IEEE 2417:2022

New IEEE Standard - Active.
Abstract: Failures of underground cables and accessories can result in the release of toxic gases and large amounts of energy. These failures include smoking manholes, manhole fires, and manhole explosions. These failure events can damage underground infrastructure and pose a risk to the maintenance crews and the public. The root causes, prevention, early detection, mitigation, and response to failures of accessories and cable inside, and connected to underground electrical structures (i.e., manholes, vaults, handholes, etc.) are examined. Methods that can help prevent manhole events and methods that can mitigate the severity of manhole events are suggested.

This guide deals with smoke, fires, and explosions caused by cables or cable accessories in electrical subsurface structures and duct runs.
The purpose of this guide is to define manhole events and identify the causes of those events. It contains a compilation of methods a practitioner could use to help detect, prevent, mitigate, and respond to manhole events.