Subpart R
This standard covers the operation and maintenance of electric power generation, control, transformation, transmission, and distribution lines and equipment, including related communication or metering equipment accessible only to qualified employees. See 1910.269(a)(1)(i).
Yes — power generation, transmission, and distribution installations of electric utilities and equivalent installations of industrial establishments are covered when they are accessible only to qualified employees. See 1910.269(a)(1)(i)(A).
Yes — 1910.269 explicitly applies to certain non-electrical installations at generating stations, including fuel and ash handling such as coal conveyors and water and steam installations like penstocks and pipelines. See 1910.269(a)(1)(i)(B) and its subparagraphs 1910.269(a)(1)(i)(B)(1) and 1910.269(a)(1)(i)(B)(2).
1910.269 does not apply to construction work as defined in 1910.12 (except certain line-clearance tree trimming and specified generation work) and does not apply to electrical installations or safety-related work practices already covered by Subpart S standards. See 1910.269(a)(1)(ii).
Yes — OSHA considers work practices conforming to 1910.332–1910.335 as complying with the electrical safety-related work-practice requirements identified in 1910.269’s appendix table, provided the employer is working on a generation or distribution installation that meets 1910.303–1910.308 through 1910.308. See 1910.269(a)(1)(ii)(B).
The host employer must give contract employers information about the installation’s characteristics, known safety-related conditions, and any design or operational details the contractor needs to do required assessments and protect their employees. See 1910.269(a)(3)(i) and its subparagraphs 1910.269(a)(3)(i)(A) through 1910.269(a)(3)(i)(D).
No — the host employer need only provide information it can obtain from existing records through reasonable diligence; the paragraph does not require the host to make new inspections to obtain that information. See 1910.269(a)(3)(i).
All employees must be trained and familiar with the safety-related work practices, safety procedures, and other safety requirements in 1910.269 that apply to their job assignments. See 1910.269(a)(2)(i)(A).
A qualified employee must be trained and competent in distinguishing exposed live parts, determining nominal voltages, understanding and maintaining minimum approach distances, using special precautionary techniques, PPE, insulating materials, and recognizing electrical hazards and how to control them. See 1910.269(a)(2)(ii).
Non-qualified line-clearance tree trimmers must be trained and competent to distinguish exposed live parts, determine nominal voltages, and know the minimum approach distances for the voltages they will be exposed to and how to maintain them. See 1910.269(a)(2)(iii).
Employers must supervise regularly and inspect at least annually to ensure compliance, and provide retraining if inspections show noncompliance, if new technology or procedures change required safety practices, or if the employee must perform rarely used tasks (less often than once per year) before doing them. See 1910.269(a)(2)(iv) and 1910.269(a)(2)(v).
An employer must ensure each employee has demonstrated proficiency before considering training complete; employment records of successful training are one way to track this, and for previously trained workers the employer may confirm training, examine or interview them, and closely supervise until proficiency is demonstrated. See 1910.269(a)(2)(viii).
If line-clearance tree trimming is performed by qualified employees for an organization that operates or controls the operating procedures for the lines or equipment, the entire 1910.269 applies except for paragraph (r)(1). See 1910.269(a)(1)(i)(E)(1).
For non-qualified line-clearance tree trimmers, the employer must follow paragraphs (a)(2), (a)(3), (b), (c), (g), (k), (p), and (r) of 1910.269 to protect those employees. See 1910.269(a)(1)(i)(E)(2).
The training required by 1910.269(a)(2) may be delivered as classroom or on-the-job training. See 1910.269(a)(2)(vi).
The host employer must inform contractors of site conditions related to safety that are known to the host and listed in paragraphs (a)(4)(vi)–(a)(4)(viii), but only information the host can obtain from existing records through reasonable diligence is required. See 1910.269(a)(3)(i)(B).
Employers must comply with all other applicable standards in part 1910; where 1910.332–1910.335 apply and the work occurs on installations meeting 1910.303–1910.308–1910.308, OSHA considers compliance with those Subpart S work-practice rules to satisfy identified 1910.269 requirements. See 1910.269(a)(1)(ii)(B).
Qualified employees who will be exposed to energized parts must know the minimum approach distances for the voltages involved and the skills and techniques necessary to maintain those distances. See 1910.269(a)(2)(ii)(C).
Not necessarily — Subpart S covers supplementary electric generating equipment used only to supply a workplace for emergency, standby, or similar purposes, while 1910.269 covers power generation installations otherwise; consult 1910.269(a)(1)(i)(A) and Subpart S provisions at 1910.303–1910.308 to determine which applies.
The contract employer must make sure each employee is instructed in the hazardous conditions relevant to the employee’s work that the contract employer learned from the host employer. Employers satisfy this by training employees on the specific hazards the host communicated for that work location and tasks.
The contract employer must advise the host employer of any unique hazardous conditions that the contract employer’s work will create or present before work begins. This means sharing hazards that are specific to the contractor’s methods, equipment, or materials so the host can coordinate protections.
The contract employer must notify the host employer of any unanticipated hazardous conditions discovered during the work within 2 working days after discovering the hazard. This gives the host time to update site protections and coordinate with the contractor.
The contract employer and the host employer must coordinate their work rules and procedures so that every employee—whether employed by the host or the contractor—is protected as required by the standard. Coordination means aligning procedures, communications, and protections before and during work to avoid gaps or conflicting practices.
You must determine the existing characteristics and safety-related conditions of the lines and equipment before starting work. Important items to identify include nominal voltages, maximum switching-transient voltages, hazardous induced voltages, presence and condition of protective grounds and equipment grounding conductors, locations of circuits (including communications and fire-protective circuits), pole condition, and environmental conditions that affect safety.
For field work involving two or more employees at a work location on exposed lines or equipment energized at 50 volts or more, at least two persons with first-aid training must be available. (There is a limited exception for certain line-clearance tree trimming crews described in the standard.)
At fixed work locations, the employer must provide enough trained persons so that any employee exposed to electric shock can be reached by a trained person within 4 minutes; if there aren’t enough employees to meet that response time, every employee at that location must be trained.
The employer must maintain each first-aid kit, make sure it is readily available, inspect it often enough to replace used items, and perform at least one formal inspection each year.
The employee in charge must conduct a job briefing before each job and must be given all available information about existing characteristics and conditions that affect safety. The briefing must cover hazards associated with the job, the work procedures to be used, special precautions, energy-source controls, and required personal protective equipment.
At minimum, one job briefing must be held before the first repetitive or similar job of each day or shift; additional briefings are required whenever significant changes occur that might affect employee safety. A brief discussion is acceptable for routine work when trained employees can recognize hazards, but a more extensive discussion is required for complicated or especially hazardous work or when employees cannot be expected to recognize the hazards.
Yes—1910.269(d) applies to the use of lockout/tagout procedures for controlling energy sources in electric power generation installations; installations that are not integral to power generation processes (i.e., similar to general-industry equipment) are covered by [1910.147].
Yes—temporary removal of lockout/tagout devices is allowed when re-energization is necessary to test or position equipment, but the employer must follow a strict sequence to protect employees: clear tools and materials, remove employees from hazardous areas, remove the lockout/tagout devices as specified, perform testing or positioning with effective protections in place, then de-energize and reapply energy-control devices if additional servicing is needed.
A tagout system may be used if the energy-isolating device is not capable of being locked out; if the device can be locked out, the employer must use lockout unless it can demonstrate that its tagout program provides full employee protection equivalent to lockout, including compliance with all tagout provisions and any additional measures needed to equal the safety of lockout.
The employer must have an authorized employee who is not using the energy control procedure perform a periodic inspection at least annually; the inspection must be designed to find and correct deviations or inadequacies.
Any energy-isolating device on machines that are new or undergo replacement/major repair, renovation, or modification after November 1, 1994, must be designed to accept a lockout device.
First-aid supplies that could be exposed to the weather must be placed in weatherproof containers. Employers must also meet the medical services and first-aid requirements in [1910.151] when performing work covered by 1910.269.
Under 1910.269(d)(2)(v)(E) the employer must certify that the required periodic inspections have been done and include the machine or equipment inspected, the date, the employees included, and the inspector's name.
Note: The standard allows using normal work schedules and operation records as the certification if those records already contain the required information (see the note in 1910.269(d)(2)(v)(E)).
Under 1910.269(d)(2)(v)(C) and 1910.269(d)(2)(v)(D), the inspector must review the inspected energy control procedure with the employees who have responsibilities under that procedure: authorized employees when lockout is used, and both authorized and affected employees when tagout is used.
Reference: 1910.269(d)(2)(v)(C) and (D).
Under 1910.269(d)(2)(vi) the employer must train employees so they understand the energy control program and have the skills to apply, use, and remove energy controls safely.
These training elements ensure each group knows what to expect and what actions are prohibited during energy control operations.
Under 1910.269(d)(2)(vii) tagout training must teach employees that tags are warning devices with specific limits and requirements.
Training must explain these limitations so employees treat tags appropriately and do not assume they provide the same protection as locks.
Under 1910.269(d)(3)(ii)(D) tagout devices and their means of attachment must be substantial enough to prevent inadvertent or accidental removal and must meet specific attachment design requirements.
These requirements ensure tagout devices remain effective and understandable under workplace conditions.
Under 1910.269(d)(6)(iv)(B)(1) and 1910.269(d)(6)(iv)(B)(2), when a tagout device is used with an energy isolating device designed to be locked out, the tag must be fastened at the same point where a lock would be attached; if a tag cannot be affixed directly, it must be placed as close as safely possible and in a position immediately obvious to an operator.
These placement rules help ensure the tag warns the right person at the right location.
Under 1910.269(d)(6)(vii) the authorized employee must verify that isolation and deenergizing have been accomplished before starting work; when normally energized parts will be exposed, a test must be performed to ensure those parts are deenergized.
These steps are meant to prevent unexpected energization or residual energy contact during servicing.
Under 1910.269(d)(7)(iv) the employer may remove a lock or tag applied by an authorized employee only under a documented procedure that provides equivalent safety and includes specific steps.
The required procedure must include at least the following:
The employer must document and train employees on this alternative removal procedure and be able to demonstrate it affords a degree of safety equivalent to removal by the authorized employee who applied the device.
Under 1910.269(d)(8)(i)(A)-(E) the employer must follow a specific sequence when locks or tags are temporarily removed to test or position machines: clear tools and materials, remove employees from the area, remove devices per procedures, energize for testing with employee protection in place, then deenergize and reapply energy controls.
OSHA’s interpretation on the minor servicing exception clarifies that reenergization for testing/positioning is allowed only for the limited time needed and that the employer must provide employee protection (e.g., guards or removing employees from the hazard area) during those energized periods.
Under 1910.269(d)(2)(viii) retraining must be provided whenever job assignments change, equipment or processes change creating new hazards, procedures change, or when inspections or other evidence show an employee’s knowledge or use of procedures is inadequate; the retraining must reestablish proficiency and introduce new or revised methods.
Retraining should be documented and tailored to address the specific gaps or changes that triggered the retraining requirement.
Under 1910.269(d)(3)(ii)(C) lockout devices must be substantial enough to prevent removal without excessive force or unusual techniques (for example, they should not be removable with bolt cutters or metal cutting tools).
This requirement helps ensure locks provide real physical restraint, not just a symbolic barrier.
Under 1910.269(d)(2)(ix) and 1910.269(d)(3), the employer must certify that employee training has been accomplished and kept up to date, and the certification must contain each employee’s name and the dates of training.
Keeping precise training records supports compliance and helps schedule retraining when procedures, equipment, or employee assignments change.
The employer must assign a specific authorized employee to be primarily responsible for the group lockout and require each authorized employee to attach and remove their own personal lock or tag when they begin and stop work.
Practical tips: document the group LOTO procedure, train authorized employees, and verify that the person requesting removal or transfer of the group device is the one responsible for it (see the related requirements for system-operator-controlled central devices at 1910.269(d)(8)(v)).
Before entry you must use a calibrated direct-reading instrument to test for oxygen first, then test for flammable gases/vapors only after confirming sufficient oxygen; instruments must be kept in calibration (±10%) and continuous forced-air ventilation must begin before entry and be maintained as specified.
Note: OSHA’s Respiratory Protection interpretation explains that, where OSHA respiratory protection rules apply, an oxygen-deficient atmosphere is recognized below 19.5% oxygen (see https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2024-07-16). Follow written procedures and training so testing, ventilation, and monitoring protect entrants at all times.
Under 1910.147(f)(1), the employer may temporarily remove lockout/tagout devices to test or position equipment, but only after following a specific sequence of actions and providing effective employee protection during the energized period.
This approach and the required sequence are explained in OSHA’s interpretation on temporary energization for testing/positioning (Minor servicing exception clarification).