Personal Protective Grounding Standard

Establishing and Ensuring a Safe Work Environment

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Introduction
The following information is provided as an overview of the new Personal Protective Grounding standard. The presentation provides key elements of the standard. Further details of the standard are listed in the document and will require review to ensure all aspects of the standard are clear and understood.

Purpose
The Personal Protective Grounding standard is designed to: Prove that the electrical circuit or equipment is in fact removed from a dynamic source of electrical energy. Provide protection in the case of accidental re-energization that may be caused by operator error, contact with neighboring circuits, lightning, backfeed, insulator failure, etc. Provide protection from electrostatic and electromagnetic induction that may be caused by adjacent energized circuits, wind or energized equipment.
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Regional Responsibilities

Using the standard each AES Operation must:

Develop a site specific Program that complies with the Personal Protective Grounding standard

Ensure all applicable governmental regulations regarding the Personal Protective Grounding procedures are complied with.

Application
The Personal Protective Grounding standard applies to: All work on de-energized circuits of overhead and underground transmission and distribution systems, and in substations. Exemptions Electrical protection and grounding for conductor stringing operations is covered in a separate standard. Electrical protection for people working around boomequipped vehicles in the vicinity of live circuits is covered in a separate standard.
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Definitions of Terms
There are a number of Definitions provided in the standard to provide explanations for the various terms used. The following are some examples: Protective Grounding (Earthing) Effectively connecting an electrical circuit or electrical equipment to ground/earth potential. Bonding Connecting all grounds (bonds) to a single point to eliminate differences of potential at a work site.

Definition of Terms contd

Bonding Principle Bonds are installed so that a worker is kept in an equipotential zone. A worker must not be able to bridge between a grounded circuit and any unbonded structure, vehicle, boom, wire or any other object that is not tied into the bonded network. Grounding Principle Protective grounds are installed to reduce any current flow through a worker to an acceptable level by providing a low resistant parallel shunt around the worker. If the circuit is, or becomes energized, the grounds must be large enough to withstand any fault current in the circuit.

Definition of Terms contd

Bracket Grounding (box grounding) Grounding at each potential source, not more than 2 miles (3km) on each side of the work site. Bracket Grounding shall only be applied when no possible source of re-energization may occur. Equipotential Grounding Grounding and bonding together all objects, including the structure to a single point to eliminate differences of potential at a work site. Grounding Plan An approved written document for planning the complete isolation of a circuit and the locations for the installation of protective grounds.

Guiding Principles and Rules:

Working on an isolated electrical circuit, or equipment without personal protective grounds, has the potential to kill or cause serious physical harm. Proper grounding ensures the correct isolated circuit is identified, the circuit is protected from accidentally being reenergized and high inductive voltage and/or current is reduced to safe levels. If a circuit is isolated in order to carry out the work safely, then the circuit must be grounded.

Guiding Principles and Rules: contd

To be assured that a person will not be exposed to any hazardous current or voltage after the protective grounds are installed, the installation of the protective grounds must comply with the Grounding Principle and the Bonding Principle. When there is a need for an exception to equipotential grounding, such as the installation of bracket grounds, a written protective grounding plan must be prepared and approved

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Guiding Principles and Rules: contd

The Grounding Principle Protective grounds are installed to reduce any current flow through a worker to an acceptable level by providing a low resistant parallel shunt around the worker. If the circuit is or becomes energized, the grounds must be big enough to withstand any fault current in the circuit.

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Guiding Principles and Rules: contd

To adhere to the Grounding Principle

The available fault current at each substation and for each circuit must be determined so that the correct size ground sets can be specified. The ground set specified must be able to withstand the fault current for a time necessary to clear the fault. The minimum size cable must be # 2 copper. The ground sets must be tested at least annually to ensure that they will continue to provide a low resistant path around a worker.

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Guiding Principles and Rules: contd

The Bonding Principle

Bonds are installed so that a worker is kept in an equipotential zone. A worker must not be able to bridge between a grounded circuit and any unbonded structure, vehicle, boom, wire or any other object not tied into the bonded network.

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Guiding Principles and Rules: contd

To Adhere to the Bonding Principle

Equipotential (single point) grounds or bonds must be installed at the point of work so that a person will not be subject to any potential difference between any objects that can be contacted. The structure must be bonded to the grounds. Equipotential bonding on underground systems must be put in place by working from a ground gradient control mat bonded to the equipment or cable.

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Requirements
Each owned and/or operated facility must develop and implement a Protective Grounding Program that at a minimum contains the following elements: Written Program Elements Procedural Elements Program Administration

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Written Program Elements

The Protective Grounding Program must have the following written program elements: Be legible, readable, and accessible to all operations personnel. The written program must identify the position in the operation that is ultimately responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the operations Protective Grounding Procedure.

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Written Program Elements

Written program elements contd:

The written program must clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, responsibility, authorization, rules, and techniques to be applied to the use of Protective Grounding and the measures to enforce compliance with the program.

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Procedural Elements
The Protective Grounding Program must have the following procedural elements: Arranging for De-energization of the Circuit - The procedure must have the requirement that a circuit is guaranteed to be isolated and remain isolated and that tags and/or locks are on isolation points as per the AES Operations lock out/ tag out procedure.

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Procedural Elements
Procedural element contd:

Determining Suitable Grounding Location(s) - Grounds must be placed at the point of work in an Equipotential Zone configuration. Bracket grounding does not adequately protect workers from accidental re-energization. Bracket grounding shall only be applied when there is no possible source of reenergization. Bracket grounding requires the preparation of a grounding plan approved by a supervisor.

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Procedural Elements
Procedural element contd:

Determining the Proper Grounding Assembly or Set The grounding set must be large enough to carry the full fault current available at the work location, to ground and stay intact until the circuit protection opens. Each AES Operation must determine the fault current availability for the circuits to be worked on. Circuits that require ground sets larger than the minimum established size (# 2 copper) must be determined and the ground set requirements specified for each of these circuits.
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Procedural Elements
Procedural element contd:

Choosing the Most Effective Ground Electrode - The grounding set must be large enough to carry the full fault current available at the work location, to ground and stay intact until the circuit protection opens. Each AES Operation must determine the fault current availability for the circuits to be worked on. Circuits that require ground sets larger than the minimum established size (# 2 copper) must be determined and the ground set requirements specified for each of these circuits.
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Procedural Elements
Procedural elements contd :

Connecting to the Ground Electrode - The connection to the ground electrode must be made before any other connections and must be removed last. Establishing a Bonded Work Zone at the Work Site Grounds must be installed to establish the bond between the ground electrode and the structure. To keep everything in the work zone bonded, any wires or winch cables brought into the work zone need to be bonded to the same ground electrode.

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Procedural Elements
Procedural elements contd:

Establishing a Bonded Area on the Ground - Workers on the ground that are handling conductors are outside of the bonded zone and need to use rubber gloves or in more hazardous situations, work from ground gradient mats.

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Procedural Elements
Procedural elements contd:

Testing the Circuit to be Grounded to Verify Isolation The AES Operation must use an approved potential tester to verify that the circuit is isolated. Buzzing or teasing is not a reliable method to distinguish between induction or static charges and dynamically alive circuits. Ensuring Low Resistant Connections - The conductor and the inside of the ground set conductor clamps must be clean. The ground set must be visually checked, maintained and tested at least annually.
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Procedural Elements
Procedural elements contd:

Installing the Ground Clamps on the Phase Conductors - All personnel must be either completely in or completely out of the planned bonded work zone before installing the protective grounds. Live line or Hot Stick tools must be used and proper eye protection must be worn when installing ground clamps. The proper sequence for installing the conductor clamps should be specified in the Protective Grounding Program.

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Procedural Elements
Procedural elements contd:

Removing Grounds - Grounds should be removed in the reverse order to which they were installed. In high induction areas, removing the grounds can interrupt current and drop voltage. Therefore, live line tools must be used and eye protective must be worn when removing grounds.

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Procedural Elements
Procedural elements contd:

Preparation of a Protective Grounding Plan - Each AES Operation should prepare a protective grounding plan where bracket grounding is used to protect the worker. See Appendix A of the Standard for an example of a protective grounding plan. The plan needs to show the extra steps taken to ensure that the risk of accidental re-energization from dynamic sources is as low as reasonably achievable.

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Program Administration
The Protective Grounding Program must have the following program administrative elements:
Enforcement - of the AES Standard and Program Clearly Defined Roles Responsibilities - for those positions involved in protective grounding. Inspections - Inspection of the application of grounds by Operations Supervisory staff. Audits - Annual audits to determine the effectiveness of the Protective Grounding program.

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Program Administration
Program administrative elements contd:

Training - All employees that install, remove and inspect grounds must be trained and knowledgeable on grounding and bonding principles, procedures for installation and removal of grounds and testing and maintenance procedures. Maintenance - At least annually, ground sets must be inspected, maintained and tested with a ground set tester.

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Conclusion
Applying the Personal Protective Grounding standard will allow a Region, facility, work group or contractors to work safely and be protected from hazardous energy sources if implemented correctly The Region must ensure proper implementation of a Personal Protective Grounding program Employees must ensure individual Personal Protective Grounding responsibilities are complied with to protect themselves and others when working in a hazardous energy work environment

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Key To Successful Personal Protective Grounding

Everybody working together to establish a trusted and safe work environment.

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