A changed access route brings plant near an overhead line: what to do

A new gate, delivery route or plant movement that was not in the original plan can bring machines close to an overhead power line, where contact or even close approach can be fatal. Reassess before the route is used, set exclusion zones and physical barriers, control plant, and involve the network operator where needed.

What has happened

A site changes a gate, haul road, delivery point or plant position, and the new arrangement brings tippers, cranes, MEWPs, excavators or tele-handlers near an overhead power line that the original layout kept clear of. Overhead lines cause fatalities in construction, and electricity can arc across a gap without direct contact. HSE's GS6, Avoiding danger from overhead power lines, sets out how to plan and control work near lines using exclusion zones and physical precautions.

Immediate actions

Before the changed route is used, reassess it against the overhead line. Confirm the line's presence, route and (with the network operator) its voltage and safe clearance. If plant could come within reach, do not use the route until GS6 controls are in place: defined exclusion zones, physical barriers and goal posts to limit passage and height, clear routing and signage, banksman supervision, and, where appropriate, arranging with the operator to divert or make the line dead. Where controls cannot be assured, keep to a safe route or stop the movement until they are.

What not to do

Do not let plant use an unassessed route near a line, and do not rely on a driver's judgement of clearance. Do not raise a tipper body, crane jib or MEWP near a line without the exclusion and controls, and do not assume a line is insulated or dead. Do not treat a temporary route change as too minor to reassess.

Who is responsible

The principal contractor and site management plan and control site routes and plant movements and must reassess a change; competent supervisors and banksmen enforce exclusion zones; the distribution network operator advises on clearances and any diversion or isolation. Plant operators must keep within the controlled route and precautions.

Evidence and records

Record the route change, the reassessment against the overhead line, the operator contact and advice, the exclusion zones and physical measures put in place, the supervision arrangements, and the authorisation to use the route. Update the construction phase plan and traffic-management layout so the record matches the site.

Escalation

Escalate to the network operator for clearance advice, diversion or isolation, and stop plant movements near the line until controls are confirmed. Where the change also affects pedestrian and vehicle segregation, coordinate with changing workplace traffic routes, and where lifting is involved near the line see lift-plan re-approval. Contact with a line is an emergency and may be reportable under RIDDOR.

Prevention

Identify overhead lines at planning stage, design routes and plant positions to avoid them, and control any unavoidable work with GS6 measures from the outset. Make route changes a trigger for reassessment, brief drivers and banksmen, and keep the operator's contact ready. Designing lines out of the plant routes is far safer than controlling close approach.

Where Complys can help

Complys can hold the construction phase plan, traffic-management and RAMS documents and the action log, and keep the route-change reassessment and controls evidenced. It does not assess overhead-line clearances or control plant; the site team and network operator do. Ask the Complys team to show how site plans, RAMS and actions are tracked.