521.15 MANHOLE SAFETY.

   (a)    Barriers, barricades or standard guard railings shall be provided for guarding open manholes, handholds, gratings or excavations. Visual warning devices shall be provided for such barricades, barriers and guard railings.

   (b)   Testing equipment shall be provided and a standard procedure established by the employer to determine the presence of air contaminants or a deficiency of oxygen.

   (c)   Air contaminants or oxygen deficiency shall be controlled, minimized or purged by one or more of the following methods:

      (1)    Removed at the source by local exhaust ventilation;

      (2)    Removed by general ventilation;

      (3)    Removed by dilution ventilation; or

      (4)    By respiratory equipment furnished by the employer which provides protection equal to or greater than that approved by the U. S. Bureau of Mines, where there are air contaminants or where there is a deficiency of oxygen in the air.

   The air or oxygen supplied to a supplied air helmet shall be of the positive pressure type. The air supplied to a supplied air helmet or to other supplied air breathing apparatus shall be filtered.

   (d)    Ladders shall be provided for entering or leaving a manhole, vault or other similar underground area.

   (e)   The fixtures to which lamp socket and plugs are attached shall, in all cases, be explosion proof, vapor proof, moisture proof and dust proof. All extension cords shall be made of heavy-duty cord. All lamps shall be guarded.

   (f)   No person shall enter a manhole, in a public right of way, or remain inside thereof, and no person, firm or corporation shall direct, permit or allow another in his employ or under his supervision, to enter a manhole or remain inside thereof without having another employee on the surface at or near the entrance to the manhole.

   (g)   Where the safety equipment is provided as outlined in subsections (a) through (e) hereof, it shall be the responsibility of the employee or employees working at or in the manhole to use that equipment.
(Ord. 83-73. Passed 3-26-73.)

   (h)   Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor.