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Safety Precautions When Working Around Overhead Power Lines

25 September 2019

Byron Holmes

It is not uncommon for construction work to take place near or below overhead power lines. When this happens, contractors need to take extra precautions to ensure their safety, as well as to avoid property damage. The following information includes important things that need to be put in place to achieve this.

Identification of Potential Risks

The specialists with knowledge about power lines are electricians. You need to consult them before work commences. Electricians enlighten you on the possible risks associated with power lines. These can include the voltage of the electric lines, fire risks, distance from power lines, weather conditions and how they contribute to electric risks, the terrain of the site, the equipment to be used and the nature, size and shape of the loads to be moved.

Mitigation of Risks

Once the potential risks have been identified, various measures should be put in place to avoid or to reduce the chances of the risks occurring. These include switching off power to the lines, keeping a particular distance from the lines, placing barriers and warning signs to remind operators and workers of the danger above, wearing protective gear, etc. The measures depend on the kind of work being carried out. Everyone on the site should also be educated on the imminent dangers and trained on how to avoid risks and what to do if a particular hazard occurs.

For these measures to be effective, all affected personnel must be included in formulating and actualising them. Each person is responsible for a particular part of the project and he or she needs to know how to safely conduct his or her work while avoiding overhead power lines risks. For example, crane operators need to know how high the overhead power lines are to avoid lifting loads to that height.

Have Safety Observers

These are people assigned to the role of keeping a lookout for potential risks, giving warnings and responding to emergencies. Ensure that they are fully trained and competent enough to carry out their duties effectively.

Each observer should only observe one activity at a time. If two activities are taking place at the same time, have two safety observers. Having one safety observer monitor two activities at the same time can lead to confusion and accidents. No one knows the exact time something can go wrong and that is why each activity requires full attention. Taking your eyes off an activity can be detrimental.      

For more information, contact an industrial electrician.

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