Voronezh power engineers are preparing for fire season

IDGC of Centre — Voronezhenergo division has started active preparation for the fire season of 2013. In order to ensure reliable operation of power grids the branch each year from April to October implements a whole range of preventive measures. This year, the Voronezh power engineers plan to spend about 14 million rubles on these activities.

Staff of fire technical committees at the branch performs spot checks of the state of fire safety of assigned facilities, according to the results of which measures will be developed to eliminate violations. Equipping with primary fire extinguishing means of buildings, structures, premises of power facilities and automotive vehicles is also being checked. The operating and maintenance personnel are having unplanned instructions on requirements of fire safety during hot work, the need for mandatory inspection of availability of primary fire extinguishing means in the workplace and non-expansion of jobs and the amount of work performed. The production staff has also been briefed about the actions at fire and the use of primary fire extinguishing means.

Agricultural producers, whose territory is crossed by overhead lines, will be handed leaflets by the power engineers on compliance with the Rules of the establishment of security zones of electric grid facilities and special conditions for the use of land plots, located within the boundaries of such areas, and the responsibility for the fire fighting state of ROWs along the overhead lines.

To prevent burning dry grass, woodland by strangers in premises of substations and in security zones of power lines in the period before May 15 the substations and overhead line poles will be dug around.

In addition, the power engineers have worked out a pattern of interaction and a warning system with fire departments and services of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, the local administration and territorial forestry enterprises. Already in May Voronezhenergo’s specialists will conduct joint training with the territorial divisions of the fire protection service to practice putting out fires on the premises of a 35-110 kV substation and in security zones of overhead lines.