Construction Power Line Safety Issues

More than 50 construction workers die each year as a result of electrocution by power lines, according to the Tools of the Trade website. Working near power lines requires a great deal of awareness and safety precautions. There are many ways to help protect yourself and co-workers from power line dangers so everyone gets to go home at the end of the day uninjured.

Digging

• When you think of power line dangers, you probably think about contact with overhead lines. While those pose the greatest danger to some construction workers, there are underground lines that are just as dangerous to those who dig as part of their jobs.

  Most states have a hotline in place for crews who plan to dig on a site. A call notifies the utility companies and they can mark the area where the lines are buried so trenchers, backhoes and other equipment do not cut into the power lines. This system is set up to avoid injury and prevent power outages. Construction crews can typically have the line locations identified in 48 hours or less in most places.

Care With Equipment

• The most common factor in power line electrocutions is the involvement of tools or equipment on construction sites. Dump trucks that back under lines and then raise their buckets into power lines become a conductor of deadly electrical current. Cranes, boom trucks and other tall equipment are also frequently involved in these types of accidents. It is a good idea to avoid using these pieces of equipment around live power lines. By planning ahead, you may be able to have the power to the lines shut off in advance if working around the lines is unavoidable.

  Ladders are another common tool involved in electrocution deaths in the construction industry. One out of every three job-related electrocutions involves a ladder contacting a power source, according to the Electrical Safety Authority website.

Changing Grade

• Sometimes power lines become a safety issue simply because workers do not realize how close they are to the lines. This can easily happen on work sites where the grade is being changed for building purposes. On one day, a worker could be 15 to 20 feet clear of power lines in an area, but if a dozer has built up the grade of the land, the power line clearance may be significantly less without the worker thinking about it in time. Simply carrying a ladder through the area or driving a piece of equipment through could cause an incident.