ADOSH-SF Code of Practice 15.0 - Electrical Safety

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Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and
Health System Framework
(ADOSH-SF)
Code of Practice
CoP 15.0 – Electrical Safety
Version 4.0
July 2024

ADOSH-SF – Codes of Practice
CoP 15.0 - Electrical Safety - Version 4.0 – 15 th July 2024 Page 2 of 18
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
2. Training and Competency ........................................................................................................................... 5
3. Requirements .................................................................................................................................................. 7
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................................................................. 7
3.2 Planning and Assessment.................................................................................................................. 8
3.3 Electrical Systems, Work Activities and Protective Equipment ........................................... 8
3.4 Insulation, Protection and Placing of Conductors ................................................................... 10
3.5 Earthing or other Appropriate Precautions ............................................................................... 11
3.6 Integrity of Referenced Conductors ............................................................................................ 11
3.7 Connections .......................................................................................................................................... 12
3.8 Means for Protecting from Excess of Current .......................................................................... 12
3.9 Means for Cutting-Off the Supply and for Isolation............................................................... 12
3.10 Precautions for Work on Equipment Made Dead ..................................................................... 13
3.11 Work On or Near Live Conductors ................................................................................................. 13
3.12 Working Space, Access and Lighting ........................................................................................... 13
3.13 Temporary Electricity Supplies ...................................................................................................... 14
3.14 Maintenance, Inspection and Testing ......................................................................................... 14
4. References ..................................................................................................................................................... 15
5. Document Amendment Record ............................................................................................................... 16

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1. Introduction
(a) This Code of Practice (CoP) applies to all Employers within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
and is designed to incorporate requirements set by OSHAD in the Emirate of Abu
Dhabi.
(b) This CoP establishes the requirements and standards so that the risks associated with
electricity are identified, assessed, and that control measures are implemented to
reduce risks to acceptable levels, thus preventing injury, illness and disease to persons
who might be exposed to risks arising from those activities.
(c) Principal Contractor when used in this CoP refers to the main contractor overseeing
and responsible for “construction work” undertaken on the construction site within
the Building and Construction Sector. Refer to
ADOSH-SF – CoP 53.0 – OSH
Management during “Construction Work”.
(d) ‘Licensed Contractor’ when used in this CoP refers to a company which has been
assessed by the relevant Distribution Companies in the Emirate as competent to work
on Electrical Installations and issued a Competency Licence by that Distribution
Company.
(e) ‘Owner’ when used in this CoP refers to the legal owner of a building or property in
which an Electrical Installation is installed and connected to a supply of electricity.
(f) ‘Customer’ when used in this CoP refers to the end user of the supply of electricity,
and may be private or commercial.
Note: in some cases an Owner may also be a Customer.
(g) ‘Danger’ as used in this CoP means risk of Injury, or damage to plant, equipment or ,
materials.
(h) ‘Individual Licenses’ as used in this CoP means a written demonstration of attained
competency, approved by the relevant employer and issued as a demonstration of
attained competency in accordance with the employer’s Safety Rules.
(i) ‘Injury’ as used in this CoP means death or personal Injury from electric shock, electric
burn, electrical explosion or arcing, or from fire or explosion initiated by electrical
energy, where any such death or Injury is associated with the generation, provision,
transmission, transformation, rectification, conversion, conduction, distribution,
control, storage, measurement or use of electrical energy.
(j) ‘System’ as used in this CoP means an electrical System in which all the Electrical
Equipment is, or may be, electrically connected to a common source of electrical
energy, and includes such source and such equipment.
(k) ‘Safe System of Work’ as used in this CoP means a set of documented management
and operational processes and procedures which are based on identified hazards, and
are designed, as far as reasonably practicable, to prevent Danger.
(l) Work in the ‘Vicinity’ as used in this CoP means any work activities which may impact,
or be impacted by an Electrical System, where such works are being conducted in close
proximity to such a System.

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(m) Electrical Supply Safety requirements related to specific equipment types (Overhead
Lines, Underground cables, sub stations, etc) are contained in procedures and practices
of relevant competent authorities and shall be read in conjunction with this CoP.

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2. Training and Competency
(a) Employers shall ensure that OSH training complies with the requirements of:
(i)
ADOSH-SF – Element 5 – Training, Awareness and Competency;
(ii)
ADOSH-SF – Mechanism 7.0 – Occupational Safety and Health Practitioner and
Service Provider Registration.
(b) Employers shall ensure that no person is engaged in any work activity on or in the
vicinity of electrical systems unless such person has the competency gained from
training, technical knowledge and experience of the precautions to be taken against
the risk of death or personal injury, and is under such degree of supervision as may be
appropriate having regard to the nature of the work. Such competency will be
assessed and awarded based on a licensing scheme as per section 2(f).
(c) In accordance with
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-Regulation
Section 3.2.5, employers shall ensure employees required to implement the
requirements of this CoP are demonstrated to have the required competency to work
on or in the vicinity of electrical systems and structures in question, and understand
the risks associated with such activities and the required control measures put in place
by the entities.
(d) Employers shall ensure that a competency assurance process is implemented for all
staff working on or in the vicinity of electrical systems, and that required competency
levels are identified by documented Training Needs Analysis.
(e) Training for employees shall be competency-based and include:
(i) hazards and risks associated with electrical systems and task(s);
(ii) information on the safe systems of work identified in the risk assessment;
(iii) specific control measures to be followed by those involved working with any
electrical circuit or system;
(iv) specific control measures to be followed for the circuit or system to be worked
on; and
(v) reporting procedure in the event of incidents involving electrical systems.
(f) Employers shall maintain a record of required training and attained competency with
respect to electrical safety for all persons working on or in the vicinity of electrical
systems.
(g) Individual electrical safety competency levels shall be verified regularly by the
Employer, and ongoing competency shall be assessed. Where necessary, additional
training and (re) assessment shall be provided. Individual Licenses shall be issued as
a demonstration of attained competency in accordance with the employer’s Safety
Rules.

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(i) Employers shall maintain a record of the required training that contains the following:
(i) name and ID number;
(ii) Emirates ID number of the employee;
(iii) subject(s) of training;
(iv) date(s) of training; and
(v) person providing the training

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3. Requirements
3.1 Roles and Responsibilities
3.1.1 Employers
(a) Employers shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.5.
(b) Employers shall ensure only persons having appropriate competency shall be
authorized and Individually Licensed by the Employer to undertake works on or in the
vicinity of electrical systems.
(c) Employers shall ensure risk assessments, in line with the requirements of
ADOSH-SF –
Element 2 – Risk Management shall be completed to identify all hazards that may be
present from working on or in the vicinity of electrical systems.
(d) Employers shall ensure safe systems of work and Safety Rules shall be developed and
implemented for all work activities involving electrical systems, such that identified
risks are reduced to acceptable levels.
(e) Employers shall ensure Emergency Response Plans are developed, implemented and
regularly tested which address the specific risks involved in Electrical Works and the
control measures required to manage these risks.
3.1.2 Principal Contractors
(a) In the case of the Building and Construction Sector, Principal Contractors shall also
undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the general requirements
of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 53.0 – OSH Management during “Construction Work”.
3.1.3 Employees
(a) Employees shall undertake their roles and responsibilities in accordance with the
general requirements of
ADOSH-SF – Element 1 – Roles, Responsibilities and Self-
Regulation Section 3.2.7.
(b) Employees shall not work on or in the vicinity of electrical systems unless they have
the required competency and are authorized and Individually Licensed by the
employer to do so.
(c) Employees shall co-operate with the employer so far as is reasonably practicable to
enable any duty placed on that employer by the provisions of this CoP to be complied
with.
(d) Employees shall comply with the provisions of this CoP in so far as they relate to
matters which are within their control.
(e) Employees shall to report to the employer all instances of actual and potential non-
compliance with any aspect of this CoP.

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3.2 Planning and Assessment
(a) Employers shall assess the risk arising from electrical circuits and systems using risk
management practices as required by
ADOSH-SF – Element 2 – Risk Management.
(b) Employers shall develop, implement and maintain a Safe System of Work and Safety
Rules for all work on or in the vicinity of electrical systems. This shall be based on the
results of documented Risk Assessments for all work activities.
(c) Employers shall ensure that effective procedures and control measures are
documented and implemented in order to manage the risks associated with working
on or in the vicinity of electrical systems.
(d) Control measures identified shall include provisions for personal protective
equipment, and the use of ‘electrical danger’ warning signs as and when required.
(e) Employers shall ensure that for Principal Contractors:
(i) the management of electrical safety requirements for building and construction
are included in the Pre-Tender OSH Plan in accordance with
ADOSH-SF – CoP
53.0 – OSH Management during “Construction Work”;
(ii) associated safe systems of work, and site rules for working on or in the vicinity
of electrical systems are included in the OSH Construction Management Plan
(OSH-CMP) in the case of the Building and Construction Sector in accordance
with
ADOSH-SF – CoP 53.0 – OSH Management during “Construction Work”; and
3.3 Electrical Systems, Work Activities and Protective Equipment
(a) All electrical systems and circuits shall at all times be designed, constructed, operated,
inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with applicable local and international
standards, as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, Danger.
(b) Every work activity, including operation, use and maintenance of an electrical system
and work near an electrical system, shall be carried out in such a manner as not to give
rise, so far as is reasonably practicable, to Danger.
(c) Employers shall ensure that specific precautions are implemented for electrical work
in known or potentially explosive environments. These shall include as a minimum:
(i) only electrical and non-electrical equipment and installations designed for such
service are used (Ex-rated);
(ii) equipment is specifically identified, assessed and marked as suitable in
accordance with international standards, such as ATEX;
(iii) equipment is maintained in accordance with international standards to ensure
its continued suitability and certification is maintained;
(iv) gas monitoring shall be deployed before and during works to detect the
presence of potentially explosive atmosphere; and
(v) appropriate emergency response provisions are identified and implemented
throughout the duration of the work.

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(d) Any equipment provided under this CoP for the purpose of protecting persons at work
on or near electrical equipment shall be appropriate for the use for which it is provided,
be maintained in a condition appropriate for that use, and be appropriately used.
(e) No electrical equipment shall be put into use where its strength and capability may be
exceeded in such a way as may give rise to Danger.
(f) Means shall be provided to disconnect all conductors in a building or other structure
from the service-entrance conductors. The service disconnecting means shall clearly
indicate whether it is in the open or closed position and shall be installed at a readily
accessible location nearest the point of entrance of the service-entrance conductors:
(i) conductors and equipment shall be protected from over-current in accordance
with their ability to safely conduct current;
(ii) over-current devices (circuit breakers or fuses) shall be available and readily
accessible. These over-current devices shall not be located where they will be
exposed to physical damage or in the vicinity of easily ignitable material; and
(iii) each protective device shall be capable of detecting and interrupting all values
of current that can occur at its location in excess of its trip setting or melting
point.
(g) Motors, equipment and appliances shall have a disconnecting means installed. The
service disconnecting means shall plainly indicate whether it is in the open or closed
position, and shall be capable of being locked in the off position.
(h) Each disconnecting means shall be legibly marked to indicate its purpose, unless
located and arranged so the purpose is evident.
(i) This requirement shall not apply to equipment connected by means of flexible cord
and plug.
(j) Each service, feeder, and branch circuit, at its disconnecting means or over-current
device, shall be legibly marked to indicate its purpose, unless located and arranged so
the purpose is evident.
(k) Emergency power generators shall be equipped with a transfer switch or other
appropriate control measures to ensure that power is not back fed to the utility
supplying power to the circuit when the generator is in operation.
(l) Each cord set, attachment cap, plug, and receptacle of cord sets, and any equipment
connected by cord and plug, except cord sets and receptacles which are fixed and not
exposed to damage, shall be regularly inspected for external defects, such as
deformed or missing pins, damage to the plug and insulation, and for indications of
reasonably foreseeable internal damage. Equipment found damaged or defective shall
not be used until repaired.
(m) Insertion of bare conductors into receptacles is prohibited.

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(n) Safety of equipment shall be determined using the following considerations:
(i) exposed conductors, joints, connections and other electrical equipment, located
so as to present a potential hazard to employees or others, shall be insulated;
(ii) no conductors or equipment shall be located in damp or wet locations; where
exposed to gases, fumes, vapors, liquids, or other agents that have a
deteriorating effect on the conductors or equipment; or where exposed to
excessive temperatures; unless of such construction or as necessary protected
as to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, Danger arising from such
exposure;
(iii) unused openings in boxes, raceways, cabinets, equipment cases, or housings
shall be effectively closed to afford protection substantially equivalent to the
wall of the equipment;
(iv) internal parts of electrical equipment, including busbars, wiring terminals,
insulators, and other surfaces, may not be damaged or contaminated by foreign
materials such as paint, plaster, cleaners, abrasives, or corrosive residues;
(v) there shall be no damaged parts that may adversely affect safe operation or
mechanical strength of the equipment, such as parts that are broken, bent, cut,
or deteriorated by corrosion, chemical action, or overheating;
(vi) conductors shall be spliced or joined with splicing devices identified for the use
or by brazing, welding, or soldering with a fusible metal or alloy. Soldered splices
shall first be spliced or joined to be mechanically and electrically secure without
solder and then soldered. All splices and joints and the free ends of conductors
shall be covered with an insulation equivalent to that of the conductors or with
an insulating device identified for the purpose; and
(vii) parts of electrical equipment that in ordinary operation produce arcs, sparks,
flames, or molten metal shall be enclosed or separated and isolated from all
combustible material.
3.4 Insulation, Protection and Placing of Conductors
(a) All Conductors in a System which may give rise to Danger shall either:
(i) be suitably covered with insulating material and as necessary protected so as to
prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, Danger; or
(ii) have such precautions taken in respect of them (including, where appropriate,
their being suitably placed) as will prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable,
Danger.

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3.5 Earthing or other Appropriate Precautions
(a) Precautions shall be taken, either by earthing or by other appropriate means, to
prevent Danger arising when any Conductor (other than a Circuit Conductor) which
may reasonably foreseeably become charged as a result of either the use of a System,
or a fault in a System, becomes so charged; and, for the purposes of ensuring
compliance with this CoP, a Conductor shall be regarded as earthed when it is
connected to the general mass of earth by Conductors of appropriate strength and
current-carrying capability to discharge electrical energy to earth.
(b) All non-current carrying metal parts of portable equipment and fixed equipment,
including their associated housings, enclosures, and supporting structures, shall be
earthed.
(c) The path to earth from circuits, equipment, and enclosures shall be permanent,
continuous, and effective.
(d) The circuit wiring shall include or provide an equipment earthing conductor to which
the earthing contacts of the receptacle or cord connector shall be connected.
(e) The earthing contacts of receptacles and cord connectors shall be grounded by
connection to the equipment earthing conductor of the circuit supplying the
receptacle or cord connector.
(f) A conductor used as an earthing conductor shall be identifiable and distinguishable
from all other conductors.
(g) No earthing conductor may be attached to any terminal or lead so as to reverse
designated polarity.
(h) Earthing conductors shall be inspected regularly.
(i) Where used in construction (or activities with similar hazards, including certain
maintenance, remodeling or repair activities where there is a likelihood of damage to
portable cords, wet locations or equipment and wiring that is frequently re-arranged)
all receptacle outlets that are not part of the permanent wiring of the building or
structure and that are in use by personnel shall, so far as is reasonably practicable,
have earth - fault circuit - protection via residual current devices (RCD) and power
supply in 110v.
3.6 Integrity of Referenced Conductors
(a) If a Circuit Conductor is connected to earth or to any other reference point, nothing
which might reasonably be expected to give rise to Danger by breaking the electrical
continuity or introducing high impedance shall be placed in that Conductor unless
appropriate control measures are implemented to prevent that Danger.

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3.7 Connections
(a) Where necessary to prevent Danger, every joint and connection in an electrical system
shall be mechanically and electrically appropriate for use.
3.8 Means for Protecting from Excess of Current
(a) Means for Protecting from Excess of Current shall be determined through risk
assessment, shall be appropriately located, and provided for protecting from excess
of current in every part of an electrical system as may be necessary to prevent Danger.
3.9 Means for Cutting-Off the Supply and for Isolation
(a) Live parts to which an employee may be exposed shall be de-energized before the
employee works on or near them, unless the employer can demonstrate that de-
energizing introduces additional or increased hazards or is infeasible due to equipment
design or operational limitations.
(b) Where necessary to prevent Danger, appropriate control measures (including, methods
of identifying circuits) shall be available for:
(i) cutting off the supply of electrical energy to any electrical equipment;
(ii) the isolation of any electrical equipment; and
(iii) the proving of electrical equipment as isolated prior to commencement of work.
(c) In section 3.10, “isolation” means the disconnection and separation of the Electrical
Equipment from every source of electrical energy in such a way that this disconnection
and separation is secure.
(d) Section 3.10 shall not apply to Electrical Equipment which is itself a source of electrical
energy but, in such a case as is necessary, precautions shall be taken to prevent, so
far as is reasonably practicable, Danger.
(e) If the exposed live parts are not de-energized (e.g. for reasons of increased or
additional hazards or infeasibility), appropriate control measures shall be used to
protect employees who may be exposed to the electrical hazards involved.
(f) As a minimum, approval for working on live equipment shall include documented
authorization(s) obtained from a competent authority and endorsed by senior
management. Such deviations shall be supported by appropriate risk assessment.
(g) Precautions to be taken shall comply with the requirements of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 24.0 –
Lock Out / Tag Out and
ADOSH-SF – CoP 21.0 – Permit to Work Systems.

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3.10 Precautions for Work on Equipment Made Dead
(a) Appropriate precautions shall be taken to prevent Electrical Equipment, which has
been made dead in order to prevent Danger while work is carried out on or near that
equipment, from becoming electrically charged during that work if Danger may
thereby arise.
(b) Precautions to be taken shall comply with the requirements of
ADOSH-SF – CoP 24.0 –
Lock Out / Tag Out and
ADOSH-SF – CoP 21.0 – Permit to Work Systems.
3.11 Work On or Near Live Conductors
(a) No person shall be engaged in any work activity on or so near any live Conductor (other
than one suitably covered with insulating material so as to prevent Danger) that
Danger may arise unless:
(i) it is not reasonable practicable in all the circumstances for it to be dead;
(ii) it is reasonable practicable in all the circumstances for the employee to be at
work on or near it while it is live; and
(iii) appropriate control measures (including where necessary the provision of
appropriate protective equipment) are taken to prevent Injury.
3.12 Working Space, Access and Lighting
(a) Appropriate working space, means of access, and appropriate lighting shall be
provided at all electrical equipment on which or near which work is being done in
circumstances which may give rise to Danger.
(b) Appropriate access and working space shall be provided and maintained about all
electrical equipment to permit ready and safe operation and maintenance of such
equipment. Working space required by this standard may not be used for storage.
(c) The depth of the working space in the direction of access to live parts shall be
appropriate to avoid danger to personnel working on adjacent equipment.
(d) Illumination shall be provided for all working spaces about service equipment,
switchboards, panel boards, and motor control centers installed indoors.
(e) Except as elsewhere required or permitted by this standard, live parts of electrical
equipment operating at 50 volts or more shall be guarded against accidental contact
by use of approved cabinets or other forms of approved enclosures or by other
approved and appropriate means of separation.
(f) Entrances to rooms and other guarded locations containing exposed live parts shall be
marked with conspicuous warning signs forbidding unqualified persons to enter.
(g) Entrances to rooms and other guarded locations containing exposed live parts shall be
secure from unauthorized entry at all times, unless they are under the observation of
a competent person.

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3.13 Temporary Electricity Supplies
(a) All temporary electrical supplies to be in 110 volts. This shall be extended to all
electrical tools and equipment to be used, except equipment which requires more
voltage (eg. Welding machines, etc).
3.14 Maintenance, Inspection and Testing
(a) All owners of electrical systems shall ensure that appropriate inspection, maintenance
and testing arrangements are in place for all systems. This shall be demonstrated
through the development of a register(s) of all physical assets which require to be
maintained and a series of maintenance, inspection and test activities based on
documented risk assessment.
(b) Inspection, testing and maintenance programs shall be documented, and take account
of:
(i) risk levels related to the equipment in question;
(ii) equipment criticality (safety and reliability);
(iii) previous failure modes, past experience and maintenance history;
(iv) manufacturers’ recommendations, where available;
(v) regulatory requirements;
(vi) insurance requirements;
(vii) method statements and procedures for undertaking the work; and
(viii) frequency.
(c) Employers shall establish and maintain a planning and scheduling system for all
maintenance, inspection and testing activities. Results shall be recorded and trended
for use in continuous improvement of the overall program.
(d) Overdue, postponed or cancelled activities shall be supported by a documented risk
assessment and where this assessment reveals the requirement for additional control
measures, these shall be implemented and verified before work (re)commences. The
ongoing status of overdue, postponed or cancelled work shall be regularly monitored
and reported to management, as a means of monitoring non-compliance with the
established program.
(e) Maintenance, inspection and testing of all private (customer) electrical systems shall
be undertaken only by Licensed Contractors, and in accordance with the latest version
of
The Electricity Wiring Regulations as published
.
(f) Employers shall periodically review the effectiveness of their maintenance, inspection
and testing provisions to determine on-going asset performance / condition, and
maintenance effectiveness.

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4. References
•
UK Statutory Instrument – ‘The Electricity at Work (EAW) Regulations 1989’
•
Department of Energy - The Electricity Wiring Regulations 2020

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5. Document Amendment Record
Version Revision Date Description of Amendment
Page/s Affected
4.0
15 July 2024
System acronym updated from OSHAD-SF
to ADOSH-SF to accurately reflect
document title
Throughout
Change from OSHAD to ADPHC
Change of Logo
Minor editorial changes throughout the
document without changing requirements.
Title of Mechanism 7.0 updated to ADOSH-
SF – Mechanism 7– Public and Preventive
Health Practitioner and Service Provider
Accreditation
OSHAD-SF - Mechanism 8.0 - OSH
Practitioner Registration deleted

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