Look Up! 

Look Down! 

Look Out!

 

 

WORKPLACE POWER LINE SAFETY AWARENESS

Before you begin moving equipment 

or working around any power 

lines, take this quick power line 

safety quiz:

True or False? Power lines kill 

more workers than any other 

electrical source.

True or False? Power lines are 

not insulated for contact.

True or False? I should keep myself and any equipment I’m using 

at least ten feet away from any 

power lines.

True or False? I can be electrocuted by a power line even if I 

am wearing gloves and rubber 

boots.

ABOUT ESFI

Founded in 1994 through a joint effort between Underwriters 

Laboratories Inc. (UL), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety 

Commission (CPSC) and the National Electrical Manufacturers 

Association (NEMA), the Electrical Safety Foundation International 

(ESFI) is North America’s only non-profit organization dedicated 

exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home, school and 

workplace. ESFI is a 501(c)(3) organization funded by electrical 

manufacturers and distributors, independent testing laboratories, 

utilities, safety and consumer groups, and trade and labor 

associations. ESFI sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each 

May, and engages in public education campaigns and proactive 

media relations to help reduce property damage, personal injury 

and death due to electrical accidents. The Foundation does not 

engage in code or standard writing or lobbying and does not 

solicit individuals.

The National Safety Council proudly endorses this safety initiative.

www.nsc.org

Electrical Safety Foundation International

1300 N. 17th St., Suite 1847

Rosslyn, VA 22209

Phone: 703-841-3229/Fax: 703-841-3329

E-mail: info@esfi.org

Web: www.electrical-safety.org

Produced in cooperation with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety 

and Health (NIOSH).
ESFI reminds you, when working outside to...

Look Up! Look Down! Look Out!

A MESSAGE FROM ESFI SPOKESMAN AND 

U.S. OLYMPIC FLAGBEARER CLIFF MEIDL... 

Cliff Meidl, former 

U.S. Olympic kayaker 

and flagbearer at 

2000 Games Opening 

Ceremonies, and power 

line accident survivor.

“ Long before I was an Olympian, I 

was a 20-year-old plumber’s apprentice who nearly lost his life in a buried 

power line accident on the job. And 

now after my Olympic experience, I’m 

here to tell you how important it is to 

make safety your number one priority 

on any job.

According to a recent article*,

*”Occupational Electrical Injuries in the U.S., 1992–1998,” 

Journal of Safety Research 34 (2003), pp. 241–248.

 electrical accidents rank sixth among all 

causes of work-related deaths in the 

U.S. One worker is killed by electricity 

nearly every day, and power lines kill 

more workers than any other electrical 

hazard. While construction workers 

make up only 7% of the U.S. workforce, they suffer 44% of the electrical 

fatalities.

Often, a mobile crane operator who contacts a power line is 

safer if he can remain in the vehicle’s cab to avoid touching 

both the energized vehicle and the ground.Truck-mounted crane 

(boom truck) operators working the hoist controls while standing on the ground can be killed or injured if their rig contacts a 

power line. Nearby workers guiding loads, and even those who 

are not part of the construction crew, need to stay well clear of 

an energized vehicle or they, too, can be electrocuted.

Workers using ladders or scaffolds, and those carrying aluminum siding, poles, fencing and even lumber, need to be aware 

of and keep clear of power lines. And any crew involved in 

digging, like I was in 1986, need to be aware of power lines 

below.

To avoid the trauma I experienced—or worse—I urge you, 

when you’re working outside, to look up, look down, and look 

out! Test your power line safety knowledge and then check out 

some of the valuable resources listed in this brochure to help 

keep you safe on the job. I got a second chance...you may not 

be as lucky.”

Cliff Meidl

Get educated before you get started...

Power line safety quiz answers:

 True. Power lines are the single greatest 

on the job electrical hazard, killing an 

average of 133 workers per year. 

 True. While power lines may have a 

covering to protect against weather, they 

are not insulated for contact. Birds can sit 

on power lines unhurt because they don’t 

represent a path to ground. You and your 

ladder do.

 True. You don’t need to contact a power 

line to be in danger; electricity can jump, 

or arc, from a power line to a worker 

who gets too close. The best insulator is 

lots of space. Workers should keep themselves and any equipment they’re using 

a minimum of ten feet away from power 

lines, but far greater safe distances are 

recommended.

 True. Work gloves and rubber boots offer no protection against contact with a 

power line. Once again, space, and lots 

of it, is the best insulator. Only properly 

trained workers with the appropriate personal protective equipment are allowed 

to work near live power lines.

For more information on power line 

safety, check the following resources:

• The U.S. Dept. of Labor’s Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

issues and enforces regulations governing 

workplace safety and the use of personal 

protective equipment. Contact OSHA at 

1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or on-line at 

www.osha.gov.

• The National Fire Protection Association 

(NFPA) publishes the National Electrical Code (NEC)® in the U.S. For Code 

related questions, contact the NFPA 

at 1-800-344-3555 or on the Web at 

www.nfpa.org.

• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control 

(CDC) manages an on-line resource 

called the “Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health” or 

“eLCOSH” at http://www.cdc.gov/elcosh/

docs/hazard/safety_electricity.html.

• The Construction Safety Council offers 

“Power Line Hazard Awareness” and 

“Managing Power Line Hazards” video 

and classroom training. Contact the CSC at 

1-800-552-7744 or visit them on the Web 

at www.buildsafe.org. 

• Before you do any digging, arrange for 

a locate through your local utility or your 

local “one call” number. To find your “one 

call” number, visit www.digsafely.com or 

call 1-888-258-0808. Order a copy of 

the National Safety Council power line 

safety tip brochure “Can You Dig It?” 

through their website www.nsc.org.