Program Policy Manual - VOLUME V - Mine Safety and Health ...

MSHA PROGRAM POLICY MANUAL VOLUME V
perform electrical work and to maintain electrical equipment
under the direct supervision of a qualified person may do testing
and troubleshooting on energized circuits as a part of his or her
training program if a qualified person is present at all times to
observe, instruct, and aid the trainee during such testing and
troubleshooting.
Mining equipment manufacturers' service representatives are not
required to be qualified persons, but are considered to be
persons "trained to perform electrical work and to maintain
electrical equipment under the direct supervision of a qualified
person." When work is performed by manufacturers' service
representatives who are not qualified persons, the completed work
is required to be examined and tested, if necessary, by a
qualified person before the machine or equipment is placed in
service.
Rebuilding of electric equipment by original equipment
manufacturers or rebuild shops may be performed by persons other
than qualified persons; however, mine management is under a
continuing responsibility to assure that such equipment is
examined by a qualified person to assure safe operating condition
before the equipment is placed in service.
Section 75.512 requires examinations and tests to be made only by
a qualified person. The very nature of the required examinations
and tests precludes the work being performed by a person trained
to perform electrical work and to maintain electrical equipment
under the direct supervision of a qualified person.
The disconnecting device is intended to provide workers with a
visible means of readily determining that the equipment or
circuit is deenergized. The worker must be able to see the power
disconnect blades or contacts easily to determine, without any
doubt, that the circuit is deenergized.
Disconnecting devices shall be locked out, where possible, and
suitably tagged by persons who perform the work. Locking out is
"possible" in almost all cases and can be accomplished in a
practical manner. Single-pole blade-type disconnects and fusedtype
disconnects in high-voltage circuits are examples of cases
where locking out is not practically possible. In all instances,
trailing cables equipped with cable couplers or fused nips shall
be opened, tagged and locked out. Some methods by which locking
out may be accomplished are:
February 2003 (Release V-33) 59