Just had a discussion with one of my friends and it sounds like he's got some supervisors that want to 'pass' the buck sort of speak.
They have recently started trying to work under the NFPA 70e, and there is a project where the guy that is over that department claims it can not be shutdown. It supplies some alarms/computer interface in a hospital, basically a HUGE server room.
Basically suggesting that he falls under the 'hot work' exceptions of life safety etc..
My friend let his boss know about the situation, and that maybe a hot work permit needed to be filled out. Heres the 'buck passing', they have a form that has 'REQUESTOR' at the top, and they want my friend to fill this out and sign. My friend says no, because he is NOT the one requesting the work be done hot. He is willing to explain to them in writing of the work that needs to be done, (since they are not electricians), but the initiator of the 'Hot work permit' is suppose to be from the person claiming the equipment can't be shut down. They can get the guy over the department/server room to sign off on it and check off the exceptions is what my friend suggested.
His boss says 'no' this is our form and its the lead guy who is suppose to fill out the form.
They are locking horns on this issue. How do you go and explain to your boss through common sense that the 'requestor' of a hot work permit is suppose to be the person making the claim that something 'Can NOT be shutdown because it meets the criteria of osha exceptions'.??? Sounds like they just want to 'shift' the liability' of this work on the workerbee!