SECTION 7: OUTDOOR

PLANT

SAFETY RULES

SECTION OUTLINE
7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 7.8 GENERAL GROUNDING AND BONDING JOINT USE OF POLES CLEARANCES CLIMBING SPACE VERTICAL RUNS AND RISERS GUYS AND ANCHORS MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT

7.1

GENERAL

7.1.1

SCOPE OF RULES

This section establishes detailed safety requirements for the outdoor portion of electronic systems and plants. These rules are supplemented, in certain cases, by rules in other section of this Code and applies to systems and plants installed above or below ground level.

7.1.2

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 7.1.2.1 DESIGN CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

A.

B.

C.

D.

Outdoor electronic plants or systems should be of suitable design and construction for their intended use, regard being given to the conditions under which they are to be operated. The owners and employees of such systems shall at all times exercise due care. All works performed on public or private shall be done in such a manner that the operations of other utilities will be interfered with as little as possible and no conditions hazardous to workmen, pedestrian shall result. Applicable electrical operation and strength requirements shall be met by the system.

7.1.2

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 7.1.2.2 INSPECTION

Plants, in service or out of service, shall be inspected regularly for the purpose of insuring that they conform with the strength and electrical protection requirement of this Code.

7.1.2.3 Avoidance of Conflict 7.1.2.4 Cooperation to Avoid Conflict 7.1.2.5 Abandoned Lines Lines or portion of lines no longer required to provide the present shall be removed by their owners so that such lines shall not become a public nuisance or hazard.

7.1.2

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 7.1.2.2 INSPECTION

7.1.2.6 Foreign Attachment 7.1.2.7 Tree Trimming Where overhead wires passes through trees, safety and reliability of service requires that a reasonable amount of tree trimming be done. 7.1.2.8 Stepping The lowest step on any stepped pole shall not be less than 2.4 metres from the ground where supply conductors are supported on the same pole with communication conductors.

7.2

GROUNDING AND BONDING

7.2.1 Earth Ground The poles or supporting structures of overhead lines shall be provided with an earth ground whose earth resistance shall be no greater than 25 ohms, measured by the fall of potential methods, and at intervals not greater than 400 metres. 7.2.2 Bonding Metallic inner sheath and metallic outer jackets of cables, messengers guys and all other metallic hardware at poles supporting overhead lines shall be bonded together at locations where an earth ground is present and connected to the earth ground

7.2

GROUNDING AND BONDING

7.2.3 Manhole All manholes shall be treated with an earth ground whose earth resistance shall not be greater than 25 ohms, measured by the fall of potential method bonded together shall be firmly attached. 7.2.4 Buried Cables Metallic sheaths of buried cables shall be bonded to an earth ground whenever such cable makes an above ground appearance. 7.2.5 Risers All overhead cables shall have their metallic sheath or jacket grounded whenever such cable changes from overhead to underground installation.

7.3

JOINT USE OF POLES AND STRUCTURES

7.3.1 Joint use of poles and structures shall be given consideration by all interested parties where construction or reconstruction is involved and where used. 7.3.2 Each party should designate its space requirements. 7.3.3 Communication entities owing this shall be responsible that strength and protection are met. 7.3.5 Climbing space on jointly used poles shall be provided and correlated between the entities jointly using the poles. 7.3.6 In case of disagreements between the entities jointly using the poles which results in situation considered hazardous or unacceptable in this Code, the entity covered by this Code shall refer the matter to the enforcer of this Code for appropriate action.

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.1 GENERAL

A.

B.

C.

Where two or more systems are concerned in any clearance, that owner who last in point of time constructs facilities, shall establish the clearance required in this code from other facilities which have been erected previously. When supply and communication circuits are involved in crossings, conflicts or joint use, the higher voltage circuit shall be carried at the higher level. Communication circuits shall not be installed above supply circuits in excess of 7,500 volts.

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.1 GENERAL

D.

E.

Supply circuits of not greater than 300 volts and communication circuits of different or the same ownership may be supported on the same cross arm, provided they are installed on opposite ends of the arm and the nearest conductors of the two circuits are separated a horizontal distance of not less than 1 metre. Clearances specified in succeeding rules in this Section, shall be at 60 degrees C. and no wind loading.

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.2 ABOVE GROUND

This part of the section explains that conductors and cables shall have a minimum vertical clearance above ground. A. The clearance for crossing and thoroughfares in public, urban and rural areas shall be not less than 5.5 metres. B. Along public thoroughfares or across other areas capable of being traversed by vehicles or agricultural equipment in rural areas, the clearance shall not be less than 4.5.metres. C. In areas accessible to pedestrians, the clearance shall not be less than 3 metres for conductors with 160 volts or less transmitting not more than 50 watts and not less than 2.4 metres for cables having grounded metal sheath.

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.2 ABOVE GROUND

D.

E.

F.

G.

Railway signal cables which are entirely on fenced railway rights-of-way exposed to vehicular traffic but do not cross public thoroughfares shall have a clearance of not less than 3.0 metres. Crossing above swimming pools shall be avoided where practicable and when this cannot be avoided. Vertical runs and risers of conductors and cables do not have clearance requirement to ground. Cables attached to structures and installed in a manner that they do not interfere with the free flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.3 ABOVE RAILWAYS AND TROLLEY LINES

7.4.3.1 The minimum vertical clearance of conductors, open wire, cables and service drops crossing above railroad tracks not operated by overhead contact wires shall be not less than 7.6 metres which is based upon the maximum of standard freight cars of 4.7 metres from the top of the rail. This clearance shall in case be reduced more than 5% because o temperature, wind or mechanical building.

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.3 ABOVE RAILWAYS AND TROLLEY LINES

7.4.3.2 The minimum vertical clearance of conductors, open wires, cables and service drops crossing or paralleling above tracks of railroads operated by overhead trolley shall be not less than 7.9 metres which is based upon the usual maximum height of a free trolley pole throw of 7.9 metres above the rails 7.4.3.3 service drops may across above trolley contact conductors, including messenger in catenary construction, at a vertical distance of not less than 1.2 metres, provided they clear the top of rails a vertical distance of 7.9 metres where the railway crossed transports standard freight cars or 7.0 metres where the railway does not transport freight cars

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.4 BETWEEN WIRES, CONDUCTORS, CABLES AND MESSENGER

7.4.4.1 Insulated cables are treated as single conductor and therefore no specified clearance is required between the individual conductors of the cable. 7.4.4.2 The basic minimum clearance between wires, conductors, cables and messengers shall be as indicated in this Code except under the following modifying conditions: A. Item A-1 & A-2 1. Not applicable to wires, conductors, cables and messengers of the same system B. Item A-3a

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.4 BETWEEN WIRES, CONDUCTORS, CABLES AND MESSENGER Item A-3b

C.

Item A-3d 1. For supply voltages over 200000 volts, the clearance in the table A-3d of 1.8 and 2.4 meters shall both be increased to not less than 3.9 meters. E. Item B-1a F. Item B-2a G. Item B-2d 1. For supply voltages over 200000 volts, the clearance in the table B-2d of 1.8 metres shall not less than 3.9 metres.
D.

7.4 CLEARANCES 7.4.4 BETWEEN WIRES, CONDUCTORS, CABLES AND MESSENGER

Item C-1 1. The clearance of 0.15 metre specified in table item C-1 is not required between conductors in line arm and related buck arm, where the conductors supported by such arms do not cross. I. Item D-1 1. Not applicable to insulated conductor or cable whether single or grouped and whether with or without supporting messengers.
H.

7.5 CLIMBING SPACE

7.5.1 Climbing space shall be provided on one side or quadrant of all poles supporting communications conductors excepting at the level of the one pair of conductor attached to the pole below the lowest cross arm. 7.5.2 The climbing space shall be maintained in the same position on the pole for minimum vertical distance of 1.2 metres above and below each conductor level thru which it passes. 7.5.3 The position of the climbing space shall not be shifted more than 90 degrees around the pole within a vertical distance of less than 2.4 metres.

7.6

VERTICAL RUNS, RISERS, GROUND WIRES

7.6.1 Vertical runs of communication wires and cables supported on the surface of wood poles or structures, shall be covered by a suitable protective covering within a vertical distance of 0.9 metres above or 1.8 metres below unprotected supply conductors supported on the same pole or structure. Vertical runs shall be treated as risers where within a distance of 2.4 metres from the ground. 7.6.2 Risers of wires or underground cables shall be encased in securely grounded metal or plastic pipe from the ground line to a level not less than 8 feet above the ground line.

7.7

GUYS AND ANCHORS

7.7.1 Where mechanical loads imposed on poles, towers or structures are greater than can supported with the safety factors as specified in Rule 4.3.2, additional strength shall be provided by the use of guys or other suitable construction. 7.7.2 Where guys are used with poles capable of considerable deflection before failure, the guys shall be able to support the entire stress, the pole below the point of guy attachment acting merely as a strut. 7.7.3 Guys shall be attached to structures as nearly as practicable at the centre of load. 7.7.4 Guy wires shall be protected by the use of guy thimbles or their equivalent when attached to anchor rods or through volts.

7.7

GUYS AND ANCHORS

7.7.5 Soft wood poles, around which any guy having an ultimate strength of 2300 kilogram or more is wrapped, shall be protected by suitable guy shims. 7.7.6 The general requirements governing the sectionalizing of guys by means of insulators are based upon the exposure or proximity of the group to supply conductors. 7.7.7 Insulators with sectionalized guys shall conform to the specification based on the highest voltage of supply conductors such guys is exposed or in proximity.

7.8

MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT

7.8.1 On jointly used poles, metal communication cable terminals, metal boxes or similar equipment which are less than 0.2 metres from centre line of the pole or are attached to the surface of the pole shall be placed not less than 0.9 metres above the level of the nearest unprotected supply conductor. 7.8.2 All parts of metal communication cable terminals, metal boxes or similar equipment which are 0.2 metres or more from the centre line of the pole shall have vertical clearances from supply conductors not less than Table 7-1 item B2a to d.

7.8

MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT

7.8.3 Where telephone instrument is attached to the surface of a pole at less than 2.4 metres vertically above the ground and is connected to a communication circuit, such instrument shall be enclosed in a suitable box of insulating material, which shall be locked to prevent access by unauthorized persons.

THANK YOU!

Prepared by: DEO F. SULIT