Safety Playbook

OVERHEAD POWERLINES

4. ELECTRICAL HAZARDS Nine percent of construction worker fatalities are electrocution-related. Before starting work, employees should locate and identify utilities, maintain a safe distance from overhead powerlines, and not use portable electric tools unless they are grounded or double-insulated. Common causes of workplace electrocutions are: • Overhead powerlines • Defective tools or equipment • Exposed wires • Contact with water and electrical systems

Always exercise caution when working close to overhead powerlines. Be sure to install signage to warn others of potential dangers. Always assume all overhead lines are energized and dangerous. Below are some suggestions for working close to overhead powerlines. • Ensure that workers keep conductive objects at least 20 feet away from unguarded, energized lines • Identify the location of overhead power lines as a routine part of all initial worksite surveys for jobs involving the use of ladders and machinery • Avoid or limit proximity to power lines whenever possible • Do not store material under high tension powerlines • Notify the local electric utility company for assistance if work needs to be done near energized, overhead power lines • Eliminate the use of metal ladders near energized overhead power lines • If there are overhead powerline with 20 feet of a structure, contact your 3rd party electric utility company as “staged construction” may be necessary in that zone With the use of this knowledge, employees will be able to avoid electrocution related accidents on the job site.

Other hazards to be on the lookout for:

• Worn or frayed electric cords or cables shall not be used. • All cords must be free of damage, unaltered, with ground pin intact. • Extension cords shall not be fastened with staples, hung from nails, or suspended by wire. • Working spaces, walkways, and similar locations shall be kept clear of cords so as not to create a hazard to employees. • Cords that are extended across a street or road must be protected from vehicular traffic by creating a “wooden trough” of 2X lumber with horizontal members on each end to secure it from separating

• All extension cords will be a minimum of 12ga wiring • No “homemade” equipment is allowed • All cords and tools must be protected by a working GFI receptacle

To prevent injuries during normal entry and exit of a trench or excavation at a job site, employers/trade partners/suppliers must provide ladders, stairways, ramps, or other safe means of egress. In some circumstances, when conditions in a trench or excavation become hazardous, survival may depend on how quickly workers can climb out.

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