Roadway Safety: Electrical Hazards
|
|
Laborers' Health and Safety Fund of North America
This document is one in a program produced under an OSHA grant by a consortium of the Laborers' Health and Safety Fund N.A, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the American Road and Transportation Builders Assn, and the National Asphalt Pavement Assn. All of the documents from this set that are on eLCOSH can be found by clicking on Job Site, Heavy construction, and scrolling to the Street & highway heading. Or to download a complete version of the computerized program, go to http://wzsafety.tamu.edu. |
Contact can cause explosion, fire, electrocution.
On the worksite
-
Equipment contacting a live electrical line can cause fire, explosion, or electrocution
-
Electricity can arc from the line to the equipment
-
Electricity can cause severe burns and death
Work around electricity only
-
When you are trained in all aspects of the job
-
When you have a reason to be there
Use extreme caution and keep your distance.
When working around a power line -
Get the utility company to mark, flag, and shield lines
-
Assume it is live until tested, have it de-energized and visibly grounded
-
If it must remain energized, keep equipment and load at least 10 feet
away and use a spotter to warn the operator
-
Post signs at ground level to mark safe distance
-
Make all workers and drivers who must enter
the area aware of the overhead lines
Tips for operators
-
Mark a safe route
for repeated travel
-
Slow down
Minimum Safe Distances Power Lines |
Voltage |
Distance |
50 kV or below |
10 |
>50-200 kV |
15 |
>200 - 350 kV |
20 |
>350 - 500 kV |
25 |
>500 - 750 kV |
35 |
>750 - 1,000 kV |
45 |
More in fog or rain |
Do not touch equipment or person in contact.
If you are on the ground -
Stay away from the vehicle!
-
Do not touch any equipment or
person in contact with the line
-
Get the lines de-energized
If you are in the vehicle
- Stay in the vehicle and do not touch any metal
-
If you must get out, jump clear, then shuffle slowly away
Contact can cause explosion, fire, electrocution.
Before digging
-
Call electrical, gas, and communications utilities
-
Review marked out areas.
They may not be
exact.
Dig by hand within 2 feet of mark-out.
When digging, look for:
Signs of previous digging: changes in soil types, asphalt patches or depressions, concrete, plastic, or gravel
If a line is hit, you must report it
If it's a gas line, evacuate and secure area, call fire department
|
This paper appears in the eLCOSH website with the permission of the author and/or copyright holder and may not be reproduced without their consent. eLCOSH is an information clearinghouse. eLCOSH and its sponsors are not responsible for the accuracy of information provided on this web site, nor for its use or misuse.
eLCOSH
| CDC | NIOSH
| Site Map | Search
| Links | Help
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy
|