Rubber Gloving

Manual

This Rubber Gloving Manual incorporates policy and procedures

adopted by the City of Azusa-Rubber Gloving Committee.

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INTRODUCTION
The City of Azusa (City or Department) and the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers, Local 18 (the Union) are committed to working together to find
ways to improve operational efficiencies and increase service levels while protecting the
safety of employees. The use of rubber gloves on energized lines and equipment in
excess of 7,500 volts is one such work practice that will help the City to achieve these
objectives. In support of this goal, the City and the Union have developed this Rubber
Gloving Program (Program), which addresses work procedures, training programs,
certification, safety and equipment.

A. OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
A permanent Oversight Committee consisting of two (2) members appointed by the
Union and two (2) members appointed by the Light and Water Department shall be
established to meet on a regular monthly basis for one year, then quarterly thereafter.
The Oversight Committee will propose, evaluate, adopt, and interpret mutually
acceptable safety rules, work procedures, training programs, certification procedures
etc. as may be required and will provide overall guidance and direction for the
Rubber Gloving Program. The Director of Utilities, or their designee and the Business
Manager of local 18, or their designee shall be ex-officio members.
The Oversight Committee will be responsible for reviewing the training to be
provided to current employees and any new employees that may be hired after the
Program is adopted.

B. APPLICATION
Unless otherwise stated, the Rubber Gloving Program will apply to only the
following City of Azusa employee classifications:
Electric Distribution Supervisor
Electric Crew Supervisor
Line Mechanic
Apprentice Line Mechanic (during last six months of their apprenticeship)
Rubber glove certification shall be required of all current and future employees listed
in the classifications above. Apprentices shall be permitted to attend rubber gloving
training and certification in the last six months of their apprenticeship with the
approval of the Electric Crew Supervisors.
Newly hired Journeyman Line Mechanics will be considered for attending rubber
gloving training and certification after their first three month performance evaluation
and the recommendation of the Electric Crew Supervisors.

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Rubber gloves may be issued and used by other classifications as required by rules
and policies that are outside the scope of this Program. Examples would include but
are not limited to metering, control and electrical panel work, low voltage
installations, water production and control sites, etc.
The rubber glove certified employees who are to perform the work at the job site shall
exclusively determine whether to perform the work with live line tools, rubber
gloving methods or a combination of both.
If rain develops after work has begun and the job must be completed, the live line tool
method can be used. Rubber gloving in the rain is prohibited.

C. MINIMUM CREW SIZE AND COMPLIMENT

The Oversight Committee may discuss crew size and complement. Crew size and
composition will comply with the requirements of the Memorandum of
Understanding between the City and the IBEW, the state and federal laws as they
apply.

D. RETENTION OF LIVE LINE TOOLS

Nothing in this Program will serve as the basis for a reduction in the number of live
line tools that are to be carried on vehicles and/or available for issue to crews.

E. CERTIFICATION
The City retains the exclusive right to certify its employees for rubber gloving work.
The Oversight Committee shall have the authority to accept or reject the training
offered by other entities when considering rubber glove certification for City
Employees.
Employees certified in rubber gloving shall be recertified on an annual basis.

F. COMPENSATION
Members of the Oversight Committee may discuss issues related to compensation;
however those issues will be referred to the Human Resources Department and Union
Business office in order to be addressed through the negotiation process.

G. SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT

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Rubber gloving procedures can begin once the appropriate number of employees on
a crew have been trained and certified by the City and the proper tools and
equipment are present.

H. RUBBER GLOVING PROCEDURES

While the Oversight Committee may review the supplies and equipment that are
used or proposed for rubber gloving procedures, the City shall have the sole
authority to execute requests for services and the purchase of supplies and equipment
1. These procedures shall govern all work on conductors and equipment energized
above 7,500 volts through 15,000 volts nominal phase to phase.
2. Rubber glove work on voltages above 7,500 volts shall be done by utilizing the
principals of insulate and isolate.
a. The worker is insulated by using rubber protective equipment and
rubber gloves.
b. The worker is isolated by using an approved insulating aerial device
with bucket liners or an insulated work platform, which is an additional
layer of insulation.
3. Personnel shall confine their work to one phase at a time and shall not make
simultaneous contact with any part of the structure or any other phase. (second
point of contact)
4. If rain develops after work has begun and the job must be completed, the live line
tool method can be used. Rubber gloving in the rain is prohibited.
5. Certified rubber glove employees at the job site performing the work shall
exclusively determine whether to perform the work with live line tools or utilize
rubber glove procedures, or a combination of both.
6. The Electric Crew Supervisor in charge of the crew at the job site can overrule the
decision to use rubber glove procedures.
7. All approved rubber protective equipment shall have the appropriate ASTM
markings and have a valid test date before being used.
8. Rubber gloves and sleeves shall be rated class 2. All other rubber protective
equipment shall be rated class 2 or higher.
9. Protective equipment shall be submitted for tests as required or at any time that
they become suspect. The following testing intervals shall be followed unless
more frequent inspection is deemed necessary:

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Insulating Gloves..... 6 months

Insulating Sleeves 6 months
Blankets6 months
Insulating line hoses and other soft cover 12 months
Tupperware and other hard cover. When found to be
damaged or defective
Hot By-Passes and Mechanical Jumpers..... 12 months
Aerial Devices. 12 months
Digger derrick booms...... 12 months
Bucket liners.... 12 months

10. All rubber protective equipment shall be visually inspected prior to its use.
11. Rubber gloves shall be visually inspected and given an appropriate air and water
test at the beginning of each work period or whenever their condition is in
question.
12. Rubber gloves shall never be worn inside out.
13. Rubber gloves shall never be worn without approved protectors.
14. Rubber sleeves will be provided and may be used at the discretion of the
employee performing the work.
15. Installing rubber protective equipment on energized lines in excess of 7,500 volts
shall be done only when working from an approved aerial device or insulated
platform.
16. When applying rubber protective equipment, an employee shall always cover the
lowest and closest conductors first. In removing rubber protective equipment, the
reverse order shall be followed. Protective equipment shall be applied from a
position below the conductor whenever possible.
17. Poles, brackets, crossarms and all associated hardware within reach of the
employees body or tools shall be covered with approved protective equipment to
prevent employees from contacting grounded surfaces. (second point of contact)
18. When work is to be done on or near energized lines or equipment, all energized or
grounded conductors, guy wires or other equipment within reach of any part of
the employees body or the aerial device shall be covered with rubber protective
equipment, except that portion of the conductor or equipment on which the
employee is working.
19. Intentional contact shall not be made with energized lines or rubber protective
equipment with any part of the body except with rubber gloves.

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20. Energized conductors shall not be moved without being properly controlled.
21. Aerial devices used for rubber gloving voltages above 7,500 volts shall be
equipped with upper and lower controls. A minimum distance of three (3) feet of
the insulated boom must be extended on all stinger-type booms to meet the
dielectric capabilities required for rubber gloving. The insulated portion of
stinger-type booms will be marked, and shall not be retracted to a position that
would allow metal parts at the boom tip to come within three (3) feet of metal
parts of the lower boom while working on energized lines.
22. Immediately prior to using aerial devices for high voltage rubber glove work, all
insulated portions shall be visually inspected and wiped clean. Anything which
adversely affects the insulation of the device shall be removed. This includes
insulator washing hoses, rope or cable or other equipment.
23. While working from a bucket of an aerial device, all employees shall guard
against the static and induced electrical charges that may be present on metal parts
at the boom tip.
24. While working from an approved aerial device, the operator shall notify other
employees prior to moving.
25. Approved insulated aerial devices shall not be used for rubber gloving procedures
involving voltages above 7,500 volts unless it has passed a dielectric test and
boom certification document is available for review.
26. Insulated booms of aerial devices, line washing trucks and digger derrick trucks
shall pass periodic dielectric tests every 12 months and a certification document
shall be available for review. Failure of the chassis isolating system will not
prevent the use of a vehicle for rubber gloving; however, it should be repaired as
soon a practical.
a. Insulating devices shall have a periodic dielectric test performed in
accordance with paragraph 5.4.3.2 (5) (a) (b) and 5.4.3.4 (5) (b) of ANSI
Standard A92.2 dated 1990.
b. A minimum distance of three (3) feet has been established for that portion
of the insulated boom that must be extended on digger derrick trucks to
meet the dielectric capabilities of the test. All conductive rope, cables or
other items that bridge the insulated portion of the boom must be removed
for this test.
27. Buckets of aerial devices shall have bucket liners with a liner pan installed prior
to rubber gloving voltages above 7,500 volts.
a. Insulated bucket liners shall have a periodic dielectric test every 12
months performed in accordance with paragraph 5.4.3.5 of ANSI Standard
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A92.2 dated 1990 and a certification document shall be made available for
review upon request.
28. At no time shall the insulated boom or bucket contact unprotected conductive or
grounded objects when an employee is gloving energized lines.
29. Only approved live line tools shall be used to operate all fused cutouts or
disconnects unless they have been electrically bypassed.
30. Fiber strap hoists are approved for use on distribution voltages provided that an
approved insulating link stick is installed between the hoist and any other surface
with a different potential.
31. Only approved devices shall be used for picking up or dropping load.
32. When a third person is utilized for a rubber gloving crew, that person shall be
trained in the following:
a. First aid
b. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
c. Radio procedures
d. Aerial lift operations: (Upper controls, lower controls and aerial rescue
procedures)
33. The use of live line tools in conjunction with rubber glove procedures is to be
limited to situations where safety margins are not decreased by the introduction of
live line tools into the rubber glove environment.
34. The following combination of work methods is not allowed: One rubber glove
certified employee on the pole using live line tools and another employee on an
insulated platform using rubber gloves.
35. At no time shall rubber glove work above 7,500 volts be done except from an
aerial device or insulated platform.
36. Only hydraulic tools connected to the boom tip tool circuit will be permitted to
make contact with energized lines. This does not preclude the use of selfcontained hydraulic and battery operated hand tools. Employees shall avoid
contact with hoses.
37. A tailboard briefing shall be held prior to the commencement of work to establish
the exact procedures to be used and the sequence of work steps. The tailboard
briefing between the person in charge and the crew should address the factors that
may affect the safety and progress of the work such as the weight of the
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conductor, condition of the pole, cross-arms and other equipment on the pole,
guying requirements and fully explain the following:
a. WHY the work is to be done
b. WHAT is to be accomplished
c. HOW the work is to be carried out
d. WHO will do what tasks
e. Hazards present and precautions to be taken
38. The employee in charge shall ensure that adequate planning has been
accomplished and that protection is in place to guard against the second point of
contact. No electrical accident is possible without a second point of contact and
the severity of the electrical accident is directly related to the conductivity of the
path to ground or another phase.
39. If additional employees arrive at the site to assist in the work or if a major change
in work practice is necessitated after the work begins, additional discussions shall
take place to clearly establish the procedures to be used and the relevant
information from the original tailboard.
40. If live line tools are to be used in conjunction with rubber gloving procedures, the
tailboard briefing shall clearly establish how the work is to be done so that safety
at the worksite will not be compromised.
41. No-Test Orders on the circuit to be worked upon and any adjacent circuits shall be
considered and requested before rubber gloving work begins. Reclosures shall be
blocked (disabled) while work is in progress.
42. Primary area as used in the Rubber Gloving Program is defined as any area
where any part of the body or any conducting object can be brought closer than
twenty-five (25) inches to any energized line, regardless of the rubber protective
equipment.
43. Rubber gloves shall be properly worn before entering the primary area and shall
not be removed until the employee is completely out of the primary area.
44. During the time that a qualified employee is doing work in the proximity of any
exposed energized high voltage equipment and/or conductors, another qualified
employee shall act as an observer for the purpose of preventing an accident and
for effecting a rescue in the event of an accident. (See the Electic Division Safety
Manual Section 16 Worker Requirements 1602-5 on page 103)

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45. Electric tools and their power cords shall be removed from the bucket when
working on energized lines.
46. When using hot hoists, an approved insulated link stick shall be installed between
the hoist and any other surface with a different potential.
47. When using the winch line of a material handling aerial device while working on
energized lines, an approved link stick must be used.

I. APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT TO BE USED

The following equipment and tools are approved for rubber gloving voltages 7,500
through 15,000 in addition to using existing live line tools and work methods:
a. Aerial devices with bucket liners and pans
b. Insulated work platforms
c. Fiber strap hoists with insulated links
d. Load pick-up jumpers
e. Mechanical jumpers and by-passes (15KV)

J. CERTIFICATION
Training established by the Committee will certify who is authorized to perform
rubber glove work on voltages above 7,500 volts but not higher than 17,000 volts.

K. WEATHER CONDITIONS
If rain develops after work has begun and the job must be completed, the live line tool
method can be used. Rubber gloving in the rain is prohibited.

L. RUBBER GLOVE INSTRUCTION

The Committee will develop and recommend a list of candidates for consideration to
perform rubber glove training.
Representatives from the Union and the City will act as observers during the initial
training sessions to ensure that the critical topics are addressed properly by the
instructors. Minor modifications to the curriculum shall be made as soon as possible
and reported to the Committee at its next meeting. If required, the observers may
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request a special meeting of the Committee to address significant unresolved issues

that cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting.
Instructor qualifications shall include:
a. A minimum of five (5) years at the journey level
b. Strong leadership skills
c. Superior safety record
d. Variety of assignments
e. Certification in rubber gloving procedures

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