2372
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 48

WORKING ON CONDUCTORS, APPARATUS, AND SWITCHBOARDS.

175. No person except an authorized and competent person shall undertake any work on live electric conductors or apparatus where practical knowledge or experience is required in order adequately to avoid danger.

176. Except in case of emergency due to breakdown or other accident, no person shall work on live high pressure or extra-high pressure conductors or apparatus unless accompanied by a person competent to render assistance when necessary.

177. All men working on live electric conductors or live electrical apparatus shall be competent to apply the method of artificial respiration illustrated on the resuscitation notices required by these regulations to be displayed in power-houses and substations.

178. Where any high pressure or bare medium or low pressure conductor (except an earthed neutral or intermediate conductor) is in use no work shall be carried out on such conductor unless rubber gloves and safety belts, an insulated stand or rubber protective shields, or other means approved by the Chief Electrical Engineer of the Public Works Department are used to render work on such conductor safe, or unless the conductor to be worked on and all other electric conductors within 3 ft. 6 in. thereof are disconnected from the source of supply and earthed.

179. Where electric conductors are disconnected from the source of supply, and are in proximity to live high or extra-high pressure electric conductors, care must be taken to effectively earth the conductors after disconnection and before work commences, in order to discharge electrostatic induction, and shall remain so earthed until all work thereon has been completed.

180. When working on high or extra-high pressure electric conductors or apparatus disconnected from the source of supply, the conductors and apparatus shall be effectively earthed at the point where the work is being carried out and shall remain so earthed until all work thereon has been completed.

181. All switches or circuit-breakers controlling conductors or equipment made dead for working on shall have a suitable tag affixed to the operating-handle. Such tag shall have marked thereon “Men at work,” or wording of a similar nature, and the tag shall not be removed until the switch or circuit-breaker is again closed: Provided that where the switch or circuit-breaker is under the sole control of and in sight of the person working on the conductors or apparatus such tag may be omitted. The main-line outdoor switches or circuit-breakers shall be locked when in the open position.

182. Properly designed clips attached to insulated sticks shall be used for earthing conductors. Chains shall on no account be used for earthing purposes.

183. When working on telephone wires supported on poles carrying high or extra-high pressure electric lines similar precautions to those provided in Regulation 178 hereof shall be taken.

184. When work has to be carried out on any high or extra-high pressure switchboard, then, unless the switchboard is otherwise so arranged as to secure that the work may be carried out without danger, either—
     (a) The switchboard shall be made dead; or
     (b) If the switchboard is so arranged that the conductors thereof can be made dead in sections, and such sections are separated by permanent or removable divisions or screens from all adjoining sections of which the conductors are alive so that work on any section may be carried out without danger, the section on which work has to be done shall be made dead.

PROTECTION OF TELEGRAPH-WIRES AND TELEGRAPH APPARATUS.

185. The licensee shall take all reasonable precautions in constructing, laying down, placing, and using the electric lines so as not injuriously to affect, whether by induction or otherwise, any telegraph-line.

186. Except at crossing-places, the minimum separation between a telegraph-line and high or extra-high pressure electric wires shall be equal to the height of the tallest pole, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Minister of Telegraphs.

187. In order to minimize inductive interference with telegraph circuits all generators and other synchronous apparatus shall have a wave form as near as possible to a sine wave as specified in the British Engineering Standards Association’s Specification No. 169.

188. Where one or more extra-high-pressure circuits run parallel with telegraph or railway wires the circuits shall, if required by the Minister, be transposed, revolved, or so arranged as to reduce inductive interference to a minimum.

189. Where electric lines intersect or menace telegraph-lines the following conditions shall apply:—
     (a) High-pressure electric lines shall be covered with vulcanized rubber of not less than 600-megohm grade, unless the electric lines are bare, in which case the special conditions of paragraphs (l) to (o) of this regulation shall apply.
     (b) Medium or any lower pressure electric lines shall be covered with triple braiding, thoroughly impregnated with weather-proof compound, unless the electric lines are bare, in which case the special conditions of paragraphs (l) to (o) of this regulation shall apply.
     (c) Where lead-covered telegraph-cables and high or any lower pressure electric lines intersect, the high-pressure electric lines shall be covered with vulcanized rubber of not less than 600-megohm grade, and the lower pressure electric lines shall be covered with triple braiding.
     (d) The distance between high pressure electric lines and telegraph-lines at any point shall not be less than 4 ft. and between lower pressure electric lines and telegraph-lines shall not be less than 2 ft., except as provided in paragraph (e) of this regulation. At any intersection the distance between telegraph-lines and extra-high pressure lines up to 11,000 volts shall be 6 ft., and over 11,000 volts 8 ft. No provision as regards clearances need be made for guard-wires for telegraph-lines.
     (e) Where high or any lower pressure electric lines and telegraph-lines intersect, the electric lines shall cross above or below the telegraph-lines as may be decided by the Minister of Telegraphs, provided that medium or lower pressure service-lines, if enclosed in conduit which is earthed or enclosed in an insulating casing approved by the Chief Telegraph Engineer, may cross on the same cross-arms as telephone-wires.
     (f) Where high or any lower pressure electric lines and telegraph-lines intersect, the electric lines shall, wherever practicable, cross at a pole; but where crossing at a pole is not practicable the crossing may, subject to the approval of the Minister of Telegraphs, be made in the span.
     (g) Where any electric lines and telegraph-lines (other than telephone-service lines) intersect, whether at a pole or in the span, such electric lines shall be erected and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the following table:—

(h) In cases where electric lines are erected before the telegraph-lines, the licensee, on receipt of notice from the Minister of Telegraphs that it is proposed to run a telegraph-line along or across the route, shall forthwith make all alterations necessary for the protection of telegraph-lines, and shall have the option of—
(i) Altering the construction of the lines to conform to the requirements of Regulations 105 to 107, and 189 hereof and of the last preceding paragraph of this regulation:
(ii) Providing earthing-guards under high or extra-high pressure lines where alteration of the existing construction is not considered desirable.