00HOUSE BILL NO. 396                                                                                                      
01 "An Act relating to electrical worker safety."                                                                          
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1.  AS 18.60 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                   
04  Sec. 18.60.042.  ELECTRICAL WORKER SAFETY.  (a)  When an employee                                                     
05 is working on an energized line or conducting object that carries 5,000 or more volts                                   
06 phase to phase or phase to ground, an employer shall                                                                    
07   (1)  require the employee to                                                                                         
08   (A)  use only approved live line tools; and                                                                         
09   (B)  maintain a distance of at least two and one-half feet from                                                     
10 the energized line or conducting object; the employee shall maintain this                                               
11 distance by using approved live line tools;                                                                             
12   (2)  provide the employee with correctly functioning, approved, live line                                            
13 tools for use on the job;                                                                                               
14   (3)  ensure that live line tools are                                                                                 

01   (A)  stored, maintained, and used so as to prevent damage to the                                                    
02 tools;                                                                                                                  
03   (B)  visually inspected and wiped clean each day before their use                                                   
04 and, if defects are discovered, ensure that the tools are removed from service.                                         
05  (b)  An employer may not permit live line tools to be used for purposes other                                         
06 than line work.  The employer shall ensure that wood live line tools are maintained                                     
07 with a surface coating of varnish or other generally accepted treatment to prevent the                                  
08 absorption of moisture into the wood.  The maintenance, inspection, storage, and use                                    
09 of live line tools shall be in conformance with the methods and standards                                               
10 recommended by the manufacturer of the tool.