Scope

1  The following regulations are intended to establish minimum safety requirements for the installation of television distribution cables, amplifiers and associated equipment on overhead electric lines carrying circuits of which the voltage between any 2 conductors exceeds 300 volts.

 Installation

2  For the purpose of this regulation, an installation shall include the distribution cables, amplifiers and associated equipment, but, excepting as provided in section 12 hereunder, shall not include connections to subscriber's premises.

 Permits

3  No installation shall be commenced until a formal permit in writing therefor has been issued and no connection shall be made to any subscriber's premises until the installation has been inspected and approved. Each application for permit shall be accompanied by plans in triplicate showing electrical characteristics and physical arrangement on the poles of existing circuits, location and method of mounting cables and equipment, and complete details of proposed protective equipment.

 Maximum voltage

4  No television equipment shall be installed on any poles carrying power circuits of which the voltage between phase conductors exceeds 25 000 volts.

 Ground fault protection

5  Before issuing a permit to install television equipment on any overhead electric line carrying power circuits, the inspector may, at his discretion, require the power authority to submit such circuit diagrams and information pertaining to ground fault protection as may be necessary to ensure that accidental contact between any phase conductor and any portion of the television installation will de-energize the circuit. In the event of such contact, the power authority will be permitted to reclose the circuit 3 times, but if the fault condition still exists after the third such reclosure, the circuit shall remain de-energized until the fault has been located and eliminated.

 Installation of television distribution cable

6  Every television distribution cable shall be carried throughout its length by a steel messenger cable having a diameter of not less than 1/4 inch, with a tensile strength suitable for the spans involved. The messenger shall be grounded to approved ground electrodes at each end and at each amplifier, and in any case at intervals of not more than 1/4 mile throughout its length. The overall ground resistance of the system shall not exceed 10 ohms. The messenger cable shall be capable of carrying sufficient fault current to operate the ground fault protective devices of the power circuit, where such are provided.

 Power circuits with one grounded line conductor

7  Television distribution cable may be installed, in accordance with section 6, on overhead lines carrying power circuits, one conductor of which is grounded, provided that the grounded (or neutral) conductor shall

(a) be continuous throughout the length of the portion of the line carrying the television cable,

(b) be connected either solidly or through a suitable fault current limiting device to the neutral or grounded terminal of the generator or transformer bank supplying the circuit, and

(c) be grounded to approved electrodes at each end of the portion of the line carrying the television cable, at each amplifier location, and in any case at intervals of not more than 1/4 mile throughout its length. The over-all ground resistance of the system shall not exceed 10 ohms. The grounding of the messenger for the television cable shall be carried out by bonding the messenger electrically to the grounded (or neutral) conductor at each point where such conductor is itself required to be grounded by this regulation.

 Grounded power circuits without neutral conductor

8  Television distribution cable may be installed, in accordance with section 6, on overhead lines carrying power circuits which are grounded only at the source and have no grounded circuit conductor provided that

(a) the television messenger cable shall be connected, either solidly or through a suitable fault-current-limiting device, to the grounded terminal of the power source, by means of a conductor capable of carrying sufficient ground fault current to operate the protective devices of the power circuit,

(b) such conductor shall itself be grounded to approved electrodes at intervals of not more than 1/4 mile throughout its length, and

(c) the over-all ground resistance of the system shall not exceed 10 ohms.

 Ungrounded power circuits

9  Television distribution cable may be installed in accordance with section 6 on overhead lines carrying ungrounded power circuits operating at any voltage within the scope of these regulations provided that, except as permitted by section 10, such power circuits shall be fitted with ground fault protection satisfactory to the inspector and so arranged that a contact between any line conductor and the television messenger will result in the de-energizing of the power circuit.

 Ungrounded power circuits under 3 000 volts

10  Television distribution cable may be installed in accordance with section 6 on overhead lines carrying ungrounded power circuits operating at not more than 3 000 volts between conductors, without the ground fault protection required by section 9 provided that each subscriber's service shall be fitted with an approved protector consisting of an arrester connected between each ungrounded television service conductor and ground, and a fuse connected in each service conductor so as to protect the arrester, except that fuses may be omitted where the service conductors are not larger than No. 24 AWG copper, or No. 22 AWG copperweld, and the metal sheath or shield of the television cable is grounded.

 Lines carrying more than one power circuit

11  Television distribution cable may be installed in accordance with section 6 on overhead lines carrying 2 or more power circuits from the same or different systems operating at more than 300 volts provided that

(a) each of the grounded systems on such overhead lines shall comply with section 7 or 8, whichever applies, and in addition the several neutral or grounded circuit conductors shall be common, or shall be interconnected so as to provide a multi-grounded system which shall be grounded as required by section 7, and

(b) each of the ungrounded systems on such overhead lines shall comply with section 9 or 10, whichever applies.

 Subscriber's service

12  At each subscriber's service, the service cable shall be supported throughout its length between the service pole and the building on a suitable messenger cable. This branch cable shall be electrically bonded to the main messenger cable and shall be grounded at the subscriber's end, by means of a separate grounding conductor, to the same electrode which grounds the electric power supply service to the subscriber's premises.

 Mounting of amplifiers

13  Each set of amplifying equipment shall be installed in an approved weatherproof metal enclosure, which shall be securely mounted on a standard crossarm in such location as will not impair the climbing space. The power supply service to the amplifier equipment shall comply with the regulations contained in the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, as adopted for use in British Columbia. The neutral service conductor and all metal non-current carrying parts of the service and television equipment shall be electrically bonded to the television messenger cable.

 Fees

14  Fees for inspection of television installations shall be charged in accordance with the rates set forth in B.C. Reg. 488/95, the Electrical Safety Act Fee Regulation.