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Contractor Safety

Hard Work done safely

Finishing projects on time and on budget is important to you, and so is finishing them safely. These tips will help reduce accidents and make your projects more successful:

If you have any questions about working around power facilities or you need a line de-energized, contact us at 1.877.373.4858 and we can help.

Staying safe on the job means knowing what's above you and what's below, and we want to protect your crews and the public from any electrical hazards. Our Contractor Safety site provides valuable information and tutorials on working safely around overhead power lines, what to know when digging near underground utilities, and even best practices for drone operation. Also, our training resources, case studies, and videos are all designed to keep your projects incident free while working around these potential electrical hazards.

Safety Tips

As contractors, you work with specialized tools and vehicles that could expose you to more risk of electrocution. We want you to be safe so here are a few tips that’ll help you get the job done safely.

  • Keep yourself, your ladder, tools and materials at least ten feet away from power lines.
  • Use a clean, dry wood or fiberglass ladder around electric lines.
  • Never use a metal ladder near power lines.
  • Never assume lines have been de-energized.
  • Be aware of where the power lines are on a work site.
  • Maintain a safe distance when the bed of a dump truck is raised.
  • Have a spotter if you’re raising your truck bed around power lines.
  • Put the bed down before you move.
  • Know the minimum distance the crane can operate safely near a power line.
  • Keep all parts of the crane and load outside of this area unless the line has been de-energized and grounded by the power company.
  • Prevent the crane's boom from weaving or bobbing near or into power lines.
  • Designate a worker to be responsible for signaling the crane operator when any part of the crane or its load approaches the safe distance limit.
  • Do not rely on proximity warning devices, hook insulators, insulating boom guards or cages, swing limit stops, ground rods, or other similar devices.
  • Don't allow anyone to touch a crane operating near a power line. The crane and worker could become part of the path to ground.
  • Avoid using tag lines except when it is possible for the load to spin into the power line. If you need a tag line, use dry polypropylene, which is less conductive than most other types of rope.
  • Slow down the operating cycle by reducing the hoisting, booming, swinging, and traveling speed.
  • Remember that clearance distances increase as the line span (distance between poles or towers) increases; longer spans have greater sway in the wind or when contacted.
  • Prevent others from coming in contact with the vehicle. They can become part of the path to the ground.
  • Jump clear of the vehicle.
  • Never jump while touching the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
  • Jump with your feet together landing on both feet.
  • Shuffle away from the vehicle keeping your feet touching.
  • Don't try to help if they are still in contact with electricity.
  • Seek professional help immediately.

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