Site-Specific Safety Plan for Electrical Contractors
Electrical subs get asked for a site-specific safety plan on almost every GC-led commercial job, and GCs read the electrical one closely: it is where shock, arc flash and lockout get spelled out for this site.
- Energized work and lockout
- Temporary power and GFCIs
- Overhead lines
- Arc flash
- Aerial lifts
- Free to build and preview
- Electrical tasks preloaded
- Word and PDF
Start your electrical safety plan
Electrical tasks are preselected. Free to build and preview; pay only to download.
Start your site-specific safety plan
Answer questions about the job. Fixed rules pick the hazards, controls and OSHA citations, and you review the whole plan on screen before you pay.
Trades on this job
Free preview. $49 per job to download Word + PDF.
Electrical work
What an electrical safety plan has to cover
Start with energized work and lockout. The plan should say that circuits are de-energized, locked and tagged before work (29 CFR 1926.416 and 1926.417), who is qualified to verify the absence of voltage, and how any justified energized work is permitted and carried out. Many GCs also expect arc flash PPE and approach boundaries based on NFPA 70E.
Temporary power is often your scope too. Construction sites need GFCI protection on 120-volt, 15- and 20-amp receptacle outlets that are not part of the permanent wiring, or a written assured equipment grounding conductor program (1926.404(b)(1)), plus inspection of cords and temporary panels.
Outside, overhead lines change the job for lifts, cranes and anyone carrying conduit or ladders; crane work near lines up to 350 kV starts from a 20-foot clearance (1926.1408). Inside, scissor and boom lifts for pulling wire, hanging fixtures and setting cable tray need fall protection and pre-use inspections (1926.453), and core drilling or chasing concrete adds silica exposure (1926.1153).
From the rule library
Typical electrical tasks and their hazards
The 17 electrical tasks the builder offers today. Pick the ones on your job; each brings its hazards, controls, PPE and citations into the plan.
| Task | Hazards | Key standards |
|---|---|---|
| Install temporary power and lighting Temporary panels, cords, receptacles and lighting for the site |
| 29 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.40429 CFR 1926.41629 CFR 1926.417+2 more |
| Install and bend conduit and raceways EMT, rigid and PVC conduit, fittings and supports |
| 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(2)29 CFR 1926.5929 CFR 1926.95+9 more |
| Pull wire and cable Pulling conductors and cable with tuggers, reels and lubricant |
| 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(2)29 CFR 1926.5929 CFR 1926.95+4 more |
| Set panels, switchboards and transformers Rig, set and anchor electrical distribution equipment |
| 29 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.41629 CFR 1926.417 |
| Make terminations and connections in panels Terminating conductors in panels, gear and equipment |
| 29 CFR 1926.9529 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.41629 CFR 1926.417 |
| Install light fixtures and devices Fixtures, switches, receptacles and devices |
| 29 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.10029 CFR 1926.41629 CFR 1926.417+4 more |
| Trench and install underground conduit Excavate, lay and backfill underground duct banks and conduit |
| 29 CFR 1926.60129 CFR 1926.60229 CFR 1926.65129 CFR 1926.652 |
| Test, troubleshoot and commission energized systems Voltage testing, troubleshooting and start-up of energized equipment |
| 29 CFR 1926.9529 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.41629 CFR 1926.417 |
| Tie in to existing energized systems and switch over Shutdowns, tie-ins and switchovers in existing buildings |
| 29 CFR 1926.9529 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.41629 CFR 1926.417 |
| Install generators and transfer switches Set, fuel and connect standby generators and transfer switches |
| 29 CFR 1926.5229 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.10129 CFR 1926.151+4 more |
| Install low-voltage, fire alarm and data cabling Cable, devices and panels for low-voltage systems |
| 29 CFR 1926.10029 CFR 1926.50129 CFR 1926.50229 CFR 1926.1053+1 more |
| Install cable tray and strut overhead Hang cable tray, strut and supports |
| 29 CFR 1926.9529 CFR 1926.10029 CFR 1926.10129 CFR 1926.102+6 more |
| Install hangers, supports and anchors overhead Drill into overhead concrete or steel and set anchors, rod and strut |
| 29 CFR 1910.13429 CFR 1926.5229 CFR 1926.10029 CFR 1926.101+9 more |
| Core drill and saw-cut concrete and masonry Cut sleeves and openings in slabs and walls |
| 29 CFR 1910.13429 CFR 1926.5229 CFR 1926.10129 CFR 1926.102+6 more |
| Firestop penetrations Seal penetrations with firestop systems |
| 29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(2)29 CFR 1926.5929 CFR 1926.95+3 more |
| Selective demolition of existing systems Disconnect and remove existing equipment, piping, duct or wiring |
| 29 CFR 1926.9529 CFR 1926.9729 CFR 1926.10029 CFR 1926.101+7 more |
| Receive, stage and move materials and equipment Unloading deliveries, staging and moving materials on site |
| 29 CFR 1926.2529 CFR 1926.5629 CFR 1926.60129 CFR 1926.602 |
Written programs
Written programs the job may call for
Triggered by the hazards of the electrical tasks the builder selects by default. Your plan lists the ones your actual task selection triggers, and when each must be in writing.
Hazard communication program
RequiredChemical inventory, container labels, safety data sheets and worker training for the chemical products used on the job
Triggered by: Chemical products
29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(1)29 CFR 1910.1200(e)(2)29 CFR 1926.59Silica exposure control plan
Required whenRequired when workers cut, drill, grind or otherwise disturb concrete, masonry or other silica-containing materials, unless exposure will stay below 25 micrograms per cubic meter (8-hour TWA) under any foreseeable conditions (29 CFR 1926.1153(a))
Written plan describing the tasks that expose workers to respirable crystalline silica, the controls used and the competent person who inspects them
Triggered by: Respirable crystalline silica dust
29 CFR 1926.115329 CFR 1926.1153(g)Respiratory protection program
Required whenRequired when respirators are necessary to protect workers or the employer requires them (29 CFR 1910.134(c), applied to construction by 1926.103); workers whose only use is voluntary filtering facepieces (dust masks) need only the Appendix D information
Respirator selection, medical evaluation, fit testing, training and maintenance
Triggered by: Respirable crystalline silica dust
29 CFR 1910.13429 CFR 1926.103Lockout/tagout procedures
Required whenRequired when workers service or maintain machines or equipment in an operating facility under general-industry rules, which call for a written energy control program with documented procedures (29 CFR 1910.147). Construction work on circuits requires de-energized circuits and controls to be locked or tagged (29 CFR 1926.417), without a written program
Procedures for shutting down, isolating, locking and tagging circuits and equipment and verifying they are de-energized
Triggered by: Arc flash and arc blast, Contact with energized circuits, Unexpected start-up or release of stored energy
29 CFR 1910.14729 CFR 1926.417Electrical safety program
RecommendedProgram for energized-work permits, arc-flash and shock risk assessment and qualified-person training
Triggered by: Arc flash and arc blast, Contact with energized circuits
29 CFR 1926.416Assured equipment grounding conductor program
Required whenRequired when the employer uses an assured equipment grounding conductor program instead of GFCIs on temporary-power receptacles (29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)(iii)); GFCI protection needs no written program
Written program for inspecting and testing cord sets and receptacles used instead of GFCIs
Triggered by: Temporary power and cord-connected tools
29 CFR 1926.404Hearing conservation program
RecommendedNoise monitoring, hearing protection and audiometric testing
Triggered by: Noise
29 CFR 1926.5229 CFR 1926.101
Sample
A sample electrical plan
Built by the same rules from a fictional company and job. Here is one task's hazard analysis; the full sample has all 18 sections, as your GC would receive them.
9. Task hazard analysis · Install temporary power and lighting
Example Electric, Inc. · Retail Tenant Finish-Out, Suite 140 (sample) · GC: Example Interiors, LLC
| Hazard | Controls | PPE | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls from ladders |
|
|
|
| Contact with energized circuits |
|
|
|
| Temporary power and cord-connected tools |
| — |
|
FAQ
Electrical safety plan questions
Will my GC accept a SitePack plan for electrical work?
Every general contractor sets its own requirements, so start with the safety exhibit of your subcontract. Most ask for a written site-specific plan, a named safety representative, emergency details and task hazard analyses before you mobilize; some send their own form or checklist.
SitePack builds the plan from your answers and the rule library. You review and confirm every section before export, and the Word file lets you add anything your GC asks for. We cannot promise that any particular GC will accept a plan; the content and the sign-off are yours.
Does this replace my electrical safety program or lockout procedures?
No. A site-specific plan applies your company's programs to one job. Your lockout/tagout procedures, electrical safety program and training records remain your own written programs; the plan lists the programs the job calls for and how they apply on this site, with the standards behind them.
Do I need GFCIs or an assured equipment grounding conductor program?
OSHA's construction rule (29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)) lets you use either GFCIs on 120-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-amp receptacle outlets that are not part of the building's permanent wiring, or an assured equipment grounding conductor program. The assured program has to be written and kept at the jobsite. Many GCs simply require GFCIs on all temporary power, so check your subcontract.
What does the plan need to say about overhead power lines?
Where the lines are, who confirmed the voltage with the utility, the clearances your crew, lifts and materials will keep, and who acts as a spotter when equipment works near them. Cranes and derricks follow 29 CFR 1926.1408, which starts from a 20-foot clearance for lines up to 350 kV; other work near lines is covered by 1926.416.
Is arc flash covered?
A plan for electrical work should state your policy of working de-energized, how energized work is justified and permitted when it cannot be avoided, and the arc-rated PPE and approach boundaries your qualified workers use. Those practices usually follow NFPA 70E, which GCs often reference in the subcontract even though it is a consensus standard rather than an OSHA rule.
How long does it take, and what does it cost?
About 10 minutes if you have the job details at hand: site address, GC contact, start date, crew size, your safety representative and the nearest hospital. Building and previewing the whole plan is free. Downloading the Word and PDF files for one job is $49, or Pro covers every job for $39 a month.
More site-specific safety plans
Your electrical safety plan, ready for the GC
Answer the job questions, review every section, and preview the whole plan before you pay. You review and sign the plan; your GC decides whether to accept it.