Accidents with injuries or death during non-electrical work activities near overhead power lines

The contact or the approach to overhead power lines of medium or high voltage can cause accidents with serious injuries or death. Usually the workers involved in such accidents are those who use vehicles or tools with parts that may approach the power lines. The place where the accident occurs is very often a building construction site. Laws and regulations allow the identification of appropriate safety distances and procedures that one has to follow in the event that a non-electrical work activity should be carried out in the surroundings of a power line. The safe distance must be not less than the limits set out in the applicable regulations unless one adopts organizational and procedural requirements, assuring the protection of workers from the resultant risk. Admissible exceptions are those resulting from the application of good practice standards. To prevent the occurrence of future accidents the following things are essentials: the strict application of correct working procedures, information and training of workers, respect of timing, carefully performed operations and no distraction.