Can We Safely Use Steel Scaffolding in Substations with Strict Safety Measures?

Dear All,

Currently, insulated scaffolding made of fiberglass is available in the market. This type of scaffolding is primarily used at substations.

I have a concern: we do not permit any work in high voltage areas under live conditions. For any task at the substation, we ensure 100% isolation of all incoming and outgoing energy sources and 100% grounding before commencing any maintenance work.

Given these precautions, is it possible to use traditional steel tubular scaffolding (tube & coupler) instead of insulated scaffolding?

Please advise.

Thanks in advance.

Dear Dipil,

As you know, if we use non-insulated scaffolding on a substation, it should meet OSHA's regulations regarding Overhead Power Lines in the Construction Industry (1926.451(f)(6)). The clearance between scaffolds and power lines should adhere to the following guidelines: Scaffolds must not be erected, used, dismantled, altered, or moved in a way that could bring them or any conductive materials handled on them closer to exposed and energized power lines than specified in 1926.451.

Nowadays, in the market, we can easily obtain insulated equipment for rental, especially for use on substations, such as scaffolds, ladders, cherry pickers, etc. I am not very familiar with your specific query, so we may need to wait for feedback from our seniors.

I hope this information is helpful.

Thank you.

Thank you for your input. It's not fully answering my query. However, thanks a lot for your input. Let's wait for the senior's comment. Thanks in advance and looking forward to a positive reply.

Regards

Hi Dipil, we may use traditional steel tubular scaffolding, but to ensure all potential sources of energy are isolated, we can put a tag-out lock-out box at the place of isolation. A supervisor must be present to monitor the entire process and possess the keys. They should ensure the flow of energy is not on until the work is complete and all individuals have safely exited the workplace.

Hope this clears up any doubts.

Thank you.

Before answering your question, can you provide a few clarifications?

• There are light, medium, and heavy-duty scaffolds. Do manufacturers of fiberglass scaffold materials specify these for heavy-duty use?
• If fiberglass scaffolding is not meant for heavy-duty, what will you use in substations when heavy-duty scaffolding needs to be erected there?
• Are you allowing exposed energy in substations while people are working on scaffolds, warranting the use of non-conductive material scaffolding?
• We can use bamboo, wood, or any suitable materials for scaffolding depending on the type/design. Take the case of Vietnam; they normally use bamboo. We can definitely use fiberglass. However, be judicious in selecting the scaffold materials and the type of scaffold you erect.
• Scaffolding is a specialization. Let competent persons take the lead.

Regards,
Kesava Pillai

Dear Mr. Dipil, while working, there will be a power shutdown. However, immediately upon completion of work and before the power is switched on, we cannot remove the scaffolding towers, as it will be a time-consuming task. Even if the power is on, we can still remove the scaffolding tower job from the bottom level. This is why the instruction might have been given for the usage of insulated scaffolding materials, especially in power transmission line work.

I must clarify that I am not an engineer or from the safety department. The comments provided are from a layman's perspective. If there are any errors in my response, please do correct me.

Thank you.

Dear Kesava Pillai Sir, First of all, thanks for showing your interest in the topic and for participating.

Let me answer your questions:

- There are light, medium, and heavy-duty scaffolds. Do manufacturers of fiberglass scaffold materials specify these for heavy-duty? = Not having much idea as I have not yet dealt with the scaffolding supplier regarding fiberglass scaffolding.

- If fiberglass scaffold is not meant for heavy-duty, what will you use in substations when heavy-duty scaffolding needs to be erected there? = I advised my colleague, who was working as my counterpart in another similar plant, to use "Steel Tubular Scaffolding" after ensuring 100% isolation of all energy sources.

- Are you allowing exposed energy in substations while people are working on scaffolds, warranting a scaffold of non-conductive material? = No. But here my doubt arises. Then why is this fiberglass scaffolding referred to for use in substations and other similar places?

- We can use bamboo, wood, and, for that matter, any suitable materials for scaffolding depending upon type/design. = Not sure.

- Scaffolding is a specialization. Let competent persons take the lead. = Agree fully with you.

Scaffolding is one of the topics about which I need to study further in detail. I always feel that what I know is nothing about the topic. I am not able to build up confidence in myself about this topic, including load calculations and how to calculate the exact load over verticals, clamps, etc.

However, with your help, I have learned a lot and look forward to learning more from you on various topics. I started this thread as I received a query on the use of insulated scaffolding from one of my counterparts. As I did not get any quick response from this forum, after discussion with a few other seniors whom I personally know, I came to the conclusion that fiberglass scaffolding is not required to work inside a substation. All the work is being carried out in a power-off condition, hence we can use steel scaffolding with 100% isolation.

I hope I rightly suggest; if anything is wrong, I request you to correct it.

Regards,
Dipil