WAC 296-45
Switching & Clearances
Hazardous to Your Health
Diggin in the Dirt
100

According to WAC 296-45-25510, Fall Protection, workers must use fall arrest, work positioning, or fall restraint equipment when working more than this distance above the ground.

What is 4 ft?

100
When available, this is the preferred device setting for a hot line hold.

What is hot line tag?

100

This is where Safety Data Sheets, or SDS's, can be found for hazardous chemicals used at IPL.

What is the Safety Department page on The Grid?

100

In Washington, excavations are required to be protected against cave-ins when they reach this depth.

What is 4 ft?

200

The most recent revision of WAC 296-45-125, Medical services and first aid, requires this device be available at the jobsite when energized work is being performed

What is an AED?

200

While not part of the clearance itself, these two steps must be taken after obtaining a clearance before deenergized work can be performed.

What are testing and grounding?

200

This type of heat illness is a medical emergency and is fatal if left untreated.

What is heat stroke?

200

One of these individuals must be on site whenever work is being done inside an excavation.

What is a competent person?

300

In WAC 296-45-205, Enclosed spaces, this person must be immediately available outside the enclosed space to monitor provide assistance to entrants.

What is an attendant?

300

This person does not assist upland hunters, but they are responsible for issuing clearances to contractors performing storm restoration and must themselves hold a clearance covering the contractor's work area.

What is a bird dog?

300

According to WAC rules, noise exposure must be mitigated when it reaches this many decibels, averaged over eight hours.

What is 85?

300

Piles of dirt removed from an excavation, or spoils, must be kept at least this far away from the excavation's edge.

What is 2 ft?

400

According to WAC 296-45-325, Working on or near exposed energized parts, his is how far qualified employees must stay from exposed, energized parts to prevent exposure to a phase-to-phase contact on a 12.5 kV line.

What is 2'3"?

400

This person does not assist upland hunters, but they are responsible for issuing clearances to contractors performing storm restoration and must themselves hold a clearance covering the contractor's work area.

What is a bird dog?

400

This type of particulate is the biggest concern in wildfire smoke exposure, due to its small size.

What is PM 2.5?

400

When working in an excavation of such a depth that cave-in protection is required, workers must have to travel no farther than this distance to reach a means of egress.

What is 25 ft?

500

This is how long you must wait after disconnecting capacitors before short-circuiting them, according to WAC 296-45-52505, Capacitors.

What is 5 minutes?

500

If only one crew is working on a section of line and the work is not in a substation, a clearance and tagging are not necessary if the means of disconnection meets these two criteria.

What are being visible/accessible and under the sole control of the person in charge?

500

When temperatures are 90-99o WAC rules require rest breaks to be taken at these intervals.

What is 10 minutes every 2 hours?

500

This is the maximum slope for cave-in protection in class B soils, expressed as a ratio.

What is 1:1?

M
e
n
u