City of Ashland, Oregon / Electric / PUC Facility Procedure
PUC DETAILED FACILITY PROCEDURE
CITY OF ASHLAND, ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT DETAILED FACILITY PROCEDURES
City of Ashland, Electric Department must adhere to the National Electric Safety Code, (NESC) and Oregon State PUC’s policy for line inspection requirements. Rather than duplicate the written policy by the OPUC, the PUD shall adopt the Line Inspection Requirements for Utility Operators as they are printed and updated at various times. They are as follows:
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to clarify the line inspection requirements of ANSI-C2, and the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). Specific reference is made to NESC Rule Nos. 012, 013, 121, 214 and 313.
In order to ensure that overhead and underground lines are kept in a safe and relatively trouble-free condition, Utility Operators must make a thorough inspection before a new installation is put into use and at sufficient intervals thereafter. Intervals are determined by considering: age and condition of line, previous inspection and maintenance programs, soil and environmental conditions, weather, and quality of line materials, workmanship and design. Inspections should be preventive in nature and intended to effect repairs previous to failures.
SCOPE
This policy applies to the inspection by utility operators of all electrical supply and communication lines, both overhead and underground.
DEFINITIONS
Lines - Those conductors, rights-of-way, supporting structures, and associated equipment used to transmit electric supply energy or communications signals. (Such lines include electric supply, telephone, cable television, and similar utility lines.)
Utility Operator – Any person, company, utility, or municipality, pursuant to 0RS 757.035, who is involved in the construction, operation, or maintenance of electrical supply and signal lines
WRITTEN POLICIES AND STANDARD PRACTICES
Each utility operator shall have clearly written policies and work practices for its overhead and underground line inspection programs, including: new installation inspections, on-going cyclic inspections of existing lines and substations, and the utility’s record keeping system that tracks code violations until corrected.
INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITIES (Also see item 7d of OPUC Policy entitled Safety Provisions or joint-use of Poles.)
Each Utility Operator shall conduct the applicable inspections listed in a., b., c. and d. below. Inspections b. and c. shall be done at such intervals as experience has shown to be necessary in accordance with good practice for the given local conditions.
A. Inspections of New and Repaired Installations
Each new line installation shall be closely checked and corrected for compliance with the NESC before being placed into service.
RESPONSIBILITY: Line Crew Foreman
B. Public Safety Inspections
Public safety inspections are intended to identify hazards and right-of-way encroachments that can be seen during a patrol. These inspections shall include all overhead lines and other accessible equipment. For electric utilities, the maximum cycle length shall not exceed two years. Areas 1-5 will be patrolled one year, and areas 6-10* will be patrolled the following year. Substations should be inspected monthly.
* Areas 1-5 is all the area south of the PUD office (Appendix 1)
* Areas 6-10 is all the area north of the PUD office (Appendix 1)
RESPONSIBILITY: Substations: serviceman, Line Patrol: Serviceman or Lineman, Operations Assistant and Engineering Techs.
C. Detailed Facility Inspections
Existing lines shall be carefully inspected on a cyclic basis so that all associated equipment, hardware, right-of-way, and structures are thoroughly examined.
Maximum cycle length for electrical lines and overhead communication lines should not exceed ten years. For older lines (25 years or more) and lines with special concerns, a more frequent inspection may be appropriate. The system is divided into 10 areas, each area has roughly 19 sections, some more and some less depending on density. See maps and descriptions in Appendix I.
These precautionary inspections are intended to identify NESC violations, defects, and deterioration of facilities, which must be corrected in order to maintain safe and reliable service.
RESPONSIBILITY: Lineman, Serviceman, Operations Assistant, or any qualified contractor.
Management Quality Assurance Checks
Each utility operator shall conduct management quality assurance checks to ensure that inspections, record keeping, and repairs are being properly conducted. The following is recommended as the minimum level of checking necessary to achieve compliance:
· Inspections of new and repaired installations-annually check 10% of all such
work performed.
· Public safety inspections-annually check 5% of all such work performed.
Detailed facility inspections-annually check 5% of all such work performed
Responsibility: Operations Supervisor
QUALIFIED INSPECTION PERSONNEL
Inspections listed in item 5 (above), shall be conducted by qualified personnel who have an extensive practical knowledge of the NESC and the company’s construction standards. The utility operator is responsible to provide its inspection personnel adequate inspection training for the types of facilities inspected.
ONGOING UTILITY AWARENESS
In addition to a., b., and c. listed in item 5 (above), utility employees should constantly be alert, in the normal course of their daily work, to observe conditions that may create a hazard for line workers or the public. Defect reporting and correcting should be a continuous undertaking by the utility operator’s construction and operating staff.
INSPECTION RECORDS
Each utility operator shall maintain a record system for tracking of NESC deficiencies found and reported. At minimum, this record system should include:
· Maps, showing locations of past and planned inspections.
· Completed inspection forms, showing itemization and location of
deficiencies found, date, inspector and inspection type.
· Work orders, showing projects backlogged for future completion.
The inspector shall become familiar with the flow process to insure the timely and accurate reporting of deficiencies found, while inspecting the CRPUD’s electric system.
The reason for this process is to insure that deficiencies are found, reported and repaired in a timely manner. The inspector shall record every location on a “Detailed Facility Inspection Report form”. At the top of each column a heading is listed to remind the inspector of the things that need to be looked at while inspecting each location. If there is not a column heading that an item fits under, check the “other” box and note the item on the reverse side of the form. The rows are numbered to allow for notes to be added on the reverse side of this report.
When a form is completed, the supervisor, or person reviewing the forms, shall note any action that needs to take place on the back side of the form, to insure that all corrections or conditions noted are dealt with in a timely manner. If the person doing the inspection can fix or complete the needed repairs while they are there, it is not necessary to report the deficiency. If an operations person can make repairs that are noted, and not dealt with by the person doing the inspection, then a sundry or similar request for work shall be completed and sent to the operations supervisor for dispatching. If an infraction is due to
another pole attaché’s equipment, a copy shall be given to the operations assistant for notification. If the infraction or repair requires that a work order be drawn up, a copy shall be sent to the engineering department.
On the reverse side of the form the person reviewing shall date and initial each infraction or deficiency that they pass along to either the operations assistant or the engineering department. To insure accurate tracking each request sent along for further action by another person should be assigned a tracking number. That number shall be the date of the inspection, followed by the last 4 places of the location number. Such as: 030804(date) E722 (last 4 places of the location).
When an infraction or deficiency is repaired or corrected, the person completing the repairs shall date and initial the paper work. That paper work shall be returned to the person keeping the records for “Detailed Facility Inspections”.
At this time, the mapping department is working on an access database for the recording of all inspections that take place at a location. The dates that should be recorded are: all safety inspections (due every other year and detailed facility inspections (due once every ten years), and dates that work orders are assigned for any type of work. (It’s expected that if any work is being performed at a location, then all necessary repairs or deficiencies are taken care of at that time.)
The following is a listing of items to check while performing a detailed inspection:
OVERHEAD FACILITIES
A. Poles
1. Perform a visual examination of the entire above ground portion of a wood
pole and record all abnormalities found. Abnormalities include, but are not
limited to, damage caused by lightning, fire, birds or insects; excessive
checks, cracks, splits, surface/shell rot, mechanical damage, deteriorated
tops; badly leaning poles, and poles where the landscape is sliding or being
eroded by a waterway. If the pole must be replace or reinforced for any
reason, assign a priority code VR, and enter into records for correction.
a. State if framing can be lowered for bad top and still meets code
clearances.
b. Pole clearances from railroad, streets and fire hydrants. (NESC 231)
c. If curb exists, pole must be at least 6” behind face of curb. (NESC 23
B1).
d. Pole steps must be removed up to 8 ft. above an accessible surface, and
holes plugged and treated. (NESC 217A2b).
e. Poles must have an 8’ vertical clear zone, so they are not readily
climbable (NESC 217A2a)
f. Poles that have been topped because power facilities are no longer
attached, but still have phone or cable attached, and topped poles with all
facilities transferred, should be identified and reported. (NESC 012C and
214B3)
g. Poles should be numbered and legible.
B. Guys
1. Strains insulators - can not be cracked or broken.
2. Distribution guys need to be effectively grounded or insulated when attached
to a pole carrying any supply conductor of more than 300 volts. (NESC
279A2b)
3. Proper tension on guy wire to keep pole reasonable straight. Slack guys are
not a problem if the pole is not going anywhere.
4. Guy markers installed in pedestrian areas. (NESC Rule 264E).
5. All guy wire tails properly cut off.
C. Anchors - Anchor rods shall extend above the ground line and have a proper guy
marker.
D. Holes - Pole and anchors should be backfilled properly, if not, the inspector
should correct the problem when there.
E. Grounds
1. Ground rod driven flush with the ground or below. (NESC 94B2c)
2. Ground wire intact and properly connected. (NESC 95).
3. Molding intact and required on all new construction. (NESC 93D)
a. If multi-grounded neutral present, no ground molding required.
b. Bottom 8’ required if no neutral.
c. Defective molding needing repair.
d. If molding is not used, the ground must be securely attached to pole.
4. Pole grounding conductors must clear metal crossarms and pole hardware
by a minimum of 1½ inches, except where bonded.
F. Climbing Space - Through power company facilities, note for correction.
Communications problems should be noted and reported. (NESC 236).
G. Service Conductors
1. Service wire coil should not be tied to pole. (NESC 214B).
2. Proper vertical clearance between power supply and communications
facilities:
a. 40” at the pole, (NESC 2351, Table 235-5
b. 30” midspan, (NESC 23Cb(1)(a)
c. 12” at the weatherhead. (NESC 235C1.Exception 3)
3. Must have 1” of clearance between street light mast and services.
4. Proper clearance over roads, walks, etc.
5. Proper clearance from buildings, signs, antennas, etc. (NESC 234)
6. All deadends intact and secure on both ends, and not broken.
7. No signs of heating and insulation intact.
8. Services must be at least 18” above a roof within 6’ of the service mast or
within 4 ft. of the roof edge. Beyond 6’ of the service mast or not within 4 ft.
of the roof edge, services must be at least 3’ above not readily accessible
roofs or balconies or 8’ above readily accessible roofs or balconies. If a roof
or balcony can be casually accessed through a doorway, window or by a
permanently mounted ladder, it is readily accessible requiring 8’ of clearance
(NESC234C3d).
9. Service drop between 300V and 750V shall be at least 8’ above the roof.
Exception if conductor is supported by grounded messenger. It should be at
least 3 ft. from the roof. (NESC 234C3d).
10. Services must be 3’ from any window, door, porch, fire escape or similar
location. This does not include windows that aren’t designed to open or where
the service is above the top of a window. (NESC 234C3d(2)).
11. Weatherheads or driploops that are not at least 8’ above the ground must be
covered as long as they are at least 7’ above the ground. If they are less than 7’
high, it is an infraction.
12. Bare conductors or bare connectors near weatherheads must be securely taped
if less than 12.5’ above the ground.
13. Services attached to trees are not a violation, but should be avoided, as the tree
may not be structurally sound.
14. Vertical clearance is 24” to communications cable where they cross each
other mid-span, i.e. carried on different poles. (NESC Table 231-1).
H. Secondary
1. Open wire sagged properly.
2. Parallel-lay sagged properly, no loose lashing wire and properly guyed.
3. Proper clearance from buildings, signs, antennas, etc. (NESC 234)
4. Vertical clearance to communication cable is 40” (NESC 235C1 Table
235-5) at the pole and 30” midspan. (NESCC2b(1)(a). Vertical clearance is
24” to communications cable where they cross each other, i.e. carried on
different structures. (NESC Table 233-1).
I. Equipment-Transformers, Oil Circuit Breakers, Capacitors, Regulators,
etc.
1. All equipment cases and frames properly grounded.
2. Racks do not need to be grounded.
3. No oil leaking from transformers, reclosures, capacitors, or regulators.
4. All bushings intact.
5. All mounting hardware appears tight, and no missing hardware.
6. Bolts cannot be sticking out that may hook workers.
7. Proper warning labels on transformers.
8. Idle facilities are not an infraction, but must be inspected and must meet
(NESC 214B, 313B).
J. Cutouts – jumpers clear of hardware, mounting appears tight.
K. Arrestors – intact and properly grounded.
L. Gang Switches and Disconnect
1. Operating handle locked and in good physical condition.
2. Switches that are broken, need adjustment or mounted improperly, etc.,
must be identified as an infraction.
3. Operator’s area clean and properly insulated or grounded as required.
4. Switch numbers are legible.
M. Crossarms
1. Not excessively split, broken, burned or deteriorated.
2. Crossarm braces secure.
3. Braces not bent, broken or rusted beyond repair.
N. Insulators
1. Glass intact.
2. Glass not cracked, broken, badly chipped or gun shot
3. Pins and posts secure to pole or crossarm
4. The last bell (wire-end) of a transmission string intact. If not intact, this is
“priority A” to fix. Rapid corona damage may drop conductor.
5. Tie-wires, dead-end clamps, suspension shoes and post clamps are secure.
6. Epoxy insulators not “swallen”.
O. Conductor – appears properly sagged.
1. Broken, frayed, or basketed conductor strands needing repair.
2. Proper clearance over roads, waterways, railroads, etc. (NESC 232).
3. Proper clearance from buildings, signs, antennas, etc. (NESC 234).
4. Proper clearance from other circuits and supporting structures. (NESC
233).
P. Street Light
1. Lenses not broken and lamps in place if company owned street lights.
2. Clearance to communications.
a. 4” between mast and communication lines if grounded, 20” if
ungrounded.
b. 3” between driploop and communication lines if insulated wire is
covered with conduit., 12” if insulated wire not covered in conduit.
(NESC (238D) (Table 230-2).
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
A. Dip Pole
1. Climbing space adequate.
2. All conduit joints intact.
3. All metal conduits properly grounded.
4. PVC conduits not crushed or broken.
5. Conduits, including standoff brackets, are not readily climbable. (NESC
217A2a).
6. Stress cones and pot heads – no visible tracking or leaking oil, etc.
B. Surface Mounted Equipment – transformers, switch gear and sectionalizers, arrestor cabinet, metering enclosure, pedestals, junction boxes, etc.
1. Wear rubber gloves when opening equipment.
2. Properly grounded.
3. Elbow-free of tracking – properly secured on bushing no deterioration noted.
4. Bushings – not cracked or leaking oil – properly covered.
5. Live front equipment has proper barriers installed – high voltage signs.
abinet tamper proof. Warning “High Voltage”, location and transformer
numbers legible.)
6. Doors – hinges and latches operate properly – check welds.
7. Lid and doors – properly secure and locked.
8. Barrier posts installed where required.
9. Paint intact no excessive rust or corrosion observed. (metal not in contact with
earth or bark dust)
10. Interior clean and free of foreign material.
11. Not covered with brush or vines.
C. Equipment Pad
1. Reasonably level.
2. No open areas under pad.
3. All trenches adjacent to pad properly backfilled.
D. Subsurface Equipment – vaults, pull boxes, hand holes, etc.
1. Wear rubber gloves when opening equipment.
2. Lids secure and properly locked.
3. Interior clean and free of foreign material.
4. No signs of tracking on splices, elbows or stress cones.
5. Grounds properly connected.
6.Vault and lid unbroken.
7. Corrosion of metal parts.
8.Vaults not full of dirt.
E. Fenced Substations Enclosure, (NESC 110a1)
1. Gates – secure, serviceable, locked and properly grounded.
2. Fence – secure top and bottom and properly grounded.
3. Clean and free of vegetation and foreign material.
4. A safety warning sign shall be displayed at each entrance and a separate
warsign shall be displayed on each side.
5. Inspect for adequate clearances. (NESC 110A).
6. Fence extends to the ground.
F. Inspection Instructions - Priorities and codes
1. We need location numbers for every facility point. Always give a
description when identifying an infraction.
2. Correct all conditions that you can from the ground while you are at
the location.
G. Trench -Trenches should be backfilled properly
APPENDIX I
AREA 1 (2008)
Oak Knoll Substation Completed
5R56 Hwy 99 Circuit Maps were provided for Qwest, Charter,AFN
AREA 2 (2009)
Oak Knoll Substation Completed
5R70 Hwy 66 Circuit Maps were provided for Qwest—Charter--AFN
AREA 3 (2010)
Oak Knoll Substation Completed
5R93 East Main Circuit Maps were provided for Qwest—Charter--AFN
AREA 4 (2011)
Mountain Avenue Substation Maps were provided for this circuit.
M3015 Wightman Circuit
AREA 5 (2012)
Mountain Avenue Substation
M3012 South Mountain Circuit
AREA 6 (2013)
Nevada Substation
A2001 North Main Circuit
AREA 7 (2014)
Nevada Substation
A2000 Business Circuit
AREA 8 (2015)
Mountain Avenue Substation
M3009 Morton Circuit
AREA 9 (2016)
Mountain Avenue Substation
M3006 North Mountain Feeder
AREA 10 (2017)
Open Year
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