Environmental Health & Safety

Electrical Safety Program

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Electrical Safety Program

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4. RESPONSIBILITIES
1. UNIVERSITY FACILITIES DIRECTORS
1. Shall be responsible for the ownership, rollout and implementation of the Energized Electrical Safety Program within their departments.
2. Shall function as the Host Employer in relationship with contractors and shall:
• Attend all required training
• Inform contractors of known hazards covered by this standard.
• Provide adequate information about the facility so the contractor can make informed safety assessments.
• Provide the contractor with a copy of this program and require a copy of the contractor's electrical safety program and training.
• Report observed contract-employer-related violations of this standard to their manager and/or director.
3. Support the general regulatory compliance programs, and assure that Facility/Departmental Policies are followed.
4. Provide resources and personnel necessary to develop, maintain, and annually verify and update this program as a whole, including a database system to maintain written procedures.
5. Provide resources and personnel to assure all of their employees have received necessary training and instruction regarding their assigned roles and responsibilities to comply with this program.
2. SUPERVISOR
1. Determine the applicability of the electrical safety program to activities conducted within their respective areas of jurisdiction.
2. Designate individuals responsible for the implementation of the electrical safety program within their areas.
3. Actively support this program as part of the University of Rochester overall safety effort.
4. Oversee the Limited Long Term Energized Electrical Work Permit process.
5. Identify tasks that require Live/Energized Work Permits and submit permit requests.
6. Issue Limited Long Term Energized Electrical Work Permit based on operational needs and route to the area manager and then the Electrical Safety Committee for review and approval.
7. Maintain records of all electrical work permits.
8. Determine if a person and or contractor is qualified to perform electrical work.
9. Ensure employees comply with all provisions of the electrical safety program.
10. Conduct periodic site inspections and document observations.
11. Ensure employees receive training appropriate to their assigned electrical tasks and maintain documentation of such training.
12. Develop and maintain a listing of all qualified employees under their supervision.
13. Ensure employees are provided with and use appropriate protective equipment.
14. Conduct annual assessments/audits of each employee under their responsibility in the program.
15. Perform job hazard assessments, develop work plans and conduct safety meetings.
16. Report unsafe conditions and seek mitigation assistance.
17. Attend all required training.
3. CONTRACT EMPLOYER
1. Must follow the electrical safety program
2. Provide a copy of their company's electrical safety program
3. Communicate all potential hazards to the hiring and/or project manager
4. Ensure employees follow safe work practices
5. Alert host employer of unique or unanticipated hazards presented by contractor's work
6. Inform host employer of any hazards encountered that host employer did not mention
7. Correct reported violation
8. Provide documentation on qualifications of contract staff who will be working on electrical equipment
4. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY UNIT
1. Provide program update awareness
2. Assist with training annually.
3. Periodically review and update this written program.
4. Provide general training for work units on the content of this program and work with traing contractor to include the University specific program.
5. Assist university facility work units in implementing the provisions of this program.
6. Conduct a program audit at least every three years.
5. OPERATIONS and AREA MANAGERS
1. Determine the applicability of the electrical safety program to activities conducted within their respective areas of jurisdiction.
2. Designate individuals responsible for the implementation of the electrical safety program within their areas.
3. Actively support this program as part of the University of Rochester overall safety effort.
4. Oversee the Limited Long Term Energized Electrical Work Permit process.
5. Maintain records of all electrical work permits.
6. TRADES SUPERVISORS
1. Determine if a person and/or contractor is qualified to perform electrical work
2. Attend all required training
3. Ensure employees comply with all provisions of the electrical safety program.
4. Conduct periodic site inspections and document observations
5. Ensure employees receive training appropriate to their assigned electrical tasks and maintain documentation of such training.
6. Develop and maintain a listing of all qualified employees under their supervision.
7. Ensure employees are provided with and use appropriate protective equipment.
8. Identify tasks that require Live/Energized Work Permits.
9. Issue Limited Long Term Energized Electrical Work Permit based on operational needs and route to the area manager and then the Electrical Safety Committee for review and approval.
10. Conduct annual assessments/audits of each employee under their responsibility in the program.
11. Perform job hazard assessments, develop work plans and conduct safety meetings
12. Report unsafe conditions and seek mitigation assistance
7. EMPLOYEES
1. Consistently demonstrate safe workman like practices
2. Maintain a safe work environment for self and others
3. Adhere to the guidelines and work practices as described in OSHA, NFPA 70E and this written program
4. Attend all training required relative to this program.
5. Immediately report any concerns related to electrical safety to supervision.
8. ELECTRICAL SAFETY COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSON
1. The responsibility for designating the Electrical Safety Committee Chairperson resides jointly with the EH&S Chief Safety Officer and the Sr. Associate Vice President of Facilities
2. Shall be a Director level employee
3. Shall be responsible for organzing the team, scheduling the semi-anual program review meetings, taking meeting minutes and assigning tasks to perform updates to the program
4. Shall be responsible for ensuring that the program review and updates are completed by the Electrical Safety Committee and EH&S
9. ELECTRICAL SAFETY COMMITTEE
1. Shall be comprised of members from River Campus, Medical Center, Utilities & Energy Management and Environmental Health & Safety.
2. Meet semi-annually to review program, its implementation, new and existing issues.
3. Review all Live Energized Electrical Work Permits submitted for approval.
4. Promote consistency in how electrical tasks are completed within the various work units at the University.
5. Ensure that this electrical safety program is audited on a frequency as determined appropriate by the committee.  Where discrepancies are found, the committee shall agree on appropriate revisions and corrections.
6. Establish and follow through on all initiatives, including, but not limited to training.
7. Investigate and debrief any electrical safety injury/incident or near miss to identify root cause and any improvement opportunities.

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This page last updated 9/2/2020. Disclaimer.