De-Energized Service and Inspection

In many instances, de-energized electrical work may be carried out after properly following all procedures for de-energizing the system. Note that if a system cannot be fully verified as de-energized, it must be considered and treated as an energized one and worked upon only by qualified personnel. Whether energized or not, electrical work must always be performed by licensed professionals who are fully qualified to carry out both energized and de-energized electrical inspections.

De-Energized Electrical Inspections

It’s a simple fact that work on de-energized electrical equipment poses far less risk to personnel and property. But the planning, scheduling, de-energizing and verification steps involved in the work mean that the whole process still needs to be carried out by a professional organization that knows precisely how to certify that every step supposed to happen does happen — or a catastrophic loss can occur.

For this reason, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is very clear in laying out both procedures for energized electrical work in standard 1910.269(l) and for de-energized work in standards 1910.269(d) and 1910.269(m). Predictably, other than following all procedures to the letter, the other most important standard to adhere to is the strict requirement that only fully qualified and experienced workers can carry out such work.

This requirement list is why our technicians always contact system operators when conducting on-site or fieldwork on de-energized systems. Before grounding electrical components, the following steps are standard and must be carried out when de-energizing a system in preparation for an electrical inspection or scheduled work:

• The technical team leader or field worker in charge formally asks the system operator to de-energize the portion of the system that will be worked on.
• All electrical connections—even possible sources of back feed —are identified, opened (placed in an inoperable position), and properly tagged. This procedure is also known as the system operator establishing a switching order.
• The system operator communicates to field workers that they are to lock all accessible switching devices in the open position for the system.
• The system operator disables and tags all automatic devices, such as reclosers and remote-controlled switches.
• The system operator informs the technical team leader that the lines or system are ready for testing to check that the equipment is de-energized.
• After testing confirms that the system is de-energized, proper electrical service grounding is installed to protect all field personnel.

Only once the above steps are fully carried out can equipment be considered de-energized, and inspections, repairs, and work can commence.

Trust Lippolis for Reliable Tri-State De-Energized Service & Inspection

For over forty years, Lippolis Electric, Inc. has served the electrical contracting needs of people in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. As a family-owned and operated business, we’re committed to safely completing every job and meeting or exceeding our customers’ expectations.

If you’re looking for commercial electrical maintenance, look no further than Lippolis. Contact us to learn more about our de-energized service and inspections.