April 29, 2016
Ergon Energy has urged building and construction industries workers to take more care after a sharp rise in electrical related incidents.
Ergon Senior Community Health and Safety Advisor, Glen Cook, said the number of incidents in these industries jumped almost 50% in 2015 and were very concerning.
“Workers are often on roofs with long lengths of roofing materials such as guttering or flashing that have potential to contact nearby powerlines, resulting in electric shock causing severe injuries or worse, electrocution,” he said.
“Cranes unloading supplies at building sites could also come into contact with powerlines if proper safety procedures are not followed.”
Mr Cook said Ergon’s traditional agricultural industry safety message of “Look Up And Live” also applied to the building and construction industries.
“In 2014, there were 27 reported incidents involving contact with powerlines, and this rose to 41 last year,” Mr Cook said.
“There have been eight incidents so far this year, with six in March alone.”
Some of these could possibly have been avoided through simple safety precautions, including:
- always using a trained safety observer (spotter) when using machinery near powerlines, including vehicle loading cranes, excavators/backhoes and elevated work platforms
- taking care when working around the mains connection point of attachment to a premise where the service wires enters the house from a power pole
- being aware of powerlines when moving equipment and ladders around the property, including when cleaning and painting
- taking extra care when handling roofing materials, especially in windy conditions or at heights
- ensuring long objects such as ladders and trestle planks are carried horizontally
- being aware that activities such as making repairs to roofing or guttering, painting, water blasting and scaffolding can be dangerous if carried out too close to overhead service lines and powerlines
- never attaching anything to, or building around, powerlines, poles, pillar boxes or other Ergon Energy equipment
Mr Cook said Ergon’s network across regional Queensland consists of around 160,000 kilometres of powerlines and one million power poles, and inadvertent contact with powerlines, poles and stay wires is a major risk.
“That’s why Look up and Live is our primary safety message and awareness campaign for overhead powerlines – not just for the agricultural industry, but other industries too.
“The impact of losing a loved one as a result of an electrical accident can have a disastrous effect not only on family and friends, but can have far reaching flow-on effects in the community,” he said.
Ergon Energy has developed a range of tips to help building and construction industry workers to keep safe around network equipment and they can be found online.
