Toolbox talk · Electrical · about 5 minutes
Overhead power lines
Download the PDF with attendance sheet
Why it matters
Electricity can jump from overhead lines to plant, scaffold tubes or ladders that come close. You don't have to touch the line to be killed.
The hazards
- Cranes, tippers and excavators near lines
- Carrying long items such as ladders and scaffold tubes
- Not noticing lines
- Assuming lines are dead
Stay safe
- Find out where overhead lines are before work starts
- Treat all lines as live
- Keep plant and materials well away and use barriers and goalposts where needed
- Use a banksman when plant works near lines
- Carry long items horizontally and low
- If plant touches a line, stay in the cab if safe to do so and keep others away
- Contact the network operator for advice
Ask the team
- Where are the overhead lines on this site?
- What would you do if a machine touched a line?
- How should you carry a ladder near lines?
The law and guidance
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. HSE GS6, Avoiding danger from overhead power lines.
General guidance to help you give a toolbox talk. It doesn't replace your site's risk assessments, method statements, permits or training. Check it against your own site rules before you give it.