidance.