Best Practice Guidelines

Utility Advisory Council members and Working Group members have worked with the Electrical Safety Authority to define and produce guidelines to facilitate implementation of best practices. These Best Practice Guidelines will continue to be evaluated and updated, and new guidelines will be developed as required to help the industry maintain safe installations and enhance understanding of complex issues.

The following Best Practice Guidelines provide the public and regulated community with interpretive non-binding recommendations and procedural best practice examples to help achieve electrical safety in Ontario.

Mitigation of Pole Top Fires Best Practice

Factors to consider when reviewing how to mitigate pole top fires

During the winter and early spring months, wood poles are at higher risk of having pole top fires. This guideline addresses the causal factors and preventative measures of pole top fires. Proposed practices can be applied towards new or rebuild type construction projects, as well as individual pole replacements.

Download the Mitigation of Pole Top Fires Best Practice

Residential Consumer’s Services Damaged During Emergencies

Factors considered by the Electricity Distributors’ line crews to either disconnect or leave the consumer’s service energized

During wide spread emergencies such as ice and wind storms, there are high probabilities for many overhead consumers’ services to be damaged by ice, fallen tree limbs, etc. Repairs required for a large number of damaged consumer services may take some time depending on availability of manpower and materials for repairs. In order to maintain power, particularly to dwellings, and in the interest of public safety, care must be taken when leaving services energized to avoid undue hazards.

Guideline for Residential Consumer’s Services Damaged During Emergencies

Due Diligence Inspection Points for Electrical Distributors

Inspection Points for LDC’s — Underground (Residential)

Inspection Points for LDC’s — Overhead

Inspection Points for LDC’s — Substation

Inspection Points for LDC’s — Underground (Comm. & Ind.)

Reclosure Jurisdictional Review

Factors to consider when reviewing reclosure operations

A jurisdictional review of operating practices, review of published standards/codes/regulations and court decisions related to reclosures are contained in this report. Electrical Distributors and Regulatory Agencies within Canada and the United States of America were surveyed.

Download the Reclosure Jurisdictional Review of Best Practice