Overhead line safety
- Keep personnel and equipment at least 10 feet from overhead lines at all times. Consider how close aerial equipment will be when fully extended, and use a spotter to monitor placement.
- Remember that wind can move lines or aerial equipment, so always use the maximum possible clearance.
- OSHA requires greater than 10 feet of clearance from lines that are over 50,000 volts. For example, the minimum clearance for a 500,000-volt line is 18 feet. There are no visible markers to identify a power line’s voltage, so call National Grid for clearance information if you are unsure.
![overhead_lines Fireman near overhead lines](https://firstresponder.ngridsafety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/overhead_lines-1-1024x851.jpg)
If National Grid does not distribute electricity in your department’s response area, please coordinate your incident response with the appropriate local electric utility.