Look up and live
Contact with overhead powerlines can be deadly.
Countless electricity related deaths and accidents in Queensland could have been prevented had more care been taken around powerlines.
There are many occasions when you need to exercise caution around overhead powerlines.
These include:
- painting or working from ladders, trestles or scaffolding (particularly metal types)
- working on, or retrieving play items from roofs, gutters and awnings
- installing a television or roofing antenna
- installing house cladding
- carrying or lifting tall objects
- erecting masts on sailing boats
- flying kites and climbing trees close to powerlines
- pruning or cutting trees
- operating heavy machinery and other tall equipment
- establishing irrigators and operating farm equipment
To live and work safely with electricity in Queensland, it is important to consider the following safety tips:
- Familiarise yourself with the layout of the overhead electrical network on or near your property or the property on which you are working, including buildings.
- Find out the clearance levels underneath the powerlines on the property (take into account the 'sag' of the line between poles) and check this against machinery or equipment likely to come near powerlines.
- Always assess the risk of operating machinery near the electricity system and check for changes in the electricity network or in your plant and equipment.
- Always look up and live.
- Be aware of service line safety.
- If you are working within three metres of exposed live service or powerlines and require a temporary disconnection call our Contact Centre on 13 12 53.
For more information on how to stay safe around electricity, you can download our Community Safety Plan or consult our Health and Safety Policy.
More information
- Look up and live - working near powerlines (major construction) (PDF 150.5 kb)
- Look up and live - working near powerlines (Tradesperson) (PDF 124.7 kb)
- Dial before you dig - working near power cables (PDF 201.5 kb)
- Working near Energex assets on construction sites (PDF 154.3 kb)
- A guide to working near the Energex network (PDF 0 bytes)
- Highload escorts - 1043: Notification to Transport by Road Under Electricity Authority Lines (PDF 36.4 kb)
- Highload escorts - 2129: Application for 12 Month Approval to Transport High Loads (PDF 29.3 kb)
- Highload escorts - 2133: High Load Escorts Summary (includes copy of 1043) (PDF 36.9 kb)
Contact us
Phone:
13 12 53
Disclaimer
This is not an exhaustive list of all safety matters that need to be considered. Whilst care is taken in the preparation of this material, Energex does not guarantee, to the extend permitted by law, the accuracy and completeness of information.
To the extend permitted by law, Energex will not be responsible for any loss, damage or costs incurred as a result of any errors omissions or misrepresentations in relation to the material in this document or for any possible actions ensuing from information contained above.
You require Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print documents.