Find out how to keep everyone safe when working around powerlines.

Working around powerlines always presents hazards, but it’s especially dangerous for dump truck drivers. Your truck passes under the lines just fine, so it’s not on your radar; but when the bed is raised, it could easily touch the line and be the exact opposite of fine! In our three decades in the construction industry, we’ve worked on plenty of jobs around powerlines. Since the safety of our employees is our first priority on every jobsite, staying observant when working around powerlines is a must. We’re happy to share tried-and-true tips that have kept our employees safe over the years.

Safety Around Powerlines

Extra caution should be taken with any equipment around powerlines, but especially equipment like dump trucks that will repeatedly be near and under powerlines. If a dump truck comes into contact with powerlines—or even if gets too close—it can energize the truck with thousands of volts of electricity; this can be deadly for the driver or anyone who gets too near the electrified truck.

To avoid danger, follow these safety tips:

  1. Request the line be de-energized. The best option is to request that the power company cut power to the line. However, this is not always a possibility, and you don’t want to think that a line is dead, and it really isn’t.
  2. Request that the line be insulated by the power company. An uninsulated line is much more dangerous than an insulated line. However, it might not always be possible to have the line insulated.
  3. Dump Truck drivers should know the exact maximum height of their trucks when the truck-bed is fully raised. This information is necessary to calculate the clearance needed when working around powerlines.
  4. Use a fulltime spotter when working anywhere near an overhead obstacle, especially a power line. OSHA requires the use of a spotter if any part of the equipment will come within 20 feet of a powerline. The equipment driver/operator must be in constant contact with the spotter. In this way, the spotter acts as a guard to ensure the dump truck does not come into contact with, or even get close to, overhead powerlines.
  5. Use a smaller or shorter machine if possible when working under or near the power line. The more distance you can put between your equipment and powerlines, the better.
  6. Dump truck drivers should look around for at least a count of five before raising the bed. They should check for overhead powerlines and any other obstacle and wait for the “all is clear” before raising their beds.

Tucker Paving has been serving Central Florida since 1994 in the asphalt and concrete paving industry, and we take safety seriously. We have completed projects for residential, commercial, and municipal clients. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or use our contact form online. How can we help you with your next concrete or asphalt paving project?