Look Up,
Look Out
BY LAUREN HEARTSILL DOWDLE
Keep a safe distance from overhead power lines.
THE ACCIDENT: Less than a week after celebrating his 10th anniversary with the
landscaping company, a 26-year-old foreman
is working in an aerial bucket to cut down tree
branches. While trimming, his saw hits a power
line, and he is engulfed in flames. The two men
at the bottom of the bucket call for help, and
first responders arrive soon after the incident.
Firefighters are afraid the bucket is electrified,
so one of the other workers uses a truck to push
the bucket away from the wire. The severely
burned foreman is removed from the bucket and
flown to the hospital where he later dies from
his injuries.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Before starting a project involving overhead power lines, call the utility company and find out what voltage is on the
lines and if they can be cut off while the crew is
working there. If the power lines can't be shut
down or have insulation applied to them, keep a
10-foot minimum distance from them.
Here are more safe practices for working near
overhead power lines.
Only use nonconductive ladders such as nonconductive wooden or fiberglass ladders.
Conduct safety meetings about the use of
ILLUSTRATION BY DON LOMAX
long-handled tools and equipment that could
come in contact with the lines.
Don't carry any conductive object closer than
10 feet to an energized line.
Don't operate equipment around lines if you
are not authorized or trained to do so.
Never touch someone who is in contact with a
live power line.
Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such
as rubber-insulated gloves, hoods, sleeves or
matting.
Have a worker at the bottom of the bucket to
keep track of how close the equipment and
other workers are to the line.
presented by:
www.toro.com
m.toro.com/LCE
N O V E M B E R 2013
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