Environmental Health & Safety

Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS):

On Jan. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily halted enforcement of the OSHA ETS, a rule that would require, among other things, vaccination or weekly testing for employees of companies with 100 or more employees. The case will now go back to a lower court for review if OSHA decides to continue to pursue its case.

As a result, Duke Energy paused implementation of its COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing and Face Covering Policy. However, it’s important for our contractors to still follow CDC guidance and certain local governments with other face covering requirements.

• All contractors, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a face covering indoors when social distancing may not be possible or where state or local requirements are more stringent.


• All contractors must also wear face coverings when entering, exiting, and walking within a Duke Energy facility and in Duke Energy common areas.


• Duke Energy contractors affected by these provisions are expected to relay this information to their subcontractors.

Executive Order 14042, Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors:

This order requires covered employees of certain federal contractors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. There is no testing option, but covered employees with a qualifying medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief can apply for a reasonable accommodation with their employer.

Currently, there is a court stay in place on the Federal Mandate.

If the Federal Mandate is upheld:

• No existing Duke Energy federal contracts include a vaccine requirement at this time, but certain new, renewed or modified federal agreements will include this provision if the court stay is lifted. Once we have a covered contract, any such federal contractor vaccine requirement would then “flow down” to applicable Duke Energy contractors and subcontractors as required by the Executive Order. We will notify you if that occurs.


• We will expect our contractors to comply with Executive Order 14042 using their own procedures based on their specific circumstances. As a result, you should develop a plan for vaccinating your employees who support federal projects, either directly or indirectly, and for those working in the same workplace.


• Please continue to monitor the activities surrounding this order to ensure that you are current on any revisions that occur.

• Contractor shall review their scope of work with the Duke Energy liaison and provide OSHA-required health and safety program training to their employees. Prior to or upon site arrival, training documentation shall be provided to the Duke Energy site liaison using the format provided in this link: Contractor EHS Training Documentation.

• Contractor shall ensure completion of orientation and other Duke Energy Fossil Hydro-specified training for their employees, including subcontractors. Those training topics are shown below. Training will be provided on site or by completion of specified PowerSafe modules prior to site arrival. Training method shall be specified by the Duke Energy site liaison. When PowerSafe module completion is specified, reference the contractor communication document provided at this link: Contractor Communication – PowerSafe Frequently Asked Questions. PowerSafe training is completed using the PowerSafeTraining.org website: Utility Safety Training | PowerSafe
  • PowerSafe Generation (required at all sites)
  • Duke Energy General FHO Orientation (required at all sites)
  • Duke Energy Lockout/Tagout (required at all sites)
  • Duke Energy Human Performance (required at all sites)
  • Duke Energy Dropped Object Prevention (required at all sites)
  • Duke Energy Hazardous Locations and Intrinsically Safe Equipment (required at all sites)
  • Combustible Dust (required at sites having combustible dust)
  • Duke Energy PSM/RMP Orientation (required at sites having hazardous chemicals requiring Process Safety Management)

2017 Duke Energy Health & Safety Handbook

Contractors, consultants and their personnel (including subcontractors) involved in the performance of services for Duke Energy's Fossil / Hydro Generation facilities must complete the following orientation information below. The completion of any required information will be the responsibility of the prospective Contractor and their firm prior to performing any services at Duke Energy's Fossil / Hydro Generation facilities.

• Generic Duke Energy Fossil / Hydro Generation Contractor EHS Orientation (English version) 
• Generic Duke Energy Fossil / Hydro Generation Contractor EHS Orientation (Spanish version)
• Station / fleet-specific EHS Orientation
• Review of applicable sections of the Duke Energy Safe Work Practices Manual

Contractor Training Documentation/Verification

In accordance with OSHA Regulation 29 CFR 1910.269, Duke Energy provides the following information to our contractors. Duke Energy contractors affected by this regulation are required to relay this information to their subcontractors and are subject to providing Duke Energy written verification of the transfer of information to subcontractors.

Contractors may be provided information associated with this OSHA regulation through various mechanisms based on the business unit within Duke Energy:

• Transmission, Delivery Operations Services, Gas Operations (pdf, 231 KB)
• Fossil-Hydro Operations (information will be made available at each plant location)
• Nuclear Operations (information will be made available at each plant location)

Information transfer

Characteristics of the host employer's installation that are related to the work to be performed are listed here:

• The nominal voltages of lines and equipment
• The maximum switching-transient voltages
• The presence of hazardous induced voltages
• The presence of protective grounds and equipment grounding conductors

Conditions related to the safety of the work to be performed are listed here and are known to the employer:

• The locations of circuits and equipment, including electric supply lines, communication lines and fire protective signaling circuits
• The condition of protective grounds and equipment grounding conductors
• The condition of poles
• Environmental conditions relating to safety

Information about the design and operation of the host employer's installation that the contract employer needs to make the assessments required by this regulation. (This includes but is not limited to confined space evaluations, arc flash exposure and grounding.)

Any other information about the design and operation of the host employer's installation that is known by the host employer, that the contract employer requests and that is related to the protection of the contract employer’s employees.

Erosion and Sediment Control Guidelines

• This course needs to be taken by any consultant or contractor that is involved in the design, construction and management of Erosion and Sedimentation Control plans and permits.

• This course should be taken by all dedicated trucking providers for Duke Energy Corporation.