Overhead Power Lines Toolbox Talk
Overhead power lines kill people on building sites every year, usually through a crane, excavator, tipper, ladder or long length of pipe. You do not have to touch a line: electricity can jump the gap if you get too close. Today we cover the distances to keep and what to do if plant hits a line.
Takes about 5 minutes.
Key points to read out
- Identify every overhead line before work starts and mark them on the site plan. Assume they are live.
- Follow HSE guidance GS6: contact the network operator, and set up barriers and goalposts so plant cannot get near the line.
- Use a dedicated spotter whenever plant works near overhead lines. The spotter does nothing else.
- Watch for tipper bodies, excavator booms, concrete pumps, cranes, scaffold tubes, ladders and long materials.
- Ask the network operator to isolate, insulate or move the line if work has to be done close by.
- If plant contacts a line: stay in the cab, warn everyone to stay well back, and get the power cut.
- Only leave the cab if there is fire. Jump clear without touching the machine, land feet together, and shuffle or hop away.
- Never go near a fallen line or anyone in contact with one. Ground nearby can be live.
Questions to ask the crew
- Where are the overhead lines on or near this site?
- Which of our jobs today bring plant or long materials near them?
- What would you do if the excavator touched a line while you were in the cab?
- Who is our spotter when plant works near the lines?
Reference: HSE guidance GS6, Avoiding danger from overhead power lines
Sign-in sheet
Print this page or download the sign-in sheet. Or run it in the app and the crew signs on the phone.
| Name | Company | Signature |
|---|---|---|
Get it signed
Run this talk in the app. The crew signs on your phone and you get a dated attendance record as a PDF.