Trabajos Bajo Lineas De Alta Tension

Management of electricity at work: Forestry and
arboriculture
Emergency planning
Training and certification
Management of health and safety in forestry
Avoiding danger from underground services

978 1 9017 5800 9
AFAG802
AFAG805
INDG294
978 0 7176 1744 9

These publications are available from HSE Books - see ʻFurther informationʼ.

Notes

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HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from
HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165
Fax: 01787 313995 Website: www.hsebooks.co.uk (HSE priced
publications are also available from bookshops and free leaflets can
be downloaded from HSE’s website: www.hse.gov.uk.)
For information about health and safety ring HSE’s InfolineTel: 0845 345 0055 Fax: 0845 408 9566 Textphone: 0845 408 9577
e­mail: hse.infoline@natbrit.com or write to HSE Information Services,
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.
This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory
but which you may find helpful in considering what you need to do.
This leaflet is available in priced packs of 15 from HSE Books,
ISBN 978 07176 2667 0. Single free copies are also available from HSE
Books.

© Crown copyright This publication may be freely reproduced, except for
advertising, endorsement or commercial purposes. First published 04/03.
Please acknowledge the source as HSE.
AFAG804
Reprinted 10/07
Printed and published by the Health and Safety Executive

C60

Printed on paper made using 50% recycled fibre frompost­consumer sources.

804

Further reading

Electricity at work:
Forestry and
arboriculture

Introduction

This leaflet covers the safe working practices to be followed by those
working near energised overhead power lines and underground
power cables in forestry and other tree work.

Where it is necessary to work in close proximity to overhead power
lines, agreement should bereached with the owner of the line, usually
the electricity company, for the power to the lines to be disconnected.
Where it is not possible to disconnect the power, follow the
precautions in this leaflet.
More detailed guidance is available in the AFAG priced booklet
Management of electricity at work: Forestry and arboriculture.

Arborists must follow the electricity industry Code of Practicefor
establishing and maintaining clearances of trees to overhead power
lines (Energy Networks Association Engineering Recommendation
G55/1 Safe tree working in proximity to overhead electric lines
available to buy on www.energynetworks.org).

You must also assess the effect of the site and the weather as well as
following this guidance.

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1 Contact with overhead power linescauses fatal or severe
electric shock and burn injuries. This can also happen when a
person or object is close enough to a line for a flashover to occur.
Striking underground cables frequently leads to burn injuries from
the resulting ʻexplosionʼ and may also result in electric shock if
contact is made with live conductors.

Worksite planning

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2 Find out the routesof all overhead and underground power
lines that cross through or near the worksite and access routes.
Clearly mark these on the site map.

3 Establish, in consultation with the electricity company, the
minimum safe clearance distance for driving alongside the lines
and the maximum safe height for passing under the lines. Clearly
mark these on the site map.
4 Ensure there is a warningnotice prominently displayed inside
the cab of all machines that may have to work in the vicinity of
overhead power lines. The notice should give the maximum
working height of the machine and the maximum height in the
transport position.

5 Organise operations within the worksite to minimise the need for
mobile equipment to pass below or close to overhead power lines.
6 Do not reduce the...