WAC 296-32-210   Definitions.  (1) The terms used in these standards shall be interpreted in the most commonly accepted sense consistent with the communications industry. The words "shall" and "must," are used to indicate the provisions which are mandatory.

     (2) "Aerial lifts." Aerial lifts include the following types of vehicle-mounted aerial devices used to elevate personnel to jobsites above ground:

     (a) Extensible boom platforms,

     (b) Aerial ladders,

     (c) Articulating boom platforms,

     (d) Vertical towers,

     (e) A combination of any of the above defined in ANSI A92.2-1969. These devices are made of metal, wood, fiberglass, reinforced plastic (FRP), or other material; are powered or manually operated and are deemed to be aerial lifts whether or not they are capable of rotating above a substantially vertical axis.

     (3) "Aerial splicing platform." This consists of a platform, approximately 3 feet x 4 feet, used to perform aerial cable work. It is furnished with fiber or synthetic ropes for supporting the platform from aerial strand, detachable guy ropes for anchoring it, and a device for raising and lowering it with a handline.

     (4) "Aerial tent." A small tent usually constructed of vinyl coated canvas which is usually supported by light metal or plastic tubing. It is designed to protect employees in inclement weather while working on ladders, aerial splicing platforms, or aerial devices.

     (5) "Alive or live (energized)." Electrically connected to a source of potential difference, or electrically charged so as to have a potential significantly different from that of the earth in the vicinity. The term "live" is sometimes used in the place of the term "current-carrying," where the intent is clear, to avoid repetition of the longer term.

     (6) "Barricade." A physical obstruction such as tapes, cones, or "A" frame type wood and/or metal structure intended to warn and limit access to a work area.

     (7) "Barrier." A physical obstruction which is intended to prevent contact with energized lines or equipment, or to prevent unauthorized access to work area.

     (8) "Bond." An electrical connection from one conductive element to another for the purpose of minimizing potential differences or providing suitable conductivity for fault current or for mitigation of leakage current and electrolytic action.

     (9) "Cable." A conductor with insulation, or a stranded conductor with or without insulation and other coverings (single-conductor cable), or a combination of conductors insulated from one another (multiple-conductor cable).

     (10) "Cable sheath." A protective covering applied to cables.

Note: A cable sheath may consist of multiple layers of which one or more is conductive.

     (11) "Circuit." A conductor or system of conductors through which an electric current is intended to flow.

     (12) "Clearance."

     (a) The certification by the proper authority that a specified line or piece of equipment is de-energized; that the proper precautionary measures have been taken and that the line or equipment is being turned over to the workers.

     (b) Separation or protection by the use of protective devices to prevent accidental contact by persons or objects on approach to a point of danger.

     (13) "Climbing space." The vertical space reserved along the side of poles or structures to permit ready access for lineworkers to equipment and conductors located on poles or structures.

     (14) "Communication lines." The conductors and their supporting or containing structures for telephone, telegraph, railroad signal, data, clock, fire, police-alarm, community television antenna and other systems which are used for public or private signal or communication service, and which operate at potentials not exceeding 400 volts to ground or 750 volts between any two points of the circuit, and the transmitted power of which does not exceed 150 watts. When communications lines operate at less than 150 volts to ground, no limit is placed on the capacity of the system. Specifically designed communications cables may include communication circuits not complying with the preceding limitations, where such circuits are also used incidentally to supply power to communication equipment.

     (15) "Communication plant." The conductors and their associated equipment required to provide public or private signals or communicative service.

     (16) "Competent or qualified person." A person who is familiar with the construction of, or operation of, such lines and/or equipment that concerns their position and who is fully aware of the hazards connected therewith OR one who has passed a journeyman's examination for the particular branch of the trades with which they may be connected. In case of dispute, competency shall be established by a committee appointed by the director or assistant director of the department of labor and industries consisting of representatives of all interested parties.

     (17) "Conductor." A material, usually in the form of a wire, cable, or bus bar, suitable for carrying an electric current.

     (18) "Effectively grounded." Intentionally connected to earth through a ground connection or connections of sufficiently low impedance and having sufficient current-carrying capacity to prevent the build-up of voltages which may result in undue hazard to connected equipment or to persons.

     (19) "Emergency." When an unusual condition exists that endangers life and/or property.

     (20) "Energized." Electrically connected to a source of potential difference or electrically charged so as to have a potential different from that of the earth or different from that of adjacent conductors or equipment. For the purpose of these rules, potential differences less than 100 volts shall not apply. This definition does not include communication lines of less than 300 volts.

     (21) "Equipment." A general term which includes materials, fittings, devices, appliances, fixtures, apparatus, and similar items used as part of, or in connection with, a supply or communications installation.

     (22) "Crewleader or person-in-charge." That person directly in charge of workers doing the work regardless of title.

     (23) "Ground (reference)." That conductive body usually earth, to which an electric potential is referenced.

     (24) "Ground (as a noun)." A conductive connection, whether intentional or accidental, by which an electric circuit or equipment is connected to reference ground.

     (25) "Ground (as a verb)." The connecting or establishment of a connection, whether by intention or accident, of an electric circuit or equipment to reference ground.

     (26) "Grounding." The act of placing shorts and grounds on conductors and equipment for the purpose of protecting workers from dangerous voltages while working on such lines or equipment.

     (27) "Ground tent." A small tent usually constructed of vinyl coated canvas supported by a metal or plastic frame. Its purpose is to protect employees from inclement weather while working at buried cable pedestal sites or similar locations.

     (28) "Grounded conductor." A system or circuit conductor which is intentionally grounded.

     (29) "Grounded systems." A system of conductors in which at least one conductor or point (usually the middle wire, or the neutral point of transformer or generator windings) is intentionally grounded, either solidly or through a current-limiting device (not a current-interrupting device).

     (30) "Grounding electrode conductor (grounding conductor)." A conductor used to connect equipment or the grounded circuit of a wiring system to a grounding electrode.

     (31) "Guard or guarded." Covered, shielded, fenced, enclosed, or otherwise protected by means of suitable covers, casings, barriers, rails, screens, mats, platforms, or warning signs or devices to remove the possibility of dangerous contact on approach by other persons or objects to a point of danger.

     (32) "Insulated." Separated from other conducting surfaces by a dielectric substance (including air space) offering a high resistance to the passage of current.

Note: When any object is said to be insulated, it is understood to be insulated in suitable manner for the conditions to which it is subjected. Otherwise, it is, within the purpose of these standards, uninsulated. Insulating coverings of conductors is one means of making the conductor insulated.

     (33) "Insulation (as applied to cable)." That which is relied upon to insulate the conductor from other conductors or conducting parts or from ground.

     (34) "Joint use." The sharing of a common facility, such as a manhole, trench or pole, by two or more different kinds of utilities, (e.g., power and telecommunications).

     (35) "Ladder platform." A device designed to facilitate working aloft from an extension ladder. A typical device consists of a platform (approximately 9" x 18") hinged to a welded pipe frame. The rear edge of the platform and the bottom crossmember of the frame are equipped with latches to lock the platform to ladder rungs.

     (36) "Ladder seat." A removable seat used to facilitate work at an elevated position on rolling ladders in telecommunication centers.

     (37) "Manhole." A subsurface enclosure which personnel may enter and which is used for the purpose of installing, operating, and maintaining submersible equipment and/or cable.

     (38) "Manhole platform." A platform consisting of separate planks which are laid across steel platform supports. The ends of the supports are engaged in the manhole cable racks.

     (39) "Manlift equipment." Such types of portable truck-mounted equipment as mechanical, electric or hydraulic ladders and boom-mounted buckets or cages.

     (40) "Microwave transmission." The act of communicating or signaling utilizing a frequency between 1 GHz (gigahertz) and 300 GHz inclusively.

     (41) "Nominal voltage." The nominal voltage of a system or circuit is the value assigned to a system or circuit of a given voltage class for the purpose of convenient designation. The actual voltage may vary above or below this value.

     (42) "Pole balcony or seat." A balcony or seat used as a support for workers at pole-mounted equipment or terminal boxes. A typical device consists of a bolted assembly of steel details and a wooden platform. Steel braces run from the pole to the underside of the balcony. A guard rail (approximately 30" high) may be provided.

     (43) "Pole platform." A platform intended for use by a worker in splicing and maintenance operations in an elevated position adjacent to a pole. It consists of a platform equipped at one end with a hinged chain binder for securing the platform to a pole. A brace from the pole to the underside of the platform is also provided.

     (44) "Protection from hazardous voltage." The isolation from or de-energizing of equipment to prevent accidental contact by persons or objects on approach to point of danger.

     (45) "Protective devices." Those devices such as rubber gloves, rubber blankets, line hose, rubber hoods or other insulating devices, which are specially designed for the protection of workers.

     (46) "Public highway." Every way, land, road, street, boulevard, and every way or place in the state open as matter of right to public vehicular travel, both inside and outside the limit of cities and towns.

     (47) "Qualified employee." Any worker who by reason of their training and experience has demonstrated an ability to safely perform their duties.

     (48) "Qualified line-clearance tree trimmer." A tree worker who through related training and on-the-job experience is familiar with the special techniques and hazards involved in line clearance.

     (49) "Qualified line-clearance tree-trimmer trainee." Any worker regularly assigned to a line-clearance tree-trimming crew and undergoing on-the-job training who, in the course of such training, has demonstrated their ability to perform duties safely at their level of training.

     (50) "Sheath." As applied to sharp tools that effectively covers the tool.

     (51) "System operator/owner." The person or organization that operates or controls the electrical conductors involved.

     (52) "Telecommunications center." An installation of communication equipment under the exclusive control of an organization providing telecommunications service, that is located outdoors or in a vault, chamber, or a building space used primarily for such installations.

Note: Telecommunication centers are facilities established, equipped and arranged in accordance with engineered plans for the purpose of providing telecommunications service. They may be located on premises owned or leased by the organization providing telecommunication service, or on the premises owned or leased by others. This definition includes switch rooms (whether electromechanical, electronic, or computer controlled), terminal rooms, power rooms, repeater rooms, transmitter and receiver rooms, switchboard operating rooms, cable vaults, and miscellaneous communications equipment rooms. Simulation rooms of telecommunication centers for training or developmental purposes are also included.

     (53) "Telecommunications derricks." Rotating or nonrotating derrick structures permanently mounted on vehicles for the purpose of lifting, lowering, or positioning hardware and materials used in telecommunications work.

     (54) "Telecommunication line truck." A truck used to transport workers, tools, and material, and to serve as a traveling workshop for telecommunication installation and maintenance work. It is sometimes equipped with a boom and auxiliary equipment for setting poles, digging holes, and elevating material or workers.

     (55) "Telecommunication service." The furnishing of a capability to signal or communicate at a distance by means such as telephone, telegraph, police and fire-alarm, community antenna television, or similar system, using wire, conventional cable, coaxial cable, wave guides, microwave transmission, or other similar means.

     (56) "Unvented vault." An enclosed vault in which the only openings are access openings.

     (57) "Vault." An enclosure above or below ground which personnel may enter, and which is used for the purpose of installing, operating, and/or maintaining equipment and/or cable which need not be of submersible design.

     (58) "Vented vault." An enclosure as described in subsection (57) of this section, with provision for air changes using exhaust flue stack(s) and low level air intake(s), operating on differentials of pressure and temperature providing for air flow.

     (59) "Voltage communications." Voltage used for electronic communications equipment to which workers or protective equipment may be subjected.

     (a) High means over 600 volts to ground -- RMS AC or DC or over 1,000 volts RMS across bare parts.

     (b) Medium high means 151 to 600 volts to ground -- RMS AC or DC or 301 to 1,000 volts RMS AC across any bare parts.

     (60) "Voltage electric supply." The maximum effective line voltage to which the workers or protective equipment may be subjected.

     (a) Low includes voltages from 100 to 750 volts.

     (b) High means those voltages in excess of 750 volts.

     (61) "Voltage of an effectively grounded circuit." The voltage between any conductor and ground unless otherwise indicated.

     (62) "Voltage of a circuit not effectively grounded." The voltage between any two conductors. If one circuit is directly connected to and supplied from another circuit of higher voltage (as in the case of an autotransformer), both are considered as of the higher voltage, unless the circuit of lower voltage is effectively grounded, in which case its voltage is not determined by the circuit of higher voltage. Direct connection implies electric connection as distinguished from connection merely through electromagnetic or electrostatic induction.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 49.17 RCW. 94-15-096 (Order 94-07), § 296-32-210, filed 7/20/94, effective 9/20/94; Order 76-38, § 296-32-210, filed 12/30/76; Order 75-41, § 296-32-210, filed 12/19/75.]