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To help promote Health & Safety in the workplace, we will be raising awareness and delivering safety information about potential hazards for each of the remaining 8 months of the year. These topics will be sourced from the Health and Safety authorities construction toolbox talks, with ‘Overhead Electricity Lines’ April's topic.

Working with electricity can be dangerous. Engineers, electricians, and other workers deal with electricity directly, including working on overhead lines, electrical installation and circuit assemblies. Others, such as office workers, farmers, and construction workers work with electricity indirectly and may also be exposed to electrical hazards.

Here are a number of observations you should be mindful of when dealing with overhead electricity lines:

  • Overhead electricity lines must be identified, and the voltage and safe working distances determined, before work starts
  • Where possible, they must be diverted or the power switched out before work start
  • Work beneath or close to overhead electricity lines must only be undertaken when a safe system of work has been agreed with the ESB
  • Exclusion zones must be set up, using barriers bunting and warning signs, and maintained along the route of the overhead electricity lines
  • Suitable goalposts, barriers, bunting and signs must be in place and should be inspected weekly and records kept Materials, plant and equipment must not be stored beneath or ear the overhead electricity lines
  • Crossing points for plant and machinery to cross beneath the overhead electricity lines must be set up and maintained
  • Controls must be in place to ensure delivery drivers entering site are aware of the overhead electricity lines before offloading materials

For more information visit www.hsa.ie or www.BeSMART.ie

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