General Operating Procedures

De-Energizing or Clearing of Lines and Equipment

Lines, cables, stations, or equipment, which have been cleared by making an adequate air break in all connections that are possible sources of energy, are said to be de-energized. All lines/equipment carrying potentials in excess of 601 volts to ground, or in excess of 601 volts between wire of the same circuit, at the point of work, shall be worked with approved hot line tools, or with a clearance issued. (Identified, Isolated, Tagged, Tested, and Grounded). See WAC 296-45-335, 345 & 355.

The Energy Control Center shall issue a Do Not Operate Card on District lines, cables, or equipment normally energized at 601 volts A/C and above when requested to be de-energized for a customer to work on their own electrical equipment. The Card shall not be removed until the customer in-charge or their designee, whose name appears on the card, meets with District employee/worker(s) on site and states that their electrical equipment is safe to re-energize. The following procedure describes the process to complete the customer request.

Procedures for De-Energizing Customer-Owned Equipment

Scheduled arrangements for de-energizing customer owned equipment served by the District’s electric system for customers wanting to work on their own electrical system where a Do Not Operate Card is required shall be referred to a Designer/Engineer. The Designer/Engineer will contact the customer, determine what type of work is to be done and what the District can do to assist the customer, then prepare a Service Order Request (1818). The 1818 should include the lines/equipment to be deenergized, the name of the customer-in-charge, phone number, date requested, and District supervisor’s approval.

The 1818 is then sent to the appropriate Manager/Superintendent for review and a Switching Request is prepared. The Switching Request shall include the name and contact phone number of the customer-in-charge.
The Switching Request is then sent to the Energy Control Center for review. The District employee/worker de-energizing the line/equipment shall meet the customer-in-charge or designee at the site and ensure they understand what lines and/or equipment will be de-energized.

The customer-in-charge can request that their card(s) and lock(s) also be placed at the point of disconnection when the District equipment serves only that customer. If requested, the District employee/worker will place the customer’s card, along with the Do Not Operate Card and place a District lock into the customer’s multi locking device on the equipment, if lockable. If the District needs to enter the equipment, the District shall notify the customer-in-charge of the work so they can remove their lock.

If the District has multiple customers served by the equipment, the District shall disconnect the customer’s service and place a Caution Card, but shall not allow a customer’s card or lock to be placed on the equipment.
The District employee/worker on site shall review with the customer-incharge the status of the lines/equipment de-energized and have the customer sign and date the 1818 and provide the customer a copy.

In order to remove the Do Not Operate Card and re-energize the lines/equipment, the customer-in-charge or designee, whose name appears on the card as the contact person, shall contact the Designer/Engineer 48 hours before the work is completed. The customer in-charge shall provide the Designer/Engineer with the date the Do Not Operate Card was issued (off the 1818). The Designer/Engineer shall inform the customer-in-charge that they shall be at the work site to meet the District employee/worker before the System Operator will authorize the lines/equipment to be re-energized. The District employee/worker at the job site shall confirm that the customer-in-charge understands that the lines/equipment are going to be re-energized. The District employee/worker will then contact the System Operator and request the removal of the Do Not Operate Card and receive authorization to reenergize the lines/equipment. The District employee/worker shall have the customer-in-charge sign and date the 1818, completing the work.

If contact at the job site is not accomplished, the lines and /or equipment shall not be re-energized.

Safe Working Distances (non-electrical workers)

The minimum safe work clearances (10 feet for voltages up to 50kV and 12 feet, 2 inches on 115kV) shall be maintained until the line/equipment has been de-energized and grounded. Visual barriers may be placed as a warning of potential hazard but minimum safe work distances, as stated above, must be maintained. See WAC 296-155-428 & 655.

Procedures for Those Working in Close Proximity

Arrangements for de-energizing District lines/equipment normally energized at 601 volts and above for a customer wanting to work in close proximity shall be referred to a District Designer/Engineer. The Designer/Engineer shall meet with the customer-in-charge at the work site to review what type of work is to be performed, it’s location to District lines/equipment and when it is needed. The Designer/Engineer shall then determine what can be done to assist the customer and prepare a Service Order Request (1818). The request shall include a drawing of the lines/equipment affected, where the work will be conducted in relation to the lines/equipment, the name and 24 hour phone number of the customer-in-charge at the work site, what the Designer/Engineer is requesting to be done, and the District supervisor’s approval. The 1818 is then routed to the appropriate Superintendent/Manager for review and approval. The Designer/Engineer shall inform the customer that the customer-in-charge shall be on site when the qualified District employee/worker implements the measures and when the measures are removed. In an emergency the customer’s designee may serve as the customer-in-charge. If the work doesn’t require switching or a clearance it will be released to work.

If switching or a clearance is needed, a Switching Request will be generated. A Switching Request Form with a copy of the 1818 and any drawings shall be sent to the Energy Control Center. A copy of the 1818 shall also be attached to the Switching Order. The qualified District employee/worker de-energizing the line and/or equipment shall meet the customer-in-charge or their designee at the site and ensure they clearly understand what lines/equipment will be de-energized. Upon receiving orders from the System Operator, the qualified District employee/worker shall de-energize the line/equipment and install a Master Safety Card in the District employee/workers name. Only a qualified District employee/worker shall hold the clearance. The qualified District employee/worker holding the clearance is not required to remain on site because the customer shall not contact, in any way, the District’s line/equipment. Before leaving the site, the clearance holder may request that their clearance be released with the grounds installed and the clearance tagged for ECC. If the clearance is going to be released with grounds in place, the System Operator will have a Master Safety Card tagged for ECC. The clearance holder would then release their clearance and their Master Safety Card(s) would be removed.

The District reserves the right, depending on the nature of the work being performed in proximity to our lines/equipment, to have a qualified District employee/worker on site.

The qualified District employee/worker on site shall review with the customer-in-charge the status of the lines/equipment de-energized. This shall include the normal operating voltages, what has been de-energized and what continues to be energized, location of the grounds that shall be within view of the work site, and that the customer can not make contact with the lines/equipment cleared at any time. The qualified District employee/worker shall also place the Switching Order number on the 1818. The customer-in-charge shall then sign and date the 1818 acknowledging that they understand the condition of the line/equipment. The qualified District employee/worker shall leave a copy of the 1818 with the customer-in-charge and review what the customer will need to do when they are close to completing their work.

If contact at the job site is not accomplished, the line/equipment will not be de-energized.

In order to remove the clearance and re-energize the lines and/or equipment, the customer-in-charge or designee shall call the Designer/Engineer 48 hours before the work is to be completed. The customer-in-charge shall provide their name, clearance number off the 1818, and the date and time their work will be completed.

The Designer/Engineer shall review with the customer-in-charge that they shall meet with the qualified District employee/worker holding the clearance at the work site and shall call the Designer/Engineer back if the completion time changes. The Designer/Engineer shall contact the appropriate Manager/Superintendent and provide the information from the customer-in-charge.

The Manager/Superintendent shall provide the information to the qualified District employee/worker holding the clearance who shall contact the Energy Control Center to release the clearance. If the clearance is tagged for ECC, then the employee/worker who will be performing the work will take a new clearance. After meeting the requirements above with the customer, the qualified District employee/worker will check the lines/equipment, remove grounds, then release their clearance with the System Operator. The System Operator will order the removal of the clearance holders and ECC’s Master Safety Card(s) and then order the necessary switching to re-energize the line/equipment.

The employee/worker holding the clearance shall confirm that the customer-in-charge understands that the lines/equipment will be reenergized and shall verify that all others are clear of the line/equipment within the clearance. The customer-in-charge shall sign and date the 1818. If the clearance is not in the qualified District employee/worker name that will be performing the work and the Master Safety Card(s) are still in place, the employee/worker will be issued a new clearance by the System Operator. After meeting the above requirements with the customer, the qualified District employee/worker will check the lines/equipment, remove grounds, and release their clearance to the System Operator. The System Operator will order the removal of the clearance holders’ Master Safety Card(s) then order the necessary switching to re-energize the line/equipment.

If contact at the job site is not accomplished, the lines/equipment shall not be re-energized.

Disaster Procedures (See Field Clearance Section)

In the event of a major disaster (earthquake, etc.) while working in the field, contact your supervisor, the Energy Control Center, or Crew Dispatch. If they can not be contacted, report to the nearest headquarters that you are able to reach.