Working Near Overhead Power Lines Safe Work Procedure

For builders, civil and earthmoving crews, crane, tipper, concrete pump and EWP operators, tree workers, roofers, scaffolders, farms and any business working near overhead power lines. It gives your crew a clear procedure with the exclusion zone distances for uninsulated lines already in it.

What Is Included In Our Working Near Overhead Power Lines Safe Work Procedure?

• Exclusion zone distance tables for uninsulated overhead lines, for untrained and authorised persons
• Who is an authorised, instructed or untrained person, and what a safety observer does
• Finding the lines and recording the voltage before work starts
• Eliminating the risk first, then risk assessment and controls
• Plant, cranes, tippers, EWPs, ladders and long materials near lines
• Safety observer duties, communication and authority to stop
• Good practice if a vehicle or machine contacts a line
• Notifying a serious electrical incident or dangerous electrical event and preserving the site
• A line survey record to fill in for each job
• Training, records and references

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Electrical Safety Regulation 2026 (Qld): s 10 (exclusion zone), s 11 (unsafe distance), s 12 (risk management), s 13 (overhead electric lines), ss 14 and 15 (underground lines), s 292 (notifying a serious electrical incident or dangerous electrical event), s 296 (preserving the site), Schedule 2 (exclusion zones and the meaning of authorised person, instructed person, untrained person and safety observer)
• Electrical Safety Act 2002 (Qld): s 11 (serious electrical incident), s 12 (dangerous electrical event), s 44 (code of practice about discharging the electrical safety duty)
• Electrical Safety Code of Practice 2020 – Working near overhead and underground electric lines, used for work practice only
• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld): s 28 (duties of workers), ss 35 to 39 (notifiable incidents), s 46 (co-operation between duty holders), ss 47 to 49 (consultation), s 84 (right to cease unsafe work)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 34 to 38 (risk management), s 39 (information, training and instruction), s 291(k) (high risk construction work on or near energised electrical installations or services), s 299 (SWMS)

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (8 pages), A4 portrait
• Business details and document control typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• Purpose, scope and a policy statement with an approval sign-off
• Definitions, and responsibilities for each role
• A step-by-step procedure that says who does what
• Records, training, monitoring and review, related documents and a revision history

Review it and adjust it to suit your business, your sites and the way your team works, and talk it through with your workers. If you have any trouble downloading this template, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading.