Tag: Voice of Experience

Planning for Storm Work

Written by Danny Raines, CUSP on April 17, 2023. Posted in iP Security Articles.

The strength and magnitude of a storm should determine our methods to address it. But long before a significant event occurs, a plan to restore power safely should be made by the host company. I learned during my early days as a supervisor that a storm evaluation and restoration plan is of great value to prepare everyone for “the big one.” Everyday storms and outages can be handled locally with a single point of command and control from the system operations center. However, when a stronger, more widespread storm occurs, local and area supervision may be a better and more organized method. The...

System Operations: Who’s in Charge?

Written by Danny Raines, CUSP on April 15, 2021. Posted in iP Security Articles.

System and utility operators are required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269(m) to have a procedure to de-energize their systems for protection of the employees working on those systems. The rules in 1910.269(m) do not specifically require a written procedure, but it is hard to imagine how an effective procedure could be maintained if it weren’t written. Unlike lockout/tagout, we refer to these programs as switching and tagging. Switching and tagging apply to transmission and distribution, including substations. The 1910.269 standard has a paragraph (d)(2) on energy control procedures for power plants...

Voice of Experience: Fundamentals of Underground Padmount Transformers

Written by Danny Raines, CUSP on June 20, 2015. Posted in iP Security Articles.

In recent months Incident Prevention has received several questions about underground (UD) padmount transformers, so in this installment of “Voice of Experience,” I’d like to take the time to cover the general aspects of these types of transformers. To begin, there are a few different types of single-phase and three-phase UD padmounts: live front with exposed live primary parts, 600-amp bolt-on elbows and loop feed with bushings and elbows. All of these transformers are available in several voltage ranges. The proper PPE must be worn when an employee is opening, entering and working on energized...