Underground Residential Distribution Program (URD)
NEPPA’s Underground Residential Distribution (URD) Program will be held April 2-4, 2024, at the NEPPA Training Center
(200 New Estate Road, Littleton, MA 01460)
Who Should Attend
This course is designed for NEPPA members who build or maintain Underground Residential Distribution Systems.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the program, participants will:
- Have the knowledge and skill in all aspects of URD/UCD installation, operation, and maintenance.
- NEPPA URD/UCD design & construction best practices
- Tools, equipment, troubleshooting
- URD/UCD maps
- Hands-on work with pre-molded terminations and testing equipment.
- Understand safety practices, as they pertain to URD/UCDs and related work, will be defined and demonstrated.
- Will be awarded a Certificate of Completion.
Topics Covered
The classroom portion of the course will include:
- Cable, Splice & Termination Designs
- Introduction to Equipment
- Switching Devices
- URD/UCD Maps & Symbols
- Trouble & Fault Locating
- Cable Preparation Tools
- Tactical Exercises
- Final Assessment
Testing
The hands-on session will include:
- Secondary Connections
- Handholes/Transformers
- Parallel Service
- Phase Rotation
- Switching & Test Equipment Exercises
- Introduction to Shotguns
- Types
- Maintenance
- Operating Procedures
- Electrical Potential Test Equipment
- AB Chance Multi range voltage detector (MRVD)
- Hard voltage test
- Capacitance test point (not for grounding purposes)
- Clantek potential indicator/phasing gear
- Capacitance test point only (separable connections)
- Elevated Voltage Indicator
- Fluke (secondary voltage testing)
- Secondary Phase Rotation (Knopp Meter)
- Phasing Equipment
- B. Chance Phasing Equipment (live phasing only)
- Clantek (capacitance test point only)
- Fluke (secondary phasing)
- Fault Locating Equipment
- B. Chance DC Hi Pot Adaptor
- Primary Cable Fault Locating (VON)
- Secondary Cable Fault Locating (Pin Pointer)
Agenda
Agenda details are subject to change
April 2-4, 2024
Day 1: Sections 1 – 8
8:00 am Section 1: Welcome & Introduction
8:15 am Section 2: Primary Cable & Design
10:00 am Break
10:15 am Section 3: Splice Types & Design
11:00 am Section 4: Termination Types & Design
11:30 am Lunch
12:00 pm Section 5: Infrared Heat Inspections
12:30 pm Section 6: Loadbreak / Deadbreak Equipment
1:00 pm Break
1:15 pm Section 7: Transformers and Fusing
1:40 pm Section 8: Switching Devices
2:00 pm Adjourn
Day 2: Sections 9 – 15
8:00 am Section 9: Test Equipment
8:15 am Test Equipment
10:00 am Break
10:15 am Section 10: Fault Locating & Repair
11:00 am Section 11: Arresters
11:30 am Lunch
12:00 pm Section 12: Secondary Cable Operations
12:30 pm Section 13: Maps & Symbols
1:00 pm Break
1:15 pm Section 14: URD Cable Pulling Procedures
1:20 pm Section 15: Ergonomics
1:30 pm Tool Demonstration, Terminations, Student Hands-on
2:00 pm Adjourn
Day 3: Review, Exercise & Test
8:00 am Review of Day 1 & 2
8:30 am Section 16: Switching & Tagging Exercise
10:00 am Break
10:15 am Section 16: Switching & Tagging Exercise Continued
11:30 am Lunch
12:00 pm Section 17: Final Assessment & Discussion
1:15 pm Break
1:30pm Completion Certificates are given.
2:00 pm Adjourn
Registration
To register, please visit the Program’s page at neppa.org. Upon completion of the Program, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion from NEPPA.
Registration fees are as follows:
NEPPA Members $1,650
Non-Members $2,540
Cancellation Policy
Cancellations are accepted until Tuesday, March 12th (or three weeks prior to the start of the class). Substitutions may be made at any time prior to the start of the class.
Instructor
Mike Pazzanese, CUSP
Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP)
Mike joined NEPPA as part of the training team in April 2021.
Mike is a Certified Utility Safety Professional (CUSP) with 38 years of experience in all aspects of electric and gas utility operations, as well as contractor management, employee health and safety, and utility technical training, particularly in underground distribution and cable splicing.
Mike holds both the OSHA 30-hour General Industry and 20-hour Leadership Certifications. As a graduate of Bridgewater State University with a teaching degree, Mike’s background and utility technical training experience strengthens NEPPA’s capacity to provide top-tier training.
Questions?
Please contact training@neppa.org or call the office at (978) 540-2200.