Improving safety around overhead powerlines - Look Up and Live
Working near overhead powerlines is a high-risk task, often underestimated in its danger. Despite their omnipresence, powerlines carry a lethal charge that can turn a regular workday into a life-threatening situation. Tragically, many workers fail to appreciate just how deadly they can be—even without direct contact.
Overhead powerlines carry voltages that can reach as high as 330,000 volts, and while workers may assume that these lines need to be touched to be dangerous, the reality is far more complex. Electricity can jump, or "arc," across gaps, meaning proximity alone can result in electrocution. Whether from direct or indirect contact, arcing, or even induction, these hazards can lead to severe electrical shock, burns, or even death.
The statistics are sobering. According to Before You Dig Australia (BYDA), over the past two decades, more than 135 lives have been lost due to contact with overhead powerlines. Countless others have sustained life-altering injuries. These incidents underscore the need for vigilance and safe systems when working around electrical infrastructure.
Key safety measures: Simple steps can save lives
It’s crucial that workers develop a safe system of work before any job begins. This means identifying both overhead and underground powerlines by consulting relevant maps or communicating with property owners and electrical entities. A thorough site-specific risk assessment should consider all potential hazards, from the type of equipment used to weather conditions and proximity to powerlines.
If you are working near overhead powerlines, always implement appropriate risk controls. Ideally, you should contact the asset owner to see if there is the option to de-energise or relocate the lines or install powerline visual indicators e.g. rota markers. When this is not possible:
- Develop a safe system of work before you start
- Keep your workers and contractors informed about electrical safety
- Avoid going into exclusion zones
Respect the power: messages for homeowners
While the risks associated with powerlines are especially critical for workers, the community at large is also vulnerable. Everyday tasks like gardening or exterior home maintenance can bring homeowners dangerously close to service lines. These lines, which connect homes to the electrical grid, may appear insulated, but aging insulation can become brittle, creating an invisible hazard.
It is crucial for everyone to stay aware of powerlines and service lines, especially when using long-handled tools, cleaning gutters, or working at height. Checking for powerlines should become a routine habit before starting any outdoor work.
Enhancing safety with technology: Download the Look Up and Live App
The complexities of working near powerlines have prompted innovations designed to save lives. One such tool is the Look Up and Live map, originally developed by Ergon Energy Network and Energex, and now offered through Before You Dig Australia’s services.
This free, user-friendly tool gives real-time access to identify overhead powerlines, their voltages and who owns them using an interactive geospatial map. With most of Australia’s above ground electricity network now active on the map, the tool combines several important safety features in one handy location, including:
- Safety guidelines and advice, including powerline exclusion zones
- Options for planning or performing work e.g. powerline visual indicators
- Information on de-energisation or relocation of powerlines
- High load forms
- Before You Dig Australia enquiry details
Further information
For more information on overhead powerline safety and to explore the benefits of the Look Up and Live app, visit Before You Dig Australia at byda.com.au/look-up-and-live/
Other resources:
- Watch the overhead powerlines and underground cables film
- Incident alert - Three incidents involving electric shock when plant contacted or came within striking distance of overhead powerlines
- Download industry specific guidance for working near powerlines
- Check out electrical safety outside the home tips