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Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents |
| • Standard Number: | 1910.269(a)(2)(i); 1910.269(a)(2)(ii); 1910.269(x) |
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May 17, 2002 Mr. Carl VanDusen Safety Manager Cable Constructors, Inc. 105 Kent Street Iron Mountain, MI 49801 Dear Mr. VanDusen: Thank you for your December 5, 2001, letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Office of General Industry Compliance Assistance (GICA). This letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation only of the requirements discussed and may not be applicable to any scenario not delineated within your original correspondence. You had questions regarding the training of workers who are not “qualified persons” as defined in 1910.269. Question: Does the OSHA interpretation letter (June 9, 1999) that provided guidance on training non-electrical workers for entry and work within restricted areas such as generating stations and substation also apply for training employees who open restricted equipment for visual inspection only? Reply: Yes. As explained in the referenced interpretation letter, employers may train workers as qualified employees for the purpose of entering and performing non-electrical work within generating stations, substations, manholes, vaults or similar restricted areas. The employees you identified are assumed to be non-electrically-qualified workers who will open electrical equipment within restricted areas for visual inspection only. Since these visual inspections would require the removal of enclosures or guards, workers could be exposed via proximity to electric equipment that is energized at levels greater than 50 volts. All employees with direct access to the type of equipment or installations covered by 1910.269 must be trained as required by 1910.269(a)(2)(i) and (ii) in order to meet the definition of a qualified person contained in 1910.269(x). The training outlined in the referenced interpretation letter specifically addresses employees who are not electrical workers but whose work activity would require exposure to electrical hazards associated with the generation, transmission, or distribution of electrical power. Therefore, the minimum acceptable training for the workers described in your scenario would include the training outlined in the June 1999 letter. Those requirements are provided below for your reference.
Until these “qualified employees” have demonstrated proficiency in the work practices involved with their work, they are considered to be employees undergoing on-the-job training and must be under the direct supervision of a qualified person at all times. According to the definition of “qualified employee” the employee must also have demonstrated an ability to perform work safely at his or her level of training. It is expected that an orientation familiarizing the employee with the safety fundamentals given here will be conducted before an employee undergoing training is allowed to enter a restricted area. As you may know, the state of Michigan operates its own occupational safety and health program under a plan supervised by federal OSHA. State plans are required to promulgate regulations that are, “at least as effective” as the federal standards, but they may also be more stringent. To obtain the state of Michigan's opinion on this issue, you should contact: Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services
Kathleen M. Wilbur, Director Bureau of Safety and Regulation P.O. Box 30643 Lansing, Michigan 48909-8143 Phone: (517) 322-1814 Fax: (517) 322-1775 Website: http://www.cis.state.mi.us/bsr Thank you for your interest in occupational safety and health. We hope you find this information helpful. OSHA requirements are set by statute, standards, and regulations. Our interpretation letters explain these requirements and how they apply to particular circumstances, but they cannot create additional employer obligations. This letter constitutes OSHA's interpretation of the requirements discussed. Note that our enforcement guidance may be affected by changes to OSHA rules. Also, from time to time we update our guidance in response to new information. To keep apprised of such developments, you can consult OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact the Office of General Industry Compliance Assistance at (202) 693-1850. Sincerely, Richard E. Fairfax, Director Directorate of Compliance Programs |
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Standard Interpretations - Table of Contents |