Canada: UCL Publishes New Electric Utility Safety Standard

On May 4, ULC Standards, an accredited standards development organization in Canada, announced the publication of CAN/ULC-S801-10, Standard for Electric Utility Workplace Electrical Safety for Generation, Transmission and Distribution. The standard applies to workers who deal with the construction, operation, maintenance and replacement of electric utility systems that are used to generate, transform, transmit, distribute and deliver electrical power or energy to consumer services or their equivalents.

Laura Walter

May 10, 2010

Without proper safety precautions, live working (high voltage) may present potential safety risks to workers and the general public, UCL said. There are more than 600 electrical related accidents a year in Canada, and CAN/ULC-S801-10 gives electric utilities a foundation for safe working environments for their employees across Canada.

CAN/ULC-S801-10 provides a safety guide addressing numerous electric utility workplace safety concerns, such as:

Fundamental requirements
Minimum approach distances for working near or on energized electrical lines or equipment
Protective tools, equipment & devices
Working on energized electrical lines and equipment
Arc flash protection
Radio frequency hazards
Working on isolated electric utility systems
Working near electric utility systems

The development of this standard was supported through the funding of the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA).

ULC Standards is accredited as a Standards Development Organization by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), a federal Crown corporation that oversees Canada’s National Standards System. In Canada, standards are developed through consensus by balanced committees of stakeholders and are subjected to public review prior to publication, according to UCL.

About the Author

Laura Walter

Laura Walter was formerly senior editor of EHS Today. She is a subject matter expert in EHS compliance and government issues and has covered a variety of topics relating to occupational safety and health. Her writing has earned awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), the Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) and APEX Awards for Publication Excellence. Her debut novel, Body of Stars (Dutton) was published in 2021.