| Before you lift: Power line safety prep for gutter, roof and siding workers |
| For overhead workers, power line safety doesn’t begin near or on the roof; it begins with smart preparation on the ground. Remember, safety is everyone’s responsibility, and that responsibility begins with you. Here are some safety tips to help you and your crew initiate safety measures when your work places you near power lines. |
| Order our FREE worker safety kit on the National Grid e-SMARTworkers website. |
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| Before work begins: |
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Put on personal protective equipment (PPE). As your first step to power line safety, wear appropriate PPE, such as work boots with rubber soles for traction, to safeguard against falls to the ground or falls onto electric utility equipment, such as weatherheads. |
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Always survey the job site. Carefully examine your job site daily for electric utility equipment, such as overhead power lines, service drops and pad-mounted equipment, on or near the job site, and point them out to crew members. |
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Mark a safe boundary. Adding another layer of safety precaution, clearly mark boundaries with tape, signs or barricades to keep bystanders, your crew and equipment the required distances away. |
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Look up and live. Make it a habit to check for power lines before raising/repositioning ladders, tools or materials and when erecting, moving or dismantling scaffolds. Always carry all ladders, long-handled tools and materials horizontally to and from the job site. |
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Use a spotter. Position a dedicated spotter on the ground to: |
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Monitor ladder or scaffolding (access equipment) placement and repositioning. |
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Never try to guide a load and be a spotter at the same time. |
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Maintain 3-point touch. Never carry anything in your hands while climbing access equipment. Always keep at least two arms and one leg or two legs and one arm in contact with access equipment while climbing. |
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| Before beginning roofing work: |
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Take extra fall-protection measures. As a safety measure against falls of six feet or greater, OSHA requires use of fall protection equipment, such as guardrail systems, safety net systems or personal fall arrest systems. For specific requirements, consult osha.gov. Although not an OSHA requirement, we recommend that you: |
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Use at least one fall protection apparatus when working on steep slope roofs. |
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Install toeboards and use a harness when working on steep roofs. |
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Locate and exercise care near solar panels and related equipment. Ask the building owner or property manager to point out solar panels, conduits, batteries and all related equipment. Once you know the location of system components, take care to keep access equipment, tools and materials away from them. If possible, maintain a 2- to 3-foot safety perimeter around panels and mounts. |
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| Would you like to know more? |
| Additional utility safety tips, case studies, instructional videos and educational tools can all be found, at no charge to you, on National Grid’s contractor safety website. |
