Grounding Techniques That Save Lives

NATIONAL UTILITY
TRAINING SERVICES
Grounding
Techniques that
Save Lives
National Utility Training Services

This material was produced under grant (46K1-HT27)
from the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does
not necessarily reflect the views or the policies of the
U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of
trade names, commercial products, or organizations
imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Special Thanks to:
Mike Fitzpatrick
Mike Fitzpatrick Training
Pasco, Washington
and
Steve Frost, ESCI
Kennewick, Washington

In Case of an Emergency
If you hear an alarm:
Listen to the PA system.
Follow instructions.

Administration
Breaks
Smoking Areas
Restrooms
Lunches

This Course Will Cover:
¾ OSHA Regulation
¾ History of Grounding
¾ Dalziel’s Research
¾ Effects of Current
across the body

This Course Will Cover:
¾ Grounding methods
¾ Bracket
¾ Single Point
¾ Personal Protective
¾ Specific Equipment used
for equipotential zones
¾ Grounding In
Substations

OSHA Regulation
29 CFR 1910.269(n)
Grounding for the protection of employees
29 CFR 1910.269(n)(3)
“Temporary protective grounds shall be placed at such
locations and arranged in such a manner as to
prevent each employee from being exposed to
hazardous differences in electrical potential”

History of Grounding
Early on there were no methods established to safely

work energized lines
Pioneers discovered if lines that were taken out of

service were short-circuited to the earth, this could
protect the lineworkers from shock

History of Grounding
First Personal Protective Grounds
¾ Long metal chains pulled over conductors

¾ Bare stranded copper conductor
¾ Cluster type grounds

History
In 1954, two engineers from Bonneville

Power, E.J. Harrington and T. Martin
published a paper called :
“Placement of protective grounds for the

safety of linemen.”

Straw Man Test
A set of coveralls was stuffed with straw.

Inside the coveralls they ran a copper wire
equal to 500 ohms of resistance.
The bracket grounds were installed and the

line energized at 230.000 volts.

Dalziel’s Research
Current Flow and the Human Body
¾ Research in 1941 by Professor Charles Dalziel/

University of California at Berkeley
¾ Established general values regarding electrical
current and reaction of the human body
¾ Values contributed to the evaluation of grounding
procedures
¾ Research confirmed that individuals react differently
to current values

Effects of Current
across the body
1. The human body is a natural _________

Conductor of
electricity.
2. _________
Current always takes the path of least resistance
to ground and that path may be through a person’s
body.
3. The effect of current on the human body depends
Amount of current, the _________
on the _______ Duration of
current flow, and the ______
Path that the current takes
through the body.

Effects of Current
across the body
4. When current flow is directly through the _______,

Heart
the chance of severe damage is the greatest.
5. Cardiac arrest or fibrillation can occur when current

above ____________
50 milliamps passes through the heart.
6. The most severe electrical burns occur when the

current flow is over _____________.
200 milliamps

Effects of Current
across the body
7. Resistance can alter the effects of current flow

__________
and its path through the body.
8. Skin provides much more resistance to current flow

than _______
Muscle _______.
Tissue
9. With dry skin, current flow is ____

Less likely to travel
across the skin surface and More
____ likely to flow
through muscle tissue.

How Much Voltage Can We Take
?
From Dalziel’s formula, we know the

fibrillation threshold is:
164 ma, or 0.164 amps

or
Just a little more than 1/10 of an amp

How Much Voltage Can We Take
?
V=IR
V = ( .164 ) x ( 500 )
V = 82 volts
Average human body has 500 to 1500 ohms of

resistance

What Are The Two Things
Current Will Always Do ?
¾ Current will take the

path of least
resistance.
¾ Current will take all

paths to ground.

Grounding Methods
1910.269 (n) (2)
General." For the employee to work lines or equipment as
deenergized, the lines or equipment shall be deenergized under
the provisions of paragraph (m) of this section and shall be
grounded as specified in paragraphs (n)(3) through (n)(9) of this
section. However, if the employer can demonstrate that
installation of a ground is impracticable or that the conditions
resulting from the installation of a ground would present greater
hazards than working without grounds, the lines and equipment
may be treated as deenergized provided all of the following
conditions are met:
1910.269(n)(2)(i)
The lines and equipment have been deenergized under the
provisions of paragraph (m) of this section.
1910.269(n)(2)(ii)
There is no possibility of contact with another energized source.
1910.269(n)(2)(iii)
The hazard of induced voltage is not present.

Grounding Methods (cont.)
Bracket Grounds
¾ “Old Style”
¾ Not a legitimate ground/better than none
¾ Not highly recommended
¾ Can have current flow under certain conditions

Single Point Grounding
¾ Equipotential
¾ Identify
¾ Isolate
Can’t have current flow at equal potential

Personal Protective Grounding

Equipotential Zone
A method of grounding where a

pole band is attached to the pole,
then the common neutral or
ground, and then jumpered to the
conductor. The pole band is below
the feet, creating a work zone that
is the same potential as the line
voltage.

Preferred Grounding Points
Most Effective 1 Designed ground point or ground bus.
2 Substation ground grid
3 Common neutral
4 Multi-grounded system
5 Structure ground.
(pole ground rod, footing ground, etc.)
Least Effective 6 Temporary driven ground rod.

Equipotential Grounding
¾ De-energize the cable and test.

¾ Install bracket grounds to bleed off any
capacitive charge.
¾ After grounding, install the cable on insulated
parking bushings.
¾ At the work-site install a ground mat.
¾ Tie the ground mat to the concentric of the
cable that you are working on.

Choices
As with overhead distribution systems, there

are three acceptable methods:
¾ Insulate
¾ Isolate
¾ Equipotential zone

Underground Equipotential
Grounding

Underground equipotential
grounding uses the same theory as
overhead.

Equipotential Grounding
The ground mat, when properly installed

will work in the same way as a cluster
bar on a pole.
Transmission Lines

Transmission
There are potential problems when working

around high-voltage transmission lines.
¾ Electrostatic induction.
¾ Electromagnetic induction.

Electrostatic
induction occurs
when an ungrounded
open conductor acts
like a capacitor and
picks up a charge from
wind blowing across
large expanses of wire.

Electromagnetic
induction occurs when
an ungrounded open
conductor picks up an
induced voltage from
an energized line
paralleling or
perpendicular to the
line. National Utility Training Services
Electromagnetic Induction
When grounds are installed where there is a

transmission line paralleling the de-energized
lines, a potentially dangerous condition exists
due to the induced electromagnetic field from
the high-voltage lines.

The solution is to
remove the grounds
at the switches and
ground at the
location closest to
where the work is
being performed.

In this case, by
grounding at the
source (open
switches in the
switch yard), we
produce the same
condition that exists
in a transformer.

Placement of Personal Protective
Grounds
Proper placement of
personal protective
grounds is essential.
PPG's should be placed
as close to the work
location as possible to
dissipate induced
voltages.

In Order to Provide True
Equipotential Protection for the
Worker
All Mechanical Equipment

Working Near Power Lines
Must Be Grounded
Mechanical Equipment

¾ Tests were conducted using a 1969 ford cab

over digger/derrick.
¾ The truck had two sections of steel, and one

fiberglass section.

A Total of Four Tests Were
Completed.
¾ Truck ungrounded.
¾ Truck grounded to a temporary ground rod.
¾ Truck grounded to the pole ground.
¾ Truck grounded to the common neutral.

Truck Ungrounded Front Rear
Tires Insulated 120 5601 6.1 5601 6.0
Stiff legs not insulated amps volts amps volts amps
Tires not insulated 182 5516 6.0 5431 5.8
Stiff legs not insulated
Stiff legs insulated
Stiff legs on wood
Tires not insulated 0 0 0 0 0
Stiff legs on wood
Fiberglass boom

Stifflegs on wood
Nylon winch line
Truck Ungrounded
Front Rear
Tires Insulated 120 5601 6.1 5601 6.0
Stifflegs on wood
Tires Insulated 402 5431 5.9 5601 6.0

Stiff legs on wood
Truck to Ground Rod
Front Rear
Tires insulated 402 5431 5.9 5601 6.0


Stifflegs on wood

Truck to Pole Ground
Front Rear
Tires not insulated 4422 221 .24 221 .24


Stiff legs on wood

Truck To Common Neutral
Front Rear

Stiff legs on wood

Stiff legs on wood
Fiberglass boom

Stiff legs on wood
Nylon winch line
Tires not insulated 4633 199 .22 0 0

Stiff up
Steel plate on leather
shoes National Utility Training Services
OSHA 1910.269
¾ Mechanical equipment shall be operated so

that the MAD (Minimum.
approach distance) is maintained.
¾ However, the insulated portion of an aerial lift
operated by a qualified employee in the lift is
exempt from this requirement.
¾ If the MAD is maintained from exposed
objects at a different potential.
Minimum Approach Distance
System Voltage Minimum Approach
(KV) Distance
Secondary Avoid Contact

4 2 ft. - 3 in.
12 2 ft. - 3 in.
21 2 ft. - 10 in.
69 3 ft. – 11 in.
115 4 ft. – 3 in.
230 7 ft. – 6 in.
Boom and Digger/Derricks
¾ Energized lines exposed to contact shall be

covered.
¾ Equipment shall be insulated for the voltage
involved, and be positioned so the
uninsulated portion cannot come within the
MAD.
¾ Equipment shall be grounded to the best
available ground.

Working Outside of MAD
¾ Exposed energized lines shall be covered.

¾ Equipment shall be insulated for the voltage.
¾ Equipment shall be grounded to the best
available ground.
¾ Ground mats used around the equipment.
¾ Insulating protective equipment. (rubber
gloves and boots).

Working Within MAD
¾ The exposed energized lines and equipment

shall be covered with protective materials.
¾ The equipment shall be insulated for the

voltage involved.

Substations

Substation Grounding
A substation is one big equipotential grid.

¾ Install grounds from the preferred ground
point to the conductors,bus or bushing using
hot line tools.
¾ Do not ground through fuses, interrupters,
power circuits breakers, switches, power
transformers and other type of devices.
¾ Install ball studs whenever possible for future
grounding.

¾ Step and touch potential is provided within

one foot of the grounded device.
¾ Grounding cables should be sized according

to the available fault current.

Program
End

Grounding Techniques That Save Lives

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National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

If you hear an alarm:

Listen to the PA system.

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

Early on there were no methods established to safely

Pioneers discovered if lines that were taken out of

National Utility Training Services

First Personal Protective Grounds

¾ Long metal chains pulled over conductors

National Utility Training Services

In 1954, two engineers from Bonneville

“Placement of protective grounds for the

National Utility Training Services

A set of coveralls was stuffed with straw.

The bracket grounds were installed and the

National Utility Training Services

Current Flow and the Human Body

¾ Research in 1941 by Professor Charles Dalziel/

National Utility Training Services

1. The human body is a natural _________

National Utility Training Services

4. When current flow is directly through the _______,

5. Cardiac arrest or fibrillation can occur when current

6. The most severe electrical burns occur when the

National Utility Training Services

7. Resistance can alter the effects of current flow

8. Skin provides much more resistance to current flow

9. With dry skin, current flow is ____

National Utility Training Services

From Dalziel’s formula, we know the

164 ma, or 0.164 amps

National Utility Training Services

Average human body has 500 to 1500 ohms of

National Utility Training Services

¾ Current will take the

¾ Current will take all

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

Single Point Grounding

Can’t have current flow at equal potential

National Utility Training Services

Personal Protective Grounding

National Utility Training Services

A method of grounding where a

National Utility Training Services

Most Effective 1 Designed ground point or ground bus.

2 Substation ground grid

National Utility Training Services

¾ De-energize the cable and test.

National Utility Training Services

As with overhead distribution systems, there

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

National Utility Training Services

The ground mat, when properly installed