>1,000 kV. Director, National Institute for 1910.333 - Selection and use of work practices. The victim provided a path to ground and was electrocuted [NIOSH 1990c]. Note 1: As used in this section, fixed equipment refers to equipment fastened in place or connected by permanent wiring methods. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. If a problem occurs implementing the procedures being used to comply with paragraph (d) of this section, or indicating that those procedures are inadequate to prevent electrocution, the employer must safely stop operations and either develop new procedures to comply with paragraph (d) of this section or have the utility owner/operator deenergize and visibly ground or relocate the power line before resuming work. How to Plan Your Kitchen Space and Distances, How The NEC Works With Other NFPA Standards, For lines carrying 120-240 volts across a residential driveway: a minimum vertical clearance of 12 feet, For lines carrying 120-240 volts crossing driveways, parking lots, and alleyways: 16 feet, For electrical wires over a pond or lake: a minimum vertical clearance of 17 feet, For data wires over pedestrian traffic: a minimum vertical clearance of 9 1/2 feet, For data wires over vehicle traffic: a minimum vertical clearance of 15 1/2 feet, For data wires over a pool or hot tub: a minimum vertical clearance of 10 feet. Nearly 30% (113) of these electrocutions involved cranes. Persons working on the ground are not allowed to contact the vehicle or mechanical equipment (ex. These recommendations include the following. Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H. 90-38. The specific safety-related work practices shall be consistent with the nature and extent of the associated electrical hazards. How you know When an unqualified person is working on the ground in the vicinity of overhead lines, the person may not bring any conductive object closer to unguarded, energized overhead lines than the distances given in paragraph (c)(3)(i)(A) of this section. If a tag line is used, it must be of the nonconductive type. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Fatal Accident Circumstances and Epidemiology (FACE) Report No. A worker was electrocuted from accidental contact with an overhead power line. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Application. 550(a)(15)] At least one of the following additional measures must be in place. However, under any of the following conditions, the clearance may be reduced: If the vehicle is in transit with its structure lowered, the clearance may be reduced to 4 ft. (122 cm). A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the UnitedStates. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. The clearances specified in Table T of this section are maintained. Employers shall ensure that overhead power lines are de-energized or separated from the crane and its load by implementing one or more of the following [29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3); 29 CFR 1926.550(a)(15)]: De-energize and visibly ground electrical distribution and transmission lines at the point of work, Use insulated barriers that are not a part of the crane to prevent contact with the lines. Also, select safe locations with ample power line clearance for equipment and materials. Employees may not enter spaces containing exposed energized parts, unless illumination is provided that enables the employees to perform the work safely. There shall be a visual determination that all employees are clear of the circuits and equipment. The National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) database indicates that the average annual fatality rate for power line workers is 56.3 deaths per 100,000 employees. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Outreach Training Program (10- and 30-hour Cards), OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, Severe Storm and Flood Recovery Assistance. For an electrocution to occur, a path to ground must be created for the current. Before work on the tank began, the company safety director made sure that insulated line hoses were placed over sections of the power line near the jobsite and that a safe clearance zone was marked off for arriving cement trucks to use for loading their cement buckets. Specific work practice requirements are detailed in paragraph (c) of this section. Only a qualified person following the requirements of paragraph (c) of this section may defeat an electrical safety interlock, and then only temporarily while he or she is working on the equipment. (d) Any overhead conductor shall be considered to be energized unless and until the person owning or operating such line verifies that the line is not energized, and the line is visibly grounded at the work site. Overhead lines and live-line barehand work. - Occupational Safety and Examples of a visual aid include, but are not limited to: A line painted on the ground; a clearly visible line of stanchions; a set of clearly visible line-of-sight landmarks (such as a fence post behind the dedicated spotter and a building corner ahead of the dedicated spotter). Overhead power lines are subject to strict guidelines for minimum height clearances over streets, sidewalks, alleys, driveways, and other traffic areas. The laborer kicked the lineman in the chest and the lineman fell unconscious to the ground. The following table shows the safe power line clearance distance for various line voltages. OSHA [1990]. Contacting your local building inspections office is the best way to determine the rules for your community. These regulations require workers and employers to consider all overhead power lines to be energized until (1) the owner of the lines or the electric utility indicates that they are not energized, and (2) they have been visibly grounded [29 CFR 1910.333 (c)(3); 29 CFR 1926.550(a)(15)]. Control circuit devices, such as push buttons, selector switches, and interlocks, may not be used as the sole means for deenergizing circuits or equipment. The employer demonstrates that compliance with paragraph (d)(1) of this section is infeasible and meets the requirements of 1926.1410. 1926.1408 - Power line safety (up to 350 kV)--equipment operations. Qualified employees working in the vicinity of overhead lines, whether in an elevated position or on the ground, are not allowed to approach or take any conductive object without an approved insulating handle closer to exposed energized parts than allowed in the "Approach Boundaries to Energized Parts" table, unless: Robin McCall-Miller, Occupational Safety Program Manager, Phone: 540-231-2341 Note: The work practices used by qualified persons installing insulating devices on overhead power transmission or distribution lines are covered by 1910.269 of this part, not by 1910.332 through 1910.335 of this part. Stored electric energy which might endanger personnel shall be released. Figure 1. An official website of the State of Oregon Until November 8, 2013, the following procedure may be substituted for the requirement in (d)(4)(i) of this section: The employer must use a link/device manufactured on or before November 8, 2011, that meets the definition of an insulating link/device, except that it has not been approved by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, and that is maintained and used in accordance with manufacturer requirements and recommendations, and is installed at a point between the end of the load line (or below) and the load; and. boom trucks) or any of its attachments unless: The person uses protective equipment rated for the voltage, or. GPO Source: e-CFR 1926.1407 (a) On March 1, 1990, a 29-year-old worker was electrocuted when he pushed the crane cable on a 1-yard cement bucket into a 7,200-volt power line. All employers and workers should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Dump trucks and semi-truck trailers have similar problems when the dump beds are rising up to dump their loads. The dedicated spotter must: Be equipped with a visual aid to assist in identifying the minimum clearance distance. Johnathan C. Brewer II is a licensed general contractor specializing in kitchen, bath remodels, and general constructionwith two decades of professional experience. We greatly appreciate your assistance in protecting the health of U.S. workers. Even a low-voltage shock can kill a person; but overhead power lines are routinely operated at voltages exceeding 765,000 volts between conductors. Reenergizing equipment. 90-29. Note: Where lines are over pathways likely to be used by riders on horseback, the minimum clearance for overhead wires is 16 feet. The importance to the operator's safety of remaining inside the cab except where there is an imminent danger of fire, explosion, or other emergency that necessitates leaving the cab. Always call 811 before you dig to verify the location of underground utilities. Be aware of arcing (or an electrical or power surge) if you're standing close to downed power lines. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requests assistance in preventing electrocutions of crane operators and crew members working near overhead power lines. Costs to de-energize a power line: home: APC does not cover any of its lines for contractors. Also ensure that workers are trained (1) to understand the limitations of such devices as boom guards, insulated lines, ground rods, nonconductive links, and proximity warning devices, and (2) to recognize that these devices are not substitutes for de-energizing and grounding lines or maintaining safe clearance. Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants. Get daily tips and tricks for making your best home. If tag lines are used, they must be non-conductive. For voltages to ground 50kV or below - 10 ft. (305 cm); For voltages to ground over 50kV - 10 ft. (305 cm) plus 4 in. 90-39. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. In areas where obstacles prevent the barricade from being at least 10 feet away, the barricade must be as far from the equipment as feasible. Paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section does not apply to work covered by subpart V of this part. A qualified person shall use test equipment to test the circuit elements and electrical parts of equipment to which employees will be exposed and shall verify that the circuit elements and equipment parts are deenergized. Examples of a visual aid include, but are not limited to: A clearly visible line painted on the ground; a clearly visible line of stanchions; a set of clearly visible line-of-sight landmarks (such as a fence post behind the dedicated spotter and a building corner ahead of the dedicated spotter). Evaluate jobsites before beginning work to determine the safest areas for material storage, the best placement for machinery during operations, and the size and type of machinery to be used. Contacting an overhead power line could cost you your life. Operators should take time to look over the area before extending the boom and should stay at least 30 feet from allpower linesandpower poles. PDF Power Line Hazards Awareness - Amazon Web Services NIOSH recommends that employers take the following measures to protect workers and operators of cranes and other boomed vehicles from contacting energized overhead power lines. Be positioned to effectively gauge the clearance distance. Where discrepancies exist, the local rules always take precedence over the national codes. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute for Occupa- tional Safety and Health, Fatal Accident Circumstances and Epidemiology (FACE) Report No. Note 1: Examples of increased or additional hazards include interruption of life support equipment, deactivation of emergency alarm systems, shutdown of hazardous location ventilation equipment, or removal of illumination for an area. 93-108. Confined or enclosed work spaces. Power Line Safety - International Sign Association Overhead Power Lines Safety | Environmental Health and Safety eLCOSH : Protecting Construction Workers from Power Lines No part of the equipment, load line, or load (including rigging and lifting accessories) is allowed below a power line unless the employer has confirmed that the utility owner/operator has deenergized and (at the worksite) visibly grounded the power line, except where one of the exceptions in paragraph (d)(2) of this section applies. Blacksburg, VA 24061 The clearance between the uninsulated portion of the lift and the power line may be reduced to the distance specified for qualified persons. They were located 15 feet away from (and parallel to) the power line.