Chugach Outlet
September/October 2001, Number 194

Work site electrical near misses
mar construction season

A number of construction sites have had close calls with electrical facilities this construction season. Fortunately, none have resulted in death or serious injuries, but many could have. And while no one was badly hurt, all of the incidents did cause power outages for Chugach customers in nearby areas.

The near misses cover a range of incidents. Just during the 5-month period from April through August, Chugach recorded the following:

• 29 cases in which contractors dug into underground power cables

• Four instances where consumers dug into buried power cables

• One case of a contractor cutting a tree which fell into an overhead power line

• Twice contractors' equipment came in contact with overhead power lines

"The contacts with the overhead lines are especially troubling," said Chugach General Manager Gene Bjornstad. "That's how people get killed.

"Overhead lines are insulated by the airspace around them," he said. "Chugach and other utilities carefully design and build these facilities to ensure safe clearances from the ground or adjacent structures. If you violate the airspace insulation with a piece of machinery, ladder, tree or anything else that can conduct electricity to ground, you can be seriously hurt or killed.

It only takes a minute to look up and around for power lines," said Bjornstad. "And that short amount of time can save you and those who love you a great deal of pain and suffering."

By regulation, people working around electrical facilities are required to work safely. For instance, you must maintain at least 10 feet of clearance from overhead power lines. This distance requirement goes up as the voltage of the line increases. When digging around underground facilities, regulations require you to hand dig within two feet of buried {1063094 De} power cables.

Care must also be taken not to pile soil or other materials under overhead power lines because it reduces the safety clearances designed into the facilities.

Anyone planning to dig as part of a project should ensure they call to have underground facilities located in advance. A single call to the One Call Locate Center of Alaska at 278-3121 can trigger free locates for a number of different types of buried lines and pipes. Calls should be placed three days in advance.

Chugach and other utilities can provide safety training and guidance for contractors and others working around electric facilities.

As part of its ongoing public education efforts, Chugach began airing a new television safety ad in September highlighting construction safety.