work adjacent to overhead line equipment - Queensland Rail

Systems and Capability Technical Requirement
WORK ADJACENT TO OVERHEAD LINE
EQUIPMENT
No: MCE-SR-003
Issue: Revision E
Date: 30 September 2010
ISSUE DATE DESCRIPTION / REASON
Initial 07.08.1997
Revision A 16.01.2001
Reference made to Electrification Manual (STD/0039/SWK)
QUEENSLAND RAIL costs updated
Revision B 04.02.2002 Safety Induction Course cost updated
Revision C 30.06.2005
Revision D 22.12.2009 Complete Revision
Cl. 3.2.2 revised in respect of loads.
Cl. 3.2.4 revised to exclude protection by a platform.
Cl. 3.2.5 revised in respect of loads.
Revision E 30.09.2010 Rebranded with new disclaimer.
© Queensland Rail 2010
Reproduction by any means (including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microcopying or otherwise), except for the purposes permitted by
the Copyright Act, is prohibited without prior written permission of Queensland Rail.
This publication has been created for use in the design, construction, maintenance and operation of Queensland Rail infrastructure and
infrastructure owned by others that adjoins Queensland Rail's operational corridors. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information
contained in this document is correct at the time of authorisation for issue. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that the information is
interpreted correctly and is up to date before it is applied. It is strongly recommended that the user consults with Queensland Rail to ensure
relevancy for the specific circumstance and correct interpretation.
When the document is used in other than Queensland Rail projects, Queensland Rail gives no warranties as to the completeness; accuracy or
adequacy of the publication or any parts of it and accepts no responsibility or liability upon any basis whatsoever.

WORK ADJACENT TO OVERHEAD LINE EQUIPMENT, Revision E
Contents Page
1.0 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
2.0 SCOPE.........................................................................................................................................3
3.0 WORK ADJACENT TO OVERHEAD TRACTION WIRING EQUIPMENT .....................................3
3.1 Warning ....................................................................................................................................3
3.2 General Requirements..............................................................................................................4
3.3 Application Procedure...............................................................................................................4
4.0 FURTHER INFORMATION...........................................................................................................4
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WORK ADJACENT TO OVERHEAD LINE EQUIPMENT, Revision E
1.0 INTRODUCTION
This Technical Requirement details the criteria
which must be met by an external party working
adjacent to Overhead Traction Wiring
Equipment, in or about Queensland Rail
property.
Definition:
Electrified Area is any section of track
equipped with overhead traction wiring
equipment, or any substation or supply
substation used to provide power for electric
trains.
Overhead Traction Power Equipment is the
structures and overhead equipment necessary
for the traction power supply for electric trains.
Traction Power Engineer or delegated
representative is the registered professional
electrical engineer responsible for the electric
traction infrastructure in a defined geographic
area in respect of 1. System operation,
maintenance and integrity; and 2. Electrical
safety advice.
Isolation is the action or arrangement whereby
an electrical section of the overhead traction
power equipment is isolated from all possible
sources of electrical supply and earthed so that
the equipment is no longer energised with
electricity at the work site.
Permit to Work (Form C) is a permit that is
issued subsequent to the equipment being
isolated and earthed.
Safety Clarification Advice (SCA) is a written
advice provided by QUEENSLAND RAIL on how
to safely carry out work that has the potential to
come within the 3 m exclusion zone of the live
overhead traction power equipment. It is site
specific written advice, concerning work
restrictions in the vicinity of live overhead
traction power equipment. This advice is
supplied by the Senior Traction Power Engineer
or their representative in response to a request
from a Person in Charge of Work.
Person in Charge of Work (PICOW) is a
worker who has the competence to supervise
the electrical safety aspects of the work and has
been appointed by line management to take
charge of a specific worksite in the electrified
area. If this worker is not the worker supervising
the technical aspects of the work or is not the
work group leader, then the
PICOW must be given an overriding safety
responsibility.
Reference is made to the following additional
Queensland Rail Technical Requirements which
must also be satisfied:
MCE-SR-001 Design of road overbridges;
MCE-SR-002 Work in or about Queensland Rail
property,
MCE-SR-005 Design of buildings over or near
railways,
MCE-SR-006 Design of footbridges;
MCE-SR-008 Protection screens, and
MCE-SR-012 Protection of supporting elements
adjacent to railways.
Copies of these documents may be obtained
from Queensland Rail.
All reference documents, e.g. Australian
Standards, codes and Queensland Rail
Technical Requirements, are to be the latest
version.
2.0 SCOPE
This Technical Requirement specifies the
requirements that a Contractor, not working for
Queensland Rail, must comply with when
working:
• On Queensland Rail Property,
• In the vicinity of Queensland Rail property,
or
• Over or under Queensland Rail property.
3.0 WORK ADJACENT TO OVERHEAD
TRACTION WIRING EQUIPMENT
3.1 Warning
WARNING: None of the components of the
Overhead Line Equipment have any protective
covering and are potentially dangerous and shall
not be approached by persons either directly or
indirectly with any item of material or equipment.
A 3 m exclusion zone from Overhead Electrics
must be maintained.
All overhead line equipment shall always be
regarded as energised with 25,000 volts of
electricity unless an isolation has been carried
out and a Permit to Work has been issued.
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WORK ADJACENT TO OVERHEAD LINE EQUIPMENT, Revision E
If, in the opinion of a Track Protection Officer
(TPO) or the Track Protection Coordinator
(TPC), any activity of the Contractor is
considered dangerous or contravenes any of
these Requirements, then the TPO or TPC has
the authority to direct that such activity is to
cease immediately.
3.2 General Requirements
For any work adjacent to Overhead Traction
Wiring Equipment that encroaches or has the
potential to encroach within 3 m of the Overhead
Traction Wiring Equipment from a position
below, along side or for any work at any
distance above, no work shall commence on
site until the Contractor has contacted the
Senior Traction Power Engineer’s office and
received one of the following :
An isolation of the Overhead Traction Wiring
and receipt of a Permit to Work (Form C) issued
from a nominated person.
A Safety Clarification Advice (SCA) issued by
the Senior Traction Power Engineer or his
designated representative.
Isolation and Permit to Work :
When the Senior Traction Power Engineer
(STPE) determines that work cannot be carried
out safely under a Safety Clarification Advice
(SCA) process, an isolation must be sought and
planned so that the work can be conducted
safely. A Permit to Work (Form C) will allow
suitably trained workers under the supervision of
a Person In Charge of Work (PICOW), to work
“NEAR” isolated overhead line equipment.
Safety Clarification Advice (SCA) :
A Safety Clarification Advice (SCA) is a written
advice provided by the Senior Traction Power
Engineer or his designated representative on
how to safely carry out work that has the
potential to come within the 3 m exclusion zone
of the live overhead line equipment.
3.3 Application Procedure
The Contractor shall contact the Senior Traction
Power Engineer and then apply in writing for
one of the above using appropriate Queensland
Rail forms/paperwork. The timing for the start of
work by the Contractor on site is to allow for a
Queensland Rail /Contractor site inspection and
Queensland Rail’s
analysis/amendment/approval of the
Contractor’s application and Queensland Rail
planning/resourcing.
The Contractor’s application is to include but not
be limited to such aspects as the provision of a
Safe Work Method statement. The Safe Work
Method Statement (WMS) must contain the
minimum control measures required to ensure
that an unsafe electrical situation is not created
at any stage of the works. The submission is to
nominate the Contractor’s person who will be in
charge of the work (PICOW). This worker must
have appropriate knowledge of electrical safety
and working within 3 m of the live overhead line
equipment and also knowledge of working in a
railway corridor which is to be obtained from
appropriate Queensland Rail training courses.
There will be a requirement that all of the
contractor’s staff carrying out the works undergo
Queensland Rail safety training.
4.0 FURTHER INFORMATION
More in depth information can be obtained from
Queensland Rail Network Safety Management
System SAF/STD/0141/ELE/NET - “Electrical
Traction Systems Standards Manual”.
The advice contained on the Safety Clarification
Advice (SCA) form indicates the restrictions on
work and work methods when work could come
within 3 m of the live overhead line equipment. It
is not a Permit to Work (Form C). The Person In
Charge of Work (PICOW) remains responsible
for the safety of the work group.
Page 4 of 4