Circular No. 05/2021/TT-BCT stipulates detailed contents regarding electrical safety.

CIRCULAR

DETAIL REGULATIONS ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF ELECTRICAL SAFETY

Based on the Electricity Law dated December 3, 2004, and the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Electricity Law dated November 20, 2012;

Pursuant to Decree No.14/2014/ND-CP||| dated February 26, 2014, of the Government detailing the implementation of the Electricity Law on electrical safety;

Pursuant to Decree No.51/2020/ND-CP||| dated April 21, 2020, of the Government amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree No.14/2014/ND-CP||| dated February 26, 2014, of the Government detailing the implementation of the Electricity Law on electrical safety;

Pursuant to Decree No.98/2017/NĐ-CPdated August 18, 2017 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade;

At the proposal of the Director of the Department of Safety Technology and Industrial Environment;

||| The Minister of Industry and Trade issues this Circular detailing certain aspects of electrical safety.

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Circular details certain aspects of electrical safety including:

1. Training, examination, classification, and issuance of electrical safety cards.

2. Grounding metallic structures of houses and buildings within and adjacent to overhead power line protection zones for voltages of 220 kV and above to prevent induced electric shock.

3. Measurement and mapping of electric field intensity.

4. Electrical safety warning signs.

5. Agreements when constructing houses and buildings within the overhead high-voltage power line protection zone, violations against the high-voltage power grid protection zone, and accident reporting procedures.

Article 2. Applicability

This Circular applies to organizations and individuals engaged in electricity activities and using electricity; those using and operating electrical equipment that must be safety tested; organizations conducting safety technical testing of electrical equipment on Vietnamese territory; and other related organizations and individuals.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are defined as follows:

1. Employees operating, testing, inspecting, installing, and repairing power transmission lines or electrical equipment at enterprises||| refers to employees of units such as power generation, power transmission, distribution, testing, inspection, installation, maintenance services, and production using electricity (with their own transformer substations).

2. Rural, mountainous, border, and island area electrical operation and repair personnel||| refers to employees of electricity organizations operating under the Electricity Law and other relevant laws, with operational scope in rural, mountainous, border, and island areas.

3. Employer||| as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 3 of the Labor Code.

4. Safety technical inspection of electrical equipment||| refers to the process of checking, testing, and evaluating the safety level of electrical equipment before use, during use, and operation based on corresponding technical standards and regulations.

5. Permit holder||| refers to the person who processes the permit for work units to commence operations once the site has been confirmed safe from an electrical perspective.

Chapter II

TRAINING, EXAMINATION, CLASSIFICATION, AND ISSUANCE OF ELECTRICAL SAFETY CARDS

Article 4. Subjects eligible for training, examination, classification, and issuance of electrical safety cards

1. Personnel performing operations, testing, installation, and repair of power transmission lines or electrical equipment at enterprises, including metering system inspection, calibration, and dispatching.

2. Rural, mountainous, border, and island area electrical operation and repair personnel working under the Electricity Law and other relevant laws, with operational scope in rural, mountainous, border, and island areas.

3. Workers engaged in electrical operation, repair, and service jobs for organizations and businesses.

Article 5. Content of theoretical training

1. General training content

a) Electrical system diagrams, requirements for ensuring safety in electrical systems;

b) Organizational measures to ensure safety during work: Site survey, preparation of site documentation (if necessary); planning; registration of work schedules; organization of work teams; working according to Work Order or Work Permit; permission procedures for commencing work; supervision of safety during work; procedures for concluding work and restoring power;

c) Technical measures to prepare a safe workplace: Power disconnection and prevention of re-energization at the workplace; verification of absence of voltage; grounding; setting up barriers, establishing a safe work area, posting warning signs;

d) Methods to identify and eliminate risks causing accidents and injuries at the workplace and methods to remove victims from the source of electricity, first aid for electrical injury victims;

đ) Features, functions, usage, storage, and inspection (testing, certification) procedures for safety equipment, tools, and devices suitable for workers' tasks.

2. Training content for personnel operating power lines

a) Risk assessment and identification in power line management;

b) Operation procedures, fault handling procedures for power lines;

c) Safety in: Power line inspection; work on de-energized or energized power lines; tree trimming within and near power line protection zones; high-altitude work.

3. Training content for personnel operating electrical equipment and substations:

a) Risk assessment and identification in substation management;

b) Operation procedures, fault handling procedures, and safety regulations for electrical equipment and substations;

c) Safety in: Electrical equipment inspection; commissioning or decommissioning electrical equipment; working with electrical equipment;

d) Fire prevention and firefighting for electrical equipment and substations.

4. Training content for personnel engaged in electrical installation work

a) Safety in foundation excavation and cable trenching;

b) Safety in pole erection;

c) Safety in conductor and lightning protection wire laying and tensioning;

d) Safety in electrical equipment installation.

5. Training content for personnel engaged in electrical testing and inspection work

a) Operation procedures, testing procedures, and safety regulations for testing stations and laboratories; organizational measures to ensure safety during testing and inspection;

b) Electrical safety during testing and inspection of electrical equipment, tools, and materials.

6. Training content for personnel engaged in electrical line and equipment repair work

a) For power lines: Safety in repairing de-energized or energized power lines operating independently or within the influence zone of other operating power lines;

b) For electrical equipment: Safety while working with different types of electrical equipment.

7. Content of training for personnel engaged in hanging, removing, inspecting, and testing electrical energy measurement systems at installation sites: Safety in hanging, removing, inspecting, and testing electrical energy measurement systems at installation sites with power on or off.

8. Content of training for system dispatchers

a) Relevant procedures related to dispatching, operations, and handling incidents;

b) Safety during operations, incident handling, line handover, and equipment transfer under the control of dispatchers with the shift supervisors of operation management units.

Article 6. Content of practical training

1. Methods of using, maintaining, inspecting, testing, and certifying safety equipment, tools, and work instruments suitable for workers' tasks.

2. Techniques for separating individuals from electric shock sources and providing first aid to those injured by electricity.

3. Operational contents related to ensuring safety appropriate to workers' tasks.

Article 7. Organization of Training

1. For workers specified in Clause 1 and Clause 3, Article 4 of this Circular, employers shall be responsible for:

a) Developing training materials, examinations, and setting training duration appropriate to the worker's safety level and job position;

b) Selecting trainers and examiners as stipulated in this Clause;

c) Organizing training, examinations, ranking, and issuing electrical safety cards to workers after they meet the requirements. In cases where theoretical or practical examination results do not meet the requirements, retraining must be conducted for the unsatisfactory parts;

d) Managing and monitoring training, examinations, ranking, and issuing electrical safety cards within the unit.

2. For workers specified in Clause 2, Article 4 of this Circular, the Department of Industry and Trade shall be responsible for:

a) Developing training materials and setting training and examination durations appropriate to the safety level and job positions of rural, mountainous, border, and island area electrical operators and repairers;

b) Selecting trainers and examiners as stipulated in this Clause;

c) Organizing training, examinations, ranking, and issuing electrical safety cards to workers after they meet the requirements. In cases where theoretical or practical examination results do not meet the requirements, retraining and re-examination must be conducted according to the employer's request.

3. Trainers and Examiners for Electrical Safety

a) Theoretical trainers must have a bachelor's degree or higher in the relevant field and at least five years of experience in that field;

b) Practical trainers must have an associate degree or higher, be proficient, and have at least five years of experience in the relevant field.

4. Forms and Duration of Training and Examination

a) Initial Training: Conducted when new employees are hired. Initial training duration must be at least 24 hours;

b) Periodic Training: Conducted annually. Periodic training duration must be at least eight hours;

c) Retraining: When workers change job positions or safety levels, or there are changes in equipment or technology; when workers' examination results do not meet the requirements, or when workers have been absent from work for six months or more. Retraining duration must be at least twelve hours.

5. Depending on specific conditions, employers may organize separate electrical safety training according to the provisions of this Circular or combine it with other occupational safety and health, fire prevention and extinguishing training, or collaborate with other authorized training units.

6. Costs for organizing training and issuing cards shall be borne by the employer.

Article 8. Electrical Safety Levels

Electrical safety levels are divided into five levels, from Level 1/5 to Level 5/5, with examination results for both theory and practice needing to reach 80% or higher.

1. Requirements for Level 1/5:

a) Initial training results in theory and practice must reach 80% or higher;

b) Possess knowledge of general regulations to ensure safety when performing assigned tasks;

c) Use and manage safety equipment, tools, and working devices according to regulations.

2. Requirements for Level 2/5:

a) Understand general regulations and measures to ensure safety when performing assigned tasks;

b) Use and manage safety equipment, tools, and working devices according to regulations;

c) Understand methods to remove victims from sources of electricity;

d) Have knowledge of first aid for electric shock victims.

3. Requirements for Level 3/5:

a) Requirements as for Level 2/5;

b) Ability to identify violations and unsafe behaviors;

c) Skills in inspecting and supervising workers on power lines or electrical equipment.

4. Requirements for Level 4/5:

a) Requirements as for Level 3/5;

b) Understand responsibilities and scope of work for each unit participating in the execution of tasks;

c) Skills in formulating safety measures to perform tasks and organizing supervision and monitoring of workers;

d) Ability to analyze and investigate electrical accidents.

5. Requirements for Level 5/5:

a) Requirements as for Level 4/5;

b) Skills in coordinating with other units, leading work, organizing implementation of safety measures, and inspecting and monitoring task performance.

Article 9. Tasks Performed at Each Safety Level

1. Level 1/5 can perform the following tasks:

a) Perform tasks not involving contact with energized equipment or conductors;

b) Assist in tasks performed by units working on energized equipment or power lines.

2. Level 2/5 can perform the following tasks:

a) Perform tasks as for Level 1/5;

b) Work at locations that have been completely de-energized.

3. Level 3/5 can perform the following tasks:

a) Perform tasks as for Level 2/5;

b) Work at partially de-energized locations;

c) Directly work with low-voltage energized power lines and equipment;

d) Execute operations on high-voltage power grids;

đ) Inspect operating substations and power lines;

e) Issue work permits, directly command, allow units to commence work, and supervise units working on low-voltage power lines and equipment.

4. Level 4/5 can perform the following tasks:

a) Perform tasks as for Level 3/5;

b) Directly work with high-voltage energized power lines and equipment;

c) Issue work permits, commands, directly command, allow units to commence work, and supervise units working on high-voltage power lines and equipment.

5. Level 5/5 can perform all tasks within the assigned scope.

Article 10. Electrical Safety Card

1. Issuance of safety cards shall be carried out in the following cases:

a) After initial training and examination meeting requirements;

b) When workers change jobs;

c) When workers lose or damage their cards;

d) When workers change safety levels.

2. The time limit for issuing a card to workers specified in Clause 2 of Article 4 of this Circular shall not exceed seven working days from the date of initial training, regular training, retraining, or examination meeting requirements, or the date the Department of Industry and Trade receives the employer's request for replacement due to loss or damage of the card. Employers with workers specified in Clause 2 of Article 4 of this Circular are responsible for submitting one set of application documents for training and card issuance to the Department of Industry and Trade either directly or through postal service. The documents include:

a) Employer's request letter: Fully stating the worker's name, job, and current safety level;

b) Two photographs (2x3 cm) and the old electrical safety card (if available) of the worker.

3. Model of the electrical safety card as per Appendix I attached to this Circular.

4. Usage of the card

a) Validity period: From issuance until revocation.

b) Throughout the working period, workers must carry and present the Electrical Safety Card upon request by the permit issuer, employer, or authorized personnel.

5. Cases for revoking the card

a) When workers change jobs or no longer continue working at the previous organization or unit;

b) Old, damaged, or faded photograph or illegible characters on the card;

c) Violation of electrical safety procedures and regulations;

d) Upon issuance of a new card.

6. Authority to revoke the card: Carried out by the issuing unit.

Chapter III

EARTHING METAL STRUCTURES IN AND ADJACENT TO THE PROTECTION ZONE OF OVERHEAD POWER LINES WITH VOLTAGE FROM 220 KV AND ABOVE TO AVOID INDUCTION ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH MEASUREMENT MAP DRAWING

Article 11. Scope of Grounding

1. Voltage level of 220 kV:

Within and adjacent to the safety corridor of power lines up to 25 meters from the outermost or lowest conductor edge.

2. Voltage level of 500 kV:

Adjacent to the safety corridor of power lines up to 60 meters from the outermost or lowest conductor edge.

Article 12. Objects Required for Grounding

1. Houses and structures with metal roofs insulated from the ground: Ground the roof. Metal structures under the roof do not need to be grounded.

2. Houses and structures with non-metallic roofs: Ground all metal structures insulated from the ground such as walls, enclosures, beams, rafters, door frames.

3. Ground all metal structures insulated from the ground outside houses and structures such as iron frames, corrugated sheets, TV antennas, clotheslines.

Article 13. Grounding Techniques

1. Grounding rods shall be made of round steel with a diameter of at least 16 mm or square steel with equivalent cross-section or angle steel with dimensions not less than (40x40x4) mm; the length buried in the ground shall be at least 0.8 m (vertically), one end of the rod protruding above ground level (not more than 0.15 m); the location of the grounding rod shall not obstruct the use of houses and structures. No insulating materials shall be painted on the surface of the grounding rod. In areas prone to corrosion, grounding rods must be galvanized or zinc-plated.

2. Grounding wires may be made of round steel with a diameter of at least 6 mm or flat steel with dimensions not less than (24x4) mm and must have anti-corrosion measures or flexible multi-strand copper wire with a cross-section of at least 16 mm.².

3. Grounding wires shall be securely connected to the exposed part of the grounding rod and the metal structure requiring grounding using bolts or welding.

4. In cases where houses and structures already have safe grounding systems in operation, additional grounding rods do not need to be installed, but grounding wires must be securely connected to those existing grounding systems using bolts or welding methods.

Article 14. Responsibility for Grounding and Management of Grounding Systems

1. Grounding Responsibility

a) For houses and structures existing before the construction of high-voltage power transmission projects, the investor of the high-voltage power transmission project shall bear all costs and install the grounding system;

b) For houses and structures built after the completion of high-voltage power transmission projects, the owner or lawful user of the house or structure shall install the grounding system themselves or request the high-voltage power transmission network management unit to install it and bear all costs.

2. Management of Grounding Systems

The owner or lawful user of houses and structures with metal structures that require grounding shall manage the grounding system. Upon discovering any damage or abnormal conditions in the grounding system, they must immediately report to the high-voltage power transmission network management unit for coordinated resolution.

Article 15. Measurement and Mapping of Electric Field Intensity

1. The investor or the power station management unit shall be responsible for measuring and mapping the electric field intensity across the entire area of the substation and posting the map in the central control room of the substation.

2. The electric field intensity map shall be updated when the power station undergoes any changes in the electrical equipment layout at voltage levels of 220 kV or higher, including:

a) Changes in the layout of equipment;

b) Changes in the distance between conductors;

c) Reduction in the distance from conductors to the ground.

3. The measurement and verification of electric field intensity values shall be conducted upon commissioning of the facility and updated whenever there are changes.

4. The electric field intensity map shall use different colors to distinguish the electric field intensity values at work locations. Specifically, as follows:

Chapter IV

SAFETY WARNING ELECTRICITY

Article 16. Classification of Electrical Safety Signs

1. Electrical safety signs are divided into three types: Prohibition signs, Warning signs, and Instruction signs, as detailed in the following Table:

2. In addition to the electrical safety signs specified in Clause 1 of this Article, organizations and individuals may develop other content signs for internal use, appropriate to the nature of their work.

Article 17. Placement of Electrical Safety Signs

1. For overhead high voltage power lines, the sign "NO CLIMBING! HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY DANGEROUS - FATAL" must be placed on all poles of the line at a height of 2.0 meters above ground level or higher towards the direction that is easily visible (Figure 1a or 1b in Appendix II of this Circular).

2. For underground power cable not shared with infrastructure facilities with other types of pipes or cables, the sign "POWER CABLE" must be placed on the ground or on markers at the centerline of the trench, easily visible and identifiable at every location; mandatory directional signs must be placed at turning points; the distance between two adjacent signs shall not exceed 30 meters (Figure 6 in Appendix II of this Circular).

3. For substations surrounded by fences, the sign "NO ENTRY! HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY DANGEROUS - FATAL" must be placed on the entrance gate or door of the substation (Figure 2 in Appendix II of this Circular).

4. For substations suspended on poles, the placement of signs shall follow the regulations for overhead high voltage power lines.

5. For indoor type transformer substations, single-pole transformer substations, outdoor circuit breaker substations, and distribution boards (Pillar cabinets), the sign "NO APPROACH! LIVE ELECTRICITY DANGEROUS - FATAL" must be placed on the outer surface of the substation in the direction that is easily visible (Figure 3 in Appendix II of this Circular).

6. On control and drive parts of circuit breakers that have been de-energized for work units, the sign "NO SWITCH ON! WORK IN PROGRESS" must be hung (Figure 4 in Appendix II of this Circular).

7. On barriers, the sign "STOP! LIVE ELECTRICITY DANGEROUS - FATAL" must be placed in the direction that is easily visible (Figure 5 in Appendix II of this Circular).

8. At the work site which has been cordoned off, if necessary: Place the sign "WORK HERE" in the work area (Figure 7 in Appendix II of this Circular); place the sign "ENTER THIS WAY" at the entrance to the work area (Figure 8 in Appendix II of this Circular), and "EARTHEDED" (Figure 9 in Appendix II of this Circular).

9. The signs "NO CLIMBING! HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY DANGEROUS - FATAL", "NO ENTRY! HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY DANGEROUS - FATAL", and "NO APPROACH! LIVE ELECTRICITY DANGEROUS - FATAL" specified in Article 16 of this Circular, individuals and organizations are responsible for painting directly (for remote areas, villages, communes in provinces and cities) or installing detachable signs (for towns, market towns, and districts and cities) in the designated locations.

Article 18. Responsibility for placing safety warning signs for electricity

The responsibility for placing warning signs as stipulated in Article 17 of this Circular is defined as follows:

1. The project investor (for new construction projects) or the operation management unit (for projects already put into operation) shall be responsible for placing signs according to the provisions of Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 of Article 17 of this Circular.

2. The work supervisor shall be responsible for placing signs according to the provision of Clause 6 of Article 17 of this Circular.

3. The direct commander of the working unit or the person allowing the working unit to commence operations shall be responsible for placing signs according to the provision of Clause 8 of Article 17 of this Circular.

Chapter V

AGREEMENTS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECTS WITHIN THE ELECTRICAL POWER LINE SAFETY ZONE; REPORTING SYSTEM FOR ELECTRICITY ACCIDENTS AND VIOLATIONS IN THE HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER GRID SAFETY ZONE

Article 19. Agreement when constructing or renovating houses or projects within the high-voltage overhead power line safety zone

The implementation of agreements on measures to ensure safety as stipulated in Clause 2 of Article 51 of the Electricity Law shall be carried out as follows:

1. Within five working days from the date of receipt of the proposal document from the project investor, the high-voltage power grid operation management unit shall be responsible for sending a document to the project owner informing them about the time for conducting site surveys.

2. The site survey at the proposed construction or renovation location and the preparation of an agreement document with the project owner must be completed within ten working days from the date of receipt of the proposal document.

3. In cases where it is not possible to agree on safety measures, the high-voltage power grid management unit must respond in writing, stating the reasons for non-agreement to the project owner within five working days from the date of the site survey.

Article 20. Reporting on electricity accidents and violations in the high-voltage power grid safety zone

In addition to reporting accidents in accordance with labor laws, the high-voltage power grid operation management unit shall report to higher authorities (if applicable), the Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment, and the Department of Industry and Trade as follows:

1. Immediate accident report

a) Time of report: Within 24 hours from the occurrence of the accident.

b) Content and form of report: According to the model attached as Appendix IV to this Circular, sent via fax or email (PDF file).

2. Semi-annual report

a) Time of report:

By May 30 and November 30 each year, units managing power grids in provinces and cities shall report to the Department of Industry and Trade.

b) Content and form of report: According to the model attached as Appendix IV to this Circular, sent via official correspondence and email.

Chapter VI

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 21. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from September 22, 2021.

2. Circular No. 31/2014/TT-BCT dated October 2, 2014, issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade detailing certain aspects of electrical safety, ceases to be effective from the date this Circular takes effect.

3. AbolishArticle 2 of Circular No. 29/2018/TT-BCT dated September 28, 2018, issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade amends and supplements certain Circulars regarding the periodic reporting system in the industry and trade sector.

4. Transitional Provisions

a) Existing safety warning signs that have the same content but differ in format from those specified in Article 16 of this Circular may continue to be used until they are replaced.

b) Existing electric field intensity maps currently in use at substations that differ from the provisions of Clause 4 of Article 15 of this Circular may continue to be used until they are replaced.

c) For existing safety cards used according to Circular No. 31/2014/TT-BCT of the Ministry of Industry and Trade detailing certain aspects of electrical safety, users may continue to use them until they are replaced.

Article 22. Responsibility for enforcement

1. Heads of units under the Ministry, People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. The Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment is responsible for guiding, inspecting, supervising, resolving difficulties, and addressing issues arising from the implementation of this Circular nationwide.

3. The Department of Industry and Trade is responsible for:

a) Developing training plans, inspections, ranking, issuing safety cards, and notifying organizations, individuals, and units with subjects as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 4 of this Circular;

b) Guiding, inspecting, and supervising the implementation of this Circular within their jurisdiction;

c) Statistics and monitoring of electricity accidents and violations in the high-voltage power grid safety zone within their jurisdiction and reporting to the Ministry of Industry and Trade (through the Department of Technical Safety and Industrial Environment) before June 5 and December 5 each year.

4. During the implementation process, if there are any difficulties, organizations and individuals are requested to reflect them to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for consideration and resolution./.