Safety & Training Field Rules

Maximum safety can only be achieved by adherence to stipulated rules governing the training field and its use by all participants. No specific safety manual will be the governing document for Mesa Hotline School’s field training activities. Instructors shall provide the specific safety rules that apply to the activities they are teaching. Discrepancies or disagreements that occur will be communicated to, and resolved by the Safety Committee in the field. Adherence to these rules is the responsibility of every participant of the Hotline School.

  1. Students will provide and use their own (PPE) personal protective equipment and tools including but not limited to:
    a. Hard Hats
    b. Safety Glasses or Prescription Safety Glasses and Side Shields
    c. Long Sleeve Shirts (synthetic blends discouraged)
    d. Other Clothing Appropriate to the Task
    e. Rubber Gloves and Sleeves
    f. Leather Gloves
    g. Approved Safety Footwear for the Task
    h. Harness and Lanyard
    i. Climbing Equipment
    j. Hand Tools, etc.
  2. Students and Instructors will be required to wear appropriate PPE when working on any “apparatus” or “structure”. The term “apparatus” is intended to include such items as transformers, circuit breakers, switch cabinets and pad mounted transformers. The term “structure” is to include all poles, towers, platforms and substation structures. This is to include pole framing on the ground.
  3. Pre-job Briefings are required prior to each task.
  4. Rubber Gloves shall be worn ground to ground on all distribution structures.
  5. Climbers or hooks shall not be worn on the ground.
  6. All PPE, tools and equipment shall be inspected prior to use. Defective equipment will not be used.
  7. There shall be no other work performed on the structure or the adjacent structure while hotline work is being done on any given structure.
  8. While ascending or descending a pole, there shall be only one person moving at a time. Other persons shall remain belted off.
  9. All conductors shall be in constant control at all times.
  10. Minimum approach distances shall be maintained.
  11. All aerial devices and digger derricks shall be grounded.
  12. All students shall remain with the group to which they are assigned; Students are expected to pay attention and refrain from idle talk, jokes and other distracting activities.
  13. All participants shall arrive at the field fit for duty.
  14. Cell Phone Use:
    a. Students are not allowed to have, carry or use cell phones in the field.
    b. Instructors are permitted to carry cell phones and use as may be required for emergency situations.
    c. Committee members and vendors are exempt from this rule in order to facilitate training activities.
  15. Vendors and visitors are expected to wear hard hats and dress appropriately when on the training field.
  16. All participants shall respect the rules and the property of the hotline school. Any infraction(s) shall be addressed and repeated infractions may result in dismissal from the hotline school.
  17. Any student dismissed for failure to adhere to these rules will result in notification of sponsoring utility.
  18. All incidents and injuries shall be reported to a safety committee member immediately.