Remember, the power flowing through the ground could easily injure and kill you. The leakage current may not exceed 1 microampere per kilovolt of nominal phase-to-ground voltage. Under no circumstances, except for extreme cases such as fire, should the operator leave the equipment. Have the utility de-energize the power line. Find more information on this topic at www.osha.gov. Foreman electrocuted and lineman injured after truck-mounted crane boom contacts 7,200-volt overhead power line in Virginia. Paragraph 1910.333(c)(3) contains electrical safe work practices for overhead power lines. This test shall consist of placing the bucket in contact with an energized source equal to the voltage to be encountered for a minimum of 3 minutes. Code of Federal regulations. Consider any line to be live until proven otherwise. If a power line contact occurs, the linkage is designed to prevent electricity from passing to the load. The standard addresses the following issues: The Construction Safety Association of Ontario, Canada (CSA) recommends safe work practices in addition to those addressed in the OSHA and ANSI standards [CSA 1982]. The ENA also provide advice on what to do if machinery comes into contact with an overhead power line. The resulting injury depends on the type of crane involved. Workers lives and millions of dollars in damaged utilities are lost every year - in most cases because someone simply didn't call. Power lines are presumed to be energized unless the utility owner/operator confirms that the power line has been and continues to be deenergized and visibly grounded at the worksite. In some cases you may need to use a suitable combination of these measures, particularly where overhead lines pass over permanent work areas. Chapter 6: Planning Because of the resistance in our bodies, the path taken by the current heats up and bums the body tissue inside us. If the operator must leave the equipment, he/she must jump from the equipment and land with feet together. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Outreach Training Program (10- and 30-hour Cards), OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, Severe Storm and Flood Recovery Assistance. These case reports indicate that some crane operators, their employers and supervisors, and others who work around cranes may not be fully aware of the hazards of operating cranes near overhead power lines or may not implement the proper safety procedures for controlling these hazards. They are insulated linkages that connect the load line to the crane's lifting hook. The requirements of paragraph (b)(4) of this section do not apply to work covered by subpart V of this part. Identification of high-risk activities and equipment. Appendix B. The victim was a member of a crew that was constructing the back concrete wall of an underground water-holding tank at a sewage treatment plant. Before anyone climbs a pole, it must be checked to ensure that it is safe to climb. The choker was to be connected to a steel roof joist that was to be lifted 150 feet across the roof of a one-story school and set in place. If using high-reaching equipment, use an observer. The line clearance formula only computes the line clearance distance. We've all grown up around power lines and frequently do take them for granted. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. Key provisions include: Poles and towers must be structurally capable of withstanding the stresses that may be imposed when installing and removing equipment. NIOSH [1990a]. Under no circumstances should anyworker go near the injured employee. Touching a power line is not necessary for danger; voltages lower than 230 volts can kill and injure people; do not mistake overhead power lines on wooden poles for telephone wires; and. When a mobile crane is involved, the rigger or ground worker is most frequently injured. Electrical injuries are caused by electricity and heat. Equipment operations in which any part of the equipment, load line, or load (including rigging and lifting accessories) is closer than the minimum approach distance under Table A of 1926.1408 to an energized power line is prohibited, except where the employer demonstrates that all of the following requirements are met: Paragraph (c)(1) of this section does not apply to work covered by subpart V of this part; instead, for such work, the minimum approach distances established by the employer under 1926.960(c)(1)(i) apply. Both the nozzleman, and a fellow worker who attempted to assist him, received massive electrical shocks and burns. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Post this OSHA danger sign where hazards are imminent. These practical steps can prevent injuries from contact with power lines. This doesn't begin to address the psychological, social and financial burdens placed on the worker's family. An elevated warning line, or barricade (not attached to the crane), in view of the operator (either directly or through video equipment), equipped with flags or similar high-visibility markings, to prevent electrical contact. Ideally, this should be done several weeks before beginning your job. NIOSH urges all employers who use cranes in the vicinity of overhead power lines to familiarize themselves with and implement the existing OSHA standard. The ultimate responsibility for any damaged underground utility rests with the contractor performing the work. Develop and implement written safety programs to help workers recognize and control the hazards of crane contact with overhead power lines. Operation of pulling rig. If there are any overhead lines over the work area, near the site boundaries, or over access roads to the work area, consult the owners of the lines so that the proposed plan of work can be discussed. . Determine the root cause and make changes in your program to insure that the incident doesn't happen again. The safe working clearance distance is determined by adding a crane's furthest reach, including the extension of any load, to the line clearance distance. They were located 15 feet away from (and parallel to) the power line. Cranes used on construction work sites fall with two general categories, mobile cranes and boom trucks. Well driller electrocuted when pipe on crane cable contacts 12,000-volt overhead power line in Virginia. On a two-bucket-type lift, access to the controls shall be within easy reach of both buckets. 1926.1411 - Power line safetywhile traveling under or near power lines with no load. 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. The power lines are illuminated or another means of identifying the location of the lines is used. If work is to be performed near overhead lines, the line must be deenergized and grounded, or other protective measures must be implemented before work is started. WARNING! Workers should also be trained to recognize the hazards and use proper techniques when rescuing coworkers or recovering equipment in contact with electrical energy. Workers have been electrocuted when insulating sleeves have failed and the equipment they were working with became electrified. These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. Devices originally designed by the manufacturer for use as: A safety device (see 1926.1415), operational aid, or a means to prevent power line contact or electrocution, when used to comply with this section, must meet the manufacturer's procedures for use and conditions of use. The entire structure of the crane, however, is not protected and will remain energized. At levels between 11 and 16 rnA, the worker can't let go. Insulating gloves rated for the voltage involved are adequate insulation for the purposes of this paragraph. Electricity can actually cook your body's tissue from the inside out. OSHA Requirements addressing power line hazards are fairly straight forward. Consider some of the direct and indirect costs of such an occurrence: Survival in the competitive business of construction means a full appreciation for the economic toll of any accident, regardless of severity. Note: To use formula in standard, the exact line voltage must be obtained from power utility. This 4 page information sheet gives lots of practical guidance on how to avoid danger when working near overhead power lines. Training of management and workers must receive. The safest means of evacuating from equipment that may be energized. CSA guidelines list techniques that can be used when equipment contacts energized power lines [CSA 1982] (see Current Standards in this Alert). To make sure your equipment won't hit the power line, you must determine how close you can safely be to that line. Overhead power lines are subject to strict guidelines for minimum height clearances over streets, sidewalks, alleys, driveways, and other traffic areas. The company president attempted to render assistance and apparently contacted the truck, completing a path to ground through his body. The makeup of the team will consist of many more people than may actually be used in an emergency, but you will be prepared in case the unthinkable happens. He controlled the crane boom while standing on the ground using rubber-coated hand controls mounted on the back of the truck. Buried power lines, regardless of voltage, present a different kind of hazard to construction workers than over head power lines. Assignment of responsibility for certain activities (e.g. If you end up on the equipment side of the line or directly underneath it, you're far enough away. The victim and a coworker were repairing a submersible pump for a water well at a private residence. Mobile cranes isolate the operator from the ground. A common problem on construction sites is insufficient space for storage. Considering the kinds of variables that exist on most construction work sites - ever-changing site conditions, constant movement of materials and equipment, means for access, and human factors - the only reliable safeguard is distance. Additionally, if an open pole hole is left unattended, it must be covered or barricaded to avoid anyone tripping or falling. Ensure that workers are provided with a quick means of summoning assistance when an emergency occurs. Every year, scores of workers lose their lives because of electrocutions caused by overhead and underground power lines. Some manufacturers offer boom truck designs which place the operator on an elevated platform, isolated from the ground. More than half of these crane-related electrocutions occurred in the construction industry. 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. Current flowing through the ground is also why other workers in the area of the energized equipment must always stay away. The procedures developed to comply with paragraph (d) of this section are implemented. The Center for Construction Research and Training, Protecting Construction Workers from Power Lines, (length of the crane boom and all attachments), (half of the width of the concrete form work), (line clearance for power lines with unknown voltages). By eliminating the source of the electrocution hazard, the danger is eliminated. When an equipment operator moves near the power line, a warning line will be available to mark the line clearance distance. When an operator is isolated in the equipment cab and contacts a line, he/she should remain reasonably still on the equipment until the line is de-energized by the power company. Effective crisis management involves developing a response team, a crisis plan and identifying possible crisis scenarios. The crane operator should try to remove the crane from contact by moving it in the reverse direction from that which caused the contact. If the activity will cross into the buffer zone of a power line, can the activity be moved to a safer location? Fatality reports have documented the deaths of many workers who were not touching the energized equipment but simply standing nearby in areas of high and low potential. Paragraph (d)(4)(i) of this section does not apply to work covered by subpart V of this part. Remember, high-risk equipment and activities include: Power lines over adjacent right-of ways and access roads can also present a contact risk. When injuries from underground power lines occur, they're most frequently received by those operating powered hand tools or in contact with digging machinery. Only personnel essential to the operation are permitted to be in the area of the crane and load. 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. To protect against electrical shock injury in the event of contact between a crane and an energized line, the CSA recommends the following: The five cases presented here were investigated by the NIOSH FACE Program between March 1990 and March 1993. If you think you'll need a local utility to de-energize, move or shield any lines, contact the company well in advance. Don't rely on gloves or rubber boots to protect you. If you touch a power line, covered or bare, you could die. 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 procedures: Where it is difficult for the crane operator to maintain clearance by visual means, a person shall be designated to observe the clearance between the energized power lines and the crane and its load [29 CFR 1926.550(a)(15)(iv)]. Many other organisations provide information about electrical matters. After identifying the power lines and high-risk activities on your job site, you must determine how to eliminate or reduce the risk of electrocution. Where necessary, use equipment that enables the dedicated spotter to communicate directly with the operator. Your options for eliminating or reducing the hazard are: Your first choice is to eliminate or reduce the hazard. 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. All employers and workers should be trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Some resulted in three or more workers receiving electrical bums and other injuries, requiring hospitalization. Train workers to comply with current OSHA regulations. Power Line Safety Fact Sheet HS21-002A (01-21) Prevention & Protection Working with or near power lines can expose workers to electrical hazards. Any condition which can bring persons in contact with electricity is potentially dangerous. OSHA data showed that in 1998 and 1999, 277 workers died from contact with overhead power lines. It is also important that you investigate "near miss" events that don't result in injuries or fatalities. Factors frequently associated with incidents when operating mobile cranes near overhead power lines are: Movement of loads to and from storage areas located under a power line Highway construction and maintenance, including placing and removing concrete traffic barriers or guard rails on highways with adjacent and crossing power lines If you're using a crane or other high-reaching equipment, you may be able to use an observer and have insulating sleeves installed by the utility company. ANSI [1994]. Operators remotely operating the equipment from the ground must use either wireless controls that isolate the operator from the equipment or insulating mats that insulate the operator from the ground. Overhead Lines Unique fall and electric shock hazards can occur during the installation and removal of lines and during tower and structure work. If he/she touches the equipment and the ground at the same time, an electrocution injury can result. Approximately two percent involved buried cables. Overhead line work requirements are contained in 1910.269(q). Find more info. Cranes - [crawler cranes, rubber-tired hydraulic cranes, truck-mounted cranes]. Crane Safety You can review and change the way we collect information below. In this chapter, you learned about emergency planning. Additional high risk equipment and operations in which accidental power line contacts have frequently occurred include: OSHA's investigations identified four trade contractors which employ the largest segment of at-risk workers: Over 90 percent of the power line contacts reported to OSHA involved overhead "distribution" lines, the same lines that run through most of our neighborhoods and, very frequently, on our job sites. Their locations aren't as easily identified. The driver stopped the truck under the power line and the crane operator (not realizing that the truck had been moved) swung the boom to position the bucket behind the truck. Controls can take many forms. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has published a standard for mobile and locomotive cranes that includes operation near overhead power lines [ANSI 1994]. The actual number of workers who died from crane contact with energized power lines is higher than reported by NTOF because methods for collecting and reporting these data tend to underestimate the total number of deaths [NIOSH 1993a]. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. The leaflet called Safe working near overhead power lines in agriculture and the Electricity Networks Association (ENA) publications Safety Information for Farmers and Agricultural Contractors and Watch It! It's important that the observer be aware of any additional or unused attachments to the crane boom. An insulating link/device, as defined in 1926.1401, installed at a point between the end of the load line (or below) and the load. ", "What can be done to control conditions prevent contact with the line?". Examples of unsafe pulling rig operations include employees working under overhead pulling operations, and working when conductors or pulling lines hang p or the conductor grip slips. Insulating line hose or cover-up must be installed by the utility owner/operator except where such devices are unavailable for the line voltages involved. When a contact occurs, the crane almost always hits the overhead line with its boom or load line. OSHA's minimum line clearance determines only the closest distance that any equipment or material can get to an overhead power line. If they walk up to the equipment, they may be electrocuted. The employee shall be connected to the bucket liner or other conductive device by the use of conductive shoes, leg clips, or other means. Where there is a requirement to pass beneath the lines, defined passageways should be made. Raising and lowering the equipment and adjusting positions while portions of the equipment were aloft accounted for the majority of the injuries in this category. 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. One way to comply with the standard is to individually ground and bond conductors and equipment together to maintain an equipotential zone in the work area. Considering any overhead wire to be energized unless and until the person owning the line or the utility authorities verify that the line is not energized, De-energizing power lines before work begins, erecting insulated barriers to prevent physical contact with the energized lines, or maintaining safe clearance between the energized lines and boomed equipment, Limitations of cage-type boom guards, insulating links, and proximity warning devices, Notifying line owners before work is performed near power lines, Posting warnings on cranes cautioning the operators to maintain safe clearance between energized power lines and their equipment. One common method is to "sound" the pole by striking it with a heavy hammer to check it for insect damage or decay. Overhead lines and live-line barehand work. 85-111. There is also a priced interactive CD produced by HSE that provides a lot of general advice regarding electrical matters. Research has shown that it is difficult to judge accurately the distance to an overhead object such as a power line [Middendorf 1978]. If you cannot avoid power lines, please call 1-800-375-4375 to coordinate transport and . Let's examine the best response to two common emergency situations involving power lines. Be positioned to effectively gauge the clearance distance. Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The scars from such injuries won't go away, but with careful planning and prevention, many future tragedies can. 25 Communications. Demarcating boundaries (such as with flags, or a device such as a range limit device or range control warning device) and prohibiting the operator from operating the equipment past those boundaries, or. Reality: Electricity can arc over to an object. He died on the scene. One common thread in most power line cases is clear however: workers, and all too often their supervisors, have an insufficient understanding of the hazards posed by overhead power lines. Using warning lines with flags is a way to visibly show were a power line's buffer zone is located. The operator must then shuffle his/her feet in very small steps away from the energized equipment. Be positioned to effectively gauge the clearance distance. The electrical current passed across the victims chest and through the steel rod to ground, causing his electrocution [NIOSH 1991]. The power line owner/operator or registered professional engineer who is a qualified person with respect to electrical power transmission and distribution determines the minimum clearance distance that must be maintained to prevent electrical contact in light of the on-site conditions. - Electricity in potentially explosive atmospheres FAQs, - Ignition of potentially explosive atmospheres, Work using electrically powered equipment, Work on electrical equipment, machinery or installations, Electricity in potentially explosive atmospheres, Electricity in potentially explosive atmospheres FAQs, Ignition of potentially explosive atmospheres, other organisations provide information about electrical matters, Electricity at work: Safe working practices. Working Safely Near Overhead Power Lines Working with or near power lines can expose workers to electrical hazards, but these dangers can be avoided through safe work practices. How do you do this? The plan should be treated like any job safety analysis and cover: Before beginning any project, you must first survey your work area to find power lines at the job site. When using a boom-cage guard, the operator cannot work closer to the power line than the line clearance distance. Lifting a load with a forklift into an overhead power line, or driving into an overhead line with an elevated load; Raising, swinging, or driving an elevated boom-lift, bucket-lift, or scissor-lift into an overhead line located nearby; Swinging or raising a load suspended from a crane into an overhead line; Power Line Dangers High-voltage transmission lines are necessary for delivering electricity over long distances - from generating plants to distribution substations.
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