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Power Line Safety

Coming into contact with overhead powerlines can mean instant and lethal damage.

Respect the power by using common sense and taking care when near powerlines. 

Big Green Box

Follow these safety tips when around power lines and power line equipment:

  • If an overhead line falls on your car, know that you are safe as long as you stay inside the vehicle. If you must exit the car, jump, being careful not to touch the car and ground at the same time.

  • A tree trimmer, metal ladder, or another object can extend your reach dangerously close to power lines. Never trim or remove trees near overhead lines. Avoid planting new trees where they might grow into an overhead line.

  • Teach your children never to climb trees near overhead lines and to be aware of the danger posed by those power lines.

  • Never let children play or climb on the big "green box" in your yard. Known as pad-mount transformers, they are extremely dangerous and should always be locked. 

  • Always fly kites and model airplanes away from overhead lines. If a kite or model airplane gets caught in an overhead line, never attempt to retrieve it. Contact us, instead.

  • If you see a broken or fallen overhead power line, assume it's "live" and contact us immediately. 

  • Know that utility poles and fences around electric substations and transformers on the ground are "off-limits" to everyone.

 

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Never go near downed power lines. 

  • A downed power line can still be energized and can cause other things around it to become potentially hazardous. A fence or guardrail touching a downed line can be energized for several thousand yards and it poses a threat to anyone coming into contact with it.

  • Stay away from puddles of water that could be in contact with downed lines. Encountering these can be as hazardous as coming into contact with the downed power line itself.

  • If you are driving and come upon a downed power line, stay in your vehicle, warn others to stay away and call 911.

  • Also when driving, be careful at intersections where traffic lights may be out. Stop at all railroad crossings and treat road intersections with traffic signals as four-way stops before proceeding with caution.

 

staples in linesAttaching Signs to Poles

Putting signs or other items on utility poles creates serious safety hazards. Staples, nails, and tacks used to hang signs - as well as the signs themselves - pose dangers to SEC's lineworkers who climb poles when restoring power following storms or while performing routine maintenance to ensure system reliability. Nails and tacks left behind from signs can snag utility workers' boots or puncture safety clothing, making linemen vulnerable to slipping or even electrocution.

 

Shooting at utility facilities — wires, poles and insulators — is dangerous, jeopardizes everyone’s power and is a felony in Virginia. Never attempt to shoot through wires or at anything that may be on the wires or poles. Gunshot damage to electrical equipment can cause an electrical arc or cause wires to fall, with a high risk of serious injury or death.

Virginia's Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act

Virginia's Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act, which went into effect July 1, 2003, increases the protective work zone around overhead high-voltage lines and places greater responsibility on contractors who work near overhead power lines to be particularly mindful of their surroundings.

Contractors must call the appropriate utility (call Southside Electric Cooperative at 1-800-552-2118 before working near these lines and allow the proper safety arrangements to be put in place before commencing their work.

Frequently Asked Questions

The law prohibits work within 10 feet of an overhead line carrying 600 or more volts. If anyone wants to work within the 10-foot limit, the law requires that mutually acceptable safety arrangements be made between the person performing the work and the utility that owns the line. The law provides an added incentive for compliance. If someone does not follow the law's requirements and an accident occurs, the burden and liability will lie with the party performing the work - not the line owner.

Virginia enacted its Overhead High Voltage Line Safety Act in 1989. Unfortunately, there were numerous injuries and accidents caused by contact with overhead lines. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry found 47 known violations of the law during the federal fiscal year ending September 30, 2002. The latest law's clearly defined responsibilities provide contractors with the incentive to call and with utilities the opportunity to make job sites safe.

  1. An expanded safety zone.

    The newest law expands the safety zone around high voltage lines (600 volts or greater) by prohibiting work within 10 feet of the facilities unless mutually agreeable safety arrangements have been completed.

  2. Clarification of the duties of line owners and businesses.

    The amendments clarify the duties of both the line owners and businesses that want to perform work within the ten-foot limit. The proposal requires persons responsible for such work to notify the utility promptly to request safety arrangements. To avoid confusion, the amendments eliminate the current provisions imposing a 48-hour waiting period between notification and the planned beginning of the work. Instead, the line owner is given five working days (from the date of the request) to initiate the agreed-upon safety measures. Finally, the amendments make clear that the work cannot begin until all of the temporary safety arrangements are completed. The amendments also eliminate high voltage line owner or operator liability in cases where workers have not provided the utility notice as required by law.

  3. Incentives for compliance.

    Finally, the amendments incorporate the principle that most high voltage line accidents would be prevented if businesses had a more powerful incentive to call the utility before starting work. Contractors have an increased responsibility under the newly revised law to contact utilities' before working near overhead high-voltage lines. The changes are intended to prompt contractors to become more conscious of the need to call the utility prior to beginning work. With such notification, many injuries and accidents could be prevented.

Yes. The indemnity provision is similar to those found in 19 of the 30 states with high voltage safety acts. The provisions are widely viewed as a significant incentive for businesses to comply with the requirements of the law. The indemnification language is intended to prompt contractors to become more conscious of the need to call the utility prior to beginning work thereby avoiding injuries or accidents.

No, this only applies to overhead power lines. Another Virginia state law addresses underground line safety and damage prevention.