 Hearing that flag was one of the proudest moments of my life. It's a miracle that it happened. When I was a 20 year old plumber's apprentice, the jackhammer I was using struck a buried 30,000 volt power line. They say my heart stopped three times and I nearly lost my legs. I'm lucky to be here talking to you. What's the point of the story? The point is not about me, it's about you. Construction accidents involving power lines are devastating to workers, to their families, and to their employers. Only you can prevent them by learning all you can about how to work safe. Then by using those safe work practices every day on the job and by looking out for your fellow workers whenever there's a risk of power line contact. The video training program you're about to watch is a good place to start learning or to confirm your knowledge. Give it your best. What you learn may save a buddy's life someday or your own. Innocent enough, but there's enough energy in those power lines to melt steel. If you brush up against a power line, are carrying a ladder or working with a piece of equipment that touches a power line, your life can end in a flash. If you survive the contact, your life will change forever. This video is about keeping you and your coworkers alive when working near power lines. So much in life wouldn't be possible if it weren't for electricity. Alarm clocks, coffee pots, TVs, power tools. In fact, it's hard to imagine life without electricity. But it can be as dangerous as it is useful. When electricity is underestimated or ignored, it can kill. Electrocutions are a leading cause of death in the construction industry. And among electrocutions, power line contacts are the number one killer. Over 90% of these power line contacts involve overhead lines. That day my buddy Joe and I were unloading rebar. A crane was swinging up onto the deck. The last load came in and Joe was the first one to touch it. And it was just this bright flash and smoke. They say, I know Joe's on the ground and there's nothing I could do. Over the years, we've come to believe that power lines don't carry enough power to kill. Or that they are well insulated. Both of these beliefs are dead wrong. I never paid much attention to power lines. They're just as much a part of the job as my tools. Overhead lines carry voltages ranging from 120 to over 700,000 volts. For a shock to occur, the current needs a path to ground. And unfortunately, the human body can be a conductor of electricity. If voltages are high enough, anything can conduct electricity, even air. It's also important to remember that any covering you see on a power line is there for weather protection, not insulation. So if you touch the line or come too close, you could die. You know, I always thought that black stuff on the power lines was insulation. I thought they were safe. Statistics tell us that the equipment that most often touches overhead power lines are cranes. Cranes almost always hit the lines with their booms or load lines. But the results depend on what type of crane it is. In boom truck contacts, the operator who is usually in contact with the ground is generally the victim. With a mobile crane, the rigger or other ground worker will most likely be seriously injured or killed. The reason for the difference? Equipment design. For many boom trucks, the operator is in direct contact with the ground and the vehicle through the control tether. Because of this, some manufacturers now offer boom truck designs which electrically isolate the operator. For example, some boom trucks can only be operated from an elevated platform attached to the truck chassis. And others have fiber optic control tethers, which reduces the chance of electricity passing through the tether to the operator. Some manufacturers even make available radio control units which further isolate the operator. But as we will see later, current can flow through the ground affecting the operator or workers standing nearby. So even with these protective designs, the risk of a shock is still present. In a mobile crane, the operator is separated from the ground by the equipment. The rigger, however, can be in direct contact with the load and the ground. If the crane hits a power line, the current will flow through the rigger. But cranes aren't the only way to contact a line. Other high-reaching equipment such as drilling rigs, aerial buckets, back hose and concrete pumpers can be just as risky. OSHA requires that you stay at least 10 feet away from any overhead lines. If the line is greater than 50 kilovolts, then the distance, also known as the clearance distance, increases depending on what the voltage is. A good rule of thumb is this. Keep all parts of high-reaching equipment, including cranes, at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines that are 50 kilovolts or less, and 35 feet away from all others. Many of the power lines we have running in and around our neighborhoods and job sites are distribution lines of 50 kilovolts or less. The majority of the time, these are the lines that get hit, and these are the lines that you must stay at least 10 feet away from. If you're unsure whether the lines running through your job site are 50 kilovolts or less, ask your supervisor. It's also important to know that as power usage increases, the power lines can heat up, causing them to sag from expansion, so make sure you remain aware of the line location throughout the entire day. So, what can you do to avoid contacting overhead power lines? First, know where the overhead lines are on your job site. Then your supervisor can ask the utility to de-energize and visibly ground the lines. If this is done, employees can work closer than 10 feet to the lines. That's because by taking away the source of the electrocution, you're eliminating the hazard. It's important to know that even if you see a grounding cable, you always want to make sure that your supervisor has contacted the power company. The power company must meet with the contractor to verify that the lines are dead and to communicate any restrictions. Only in this way will your supervisor know that the lines you'll be working near are not energized. Another option that your supervisor might use is to have the utility move the lines. Or barrier protection could be installed by the utility company. The barrier will be made of a non-conductive material that is not attached to the high-reaching equipment. The most common type of barrier is the insulated sleeve. But even with sleeves, you can't work closer than the clearance distance to the power line. And remember, only trained utility personnel can install them. Another type of barrier protection are goal or rider posts used in traffic areas. They remind you of the overhead lines and physically require you to lower your equipment before passing under the lines. You might also use warning lines with flags. They can be used to mark the clearance distance from the power line. Another option is using an observer who will keep an eye on the distance between the line and the equipment. The operator can have a hard time maintaining the proper clearance distance from power lines. The observer gives the operator a better perspective on both vertical and horizontal line clearance distances. If the equipment comes too close to the line, the observer will warn the operator. OSHA requires an observer if the operators can't visually maintain the proper clearance distance. To offer greater protection, this option should be used with a warning line with flags or insulated sleeves. Also, it's important that the observer have a clear view of the overhead power lines and no other distracting responsibilities. The observer's view should be directly below the lines and to one side of the high-reaching equipment for the horizontal clearance distance. For vertical clearance, the observer should stand wherever there is a clear view of the lowest power line and the highest part of the high-reaching equipment. Some other options that can be used are protective technologies. These include insulated links and proximity devices. Insulated links are placed between the crane hook and the load and are designed to prevent electricity from passing to the load. But don't think that this assures safety. To work effectively, they must be properly maintained and frequently inspected. And proximity devices are designed to warn the operator when any part of the boom is too close to a line. Such devices are very useful. However, certain conditions can affect their accuracy, so know the limitations of the equipment. Don't forget that these protective technologies don't allow you to work any closer than the clearance distance. So, it's important to remember that if your supervisor can't de-energize the lines, then you must keep all parts of the crane or other equipment at least 10 feet away from power lines less than 50 kilovolts and 35 feet away from all other lines. Remember, if you aren't sure about the line you're working around, ask your supervisor. Even though high-reaching equipment is responsible for about half of power line fatalities, other equipment and activities can be just as deadly. Material handling is a pretty common activity on job sites. Only problem is, as the supplies or equipment go from point A to point B, not much thought is given to how it's done. It just has to be done. Too often, workers are injured or killed when they strike the power lines with a conductive material. In fact, material handling is the second largest cause of power line contacts. When storing materials on site, never use the area below a power line. Materials stored under power lines is an invitation for disaster. Some contractors barricade these areas off to prevent equipment and material from using this danger zone for storage. Another leading cause of contacts are ladders. The majority of these involve metal extension ladders. These contacts usually occur during extending, lowering, or moving the ladders. So when handling materials or using ladders, what can you do to avoid contacting overhead power lines? Just as we mentioned before, you can work with your supervisor to always know where the lines are, have the utility de-energize or move the lines. And if that's not possible, have the utility installed barrier protection or use non-conductive materials and tools. When working around power lines, you must use a wood or fiberglass ladder. You should also ask for help when handling the ladder. Work as little as possible around the line and don't carry the ladder while it's extended. The majority of power line fatalities involve overhead lines. However, underground contacts can also result in injury or death. When excavation work needs to be done, your supervisor should call the local one-call system before digging. In many areas, this call must be made at least two working days before the job begins. The one-call service will mark underground power lines. All workers should be trained to recognize these markings and the meanings of colors used. It's important to know that many utilities bury underground cables side by side. Never assume that if only one cable is marked by the utility, that only one cable is present. Therefore, you must always carefully hand dig in the areas near an underground cable. In work areas where the exact location of underground electric power lines is unknown, employees using jackhammers, bars or other hand tools which may contact a line must be provided with insulated protective gloves. In addition to using the one-call systems, some contractors use line locators. They cost a lot less than a repair to an underground line. Unfortunately, even with the best planning, a power line hit can still happen. And if it did, would you know what to do? If a mobile crane, dump truck or backhoe touches a line, the rigger or other workers standing near the equipment are usually injured or killed. Because of the equipment design, the operator that stays on the equipment is rarely affected. So, if you contact a line and are isolated on the equipment, stay on it until the line is de-energized by the utility. If you have to leave the equipment because of a fire, jump from the equipment, making sure you don't touch the equipment and the ground at the same time, then shuffle your feet close together with very small steps. Why? Because after an equipment contact, the current flows outward through the soil in a ripple pattern known as a power gradient. These are areas of high and low potential that circle the energized equipment like ripples in a pond after a stone hits the surface. So, if you just walk away, as you step from a stronger to a weaker power level, the current could flow through your legs. If you shuffle your feet, keeping them very close together, you won't bridge the areas of high and low potential. For the same reason, you must stay away if you witness an equipment contact or see a fellow worker directly touching a line. If you didn't and walked up to the equipment or worker, you would get shocked and probably die. The only thing you can do is to get help and wait until the utility company arrives and shuts down the power source. But before the work even begins, there are some things that your company can do to help reduce or eliminate contact risks. With blueprints in hand, your employer can check out the site and find all of the overhead and underground power lines. Activities or equipment near these lines that could put you at risk should be identified. Equipment and material storage areas must never be under power lines. Then, your job site can be made safer for you to work at. Your employer could have the power company de-energize or move the lines. Other options include moving the work activity or using shorter equipment and materials. And if the danger can't be eliminated, something must be done to reduce it, such as using an observer for crane lifts or requiring workers to use non-conductive ladders for elevated work. But always remember, this will not reduce the minimum clearance required from the power line. Electricity, properly contained and controlled, is the lifeblood of our world. But we must not forget that it can kill. So always be aware. Know where you, your equipment and the power lines are. And never forget the devastation a power line can cause. I just wish someone had told us that power lines are really dangerous and unloading the truck could kill somebody. If somebody had told us this, Joe might still be here today. Thanks for watching. What you have just learned may one day save your life. Never forget the work safe practices you've seen. Never allow yourself or others to take shortcuts when working around power lines. Watch out for your buddies. Watch out for yourself.