| Power line safety for dump trucks |
| Power line contacts involving dump trucks can result in severe injury or death for the driver as well as anyone standing on the ground nearby. Follow the safety tips below to prevent these dangerous incidents. |
| Order our FREE worker safety kit on the National Grid e‑SMARTworkers website. |
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| Maintain proper safety clearance distances |
| Dump trucks should NEVER operate under power lines. If you drive a dump truck or assist with loading or unloading, locate all overhead power lines when entering any job site and always keep the dump body and all materials the required distance away. |
| Consider how high the dump body will reach when fully raised and use the table below to determine clearance distances for power lines at your job site. If you are unsure of the line voltage or clearance distance, do NOT raise the dump body. Call National Grid for guidance. |
| Power line voltage |
Minimum clearance distance |
| Up to 50 kV |
10 feet |
| Over 50 to 200 kV |
15 feet |
| Over 200 to 350 kV |
20 feet |
| Over 350 to 500 kV |
25 feet |
| Over 500 to 750 kV |
35 feet |
| Over 750 to 1000 kV |
45 feet |
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| Take additional precautions |
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Mark a safety boundary on the ground to ensure all parts of the truck will remain the required distance away from power lines. |
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Work with a dedicated spotter whose only job will be to help you maintain proper clearance distances from power lines. Your spotter should be positioned at least 30 feet away from the truck. |
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After dumping a load, always lower the dump body completely before moving the truck. (An audible dump body‑up indicator can remind you when it is raised.) |
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| In case of power line contact |
| If your truck should contact an overhead power line or cause an overhead power line to fall, assume the power line is energized and take the following steps: |
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Call 911 and National Grid immediately. Stay inside the cab until National Grid utility workers say it is safe to get out of the truck. |
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Warn others to stay far away from the line and anything it is touching. Anyone who contacts the line, the equipment or even the ground nearby may be injured or killed. |
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| If fire forces you to exit the cab, jump clear without touching any part of the truck and the ground at the same time. Land with your feet together and shuffle away with small steps, keeping both feet together and on the ground at all times. Once clear, do not return to the truck until National Grid has declared it safe. |
| 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. |
