www.arborage.com Arbor Age / May 2014 19
Dirt conducts too
The soil itself, or dirt, will also conduct "electric" if exposed
to it; and this is described as a ground fault, when the ground
itself becomes energized. This may occur from a downed line,
or even when electricity travels through a non-insulated lift
and goes through the outriggers. Whatever caused the ground
fault, it is not a good situation. The crew member who was
leaning against the truck will not even realize that a ground
fault has occurred as they will already be trying to fi gure out
what hit them. The area of soil with electricity will vary with
moisture, voltage and soil structure, but it will certainly be en-
ergized. A crew member stepping from an area of low voltage
to an area of high voltage has presented an excellent pathway
for the "juice." Often called step potential, this occurrence can
be minimized by taking very small steps, almost shuffl ing, or
hopping with both feet together away from the source. This
will decrease the likelihood of being in areas of widely dif-
ferent voltages at the same time. This technique can also be
used by operators or drivers of equipment that has become
energized to fl ee the vehicle, though most training states it
should be used as a last resort. Although not technically a case
of ground fault, tree care companies must be very aware of
the possibility of underground utility lines, particularly when
carrying out common tree care tasks such as stump grinding,
planting, or even root excavation. An underground line will
light a crew up just like an overhead line; and "dial before you
dig" is an excellent idea prior to any soil-based tree activities.
Electricity, in some shape and form, is part and parcel of
almost every tree care work site; and the fi rst step to mitigating
its hazards is recognizing the presence of utility lines. The next
step is understanding the simple rules and standards govern-
ing working around electricity. Although having some line
clearance arborists on staff may seem an unnecessary expense,
the possible life-saving knowledge and skills make it money
well spent. If that option is not possible, then at the least all
members of the crew should have regular training in electrical
hazard awareness and recognition, because while "electric just
don't care," tree folk have to.
Michael "House" Tain is a contract climber, splicer, educator
and writer associated with North American Training Solutions
www.northamericantrainingsolutions.com and Arbor Canada
Training and Education www.arborcanada.com. He is cur-
rently located in Lancaster, Ky., and can be reached via e-mail at
house@houseoftain.com.
Photos by Courtney Keely, Savatree
The entry and exit holes made by "electric" after a pole inadvertently touched an energized line, luckily the user was not injured.
