Quite a few personnel who are not trained electricians routinely use bucket trucks in the course of their work. They consist of people who put up and take down holiday and other festive lights and decorations, trim trees, paint and do maintenance work on other high structures. They frequently work close to live utility lines and are therefore exposed to the dangers of electrocution.
Workers should be made aware that even reduced voltage utility drops to residential buildings such as power lines and telephone wires can under numerous circumstances deliver adequate electrical energy to endanger a person's life. The following are some standard safety recommendations for bucket truck operators who do non-electrical functions and are not trained linesmen or electricians.
- Treat utility cables as if they are energized and don't touch them with your hands.
- Keep a distance of at least ten feet from all electrical wires. The rule also applies to equipment.
- Check and make certain that the bucket is adequately insulated if you are going to be working around electrical wires.
- You must check all equipment to avoid the creation of additional paths to ground even if the bucket of the truck is insulated.
- Always insulate nearby electrical cables and use approved protective equipment if your work is electrical in nature such as hanging lights or electrical signs.
- Prior to commencing a job, check insulation barriers and other equipment for wear and tear. Do not use equipment that is wet, has dirt on it, or shows signs of deterioration on the insulation.
- All electrical tools and equipment should have the correct rating for the job.
- If the work site is near power lines, enquire with the utility company to see if they can de-energize the lines or install protective insulation over them for the duration of the job.
- If you use tools that increase your reach, the minimum distance you should maintain from utility lines should be greater than the longest possible extension of the tool.
- Workers around the bucket truck must avoid physical contact with the vehicle or any parts of it when it is in use near power lines.
OSHA's safety regulations require employees to maintain a distance of at least 3 feet when working near insulated electrical wires rated at 300 volts or less.
Nevertheless, NIOSH recommends the much more stringent minimum distance of 10 feet for wires carrying voltages less than and up to 50kv regardless of insulation. NIOSH also recommends an additional .4 inches of clearance for every kv above 50.
CFR 1926.550(a)(15)(i) provides safety guidelines for distances between crane loads and electrical power lines that is more in line with NIOSH's guideline - 10 feet or more for electrical lines rated 50kv or less.
The best safety practice is to maintain a distance of at least 10 feet from suspended power lines since the greater majority of lines are typically not insulated.
