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Health and Safety Forum is an open forum for members of the Electricity Supply Industry to discuss health and safety matters and learn from each other.
The Electricity Distribution Sector has a Health and Safety meeting every three months, to find out more contact Maarten Tinsel – maarten.tinsel@omexon.co.nz.
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Reply To: Tree workers working near de-energised HV lines
MainPower’s Network Operations and Control Centre has advised:
It all hinges on how “near” to the HV lines they are.
The main situations are as follows:
Work inside the ‘close worker zone’:
Lines must be isolated.
Access permit held by a competent person (could be staff or contractors);
the cost of this is charged to the third-party vegetation contractor, if
they are not competent to hold access (currently we have none who are
competent to that level).
Work outside the ‘close worker zone’:
Work can be completed
under a Close Approach Consent, the specified safety distance must also be
outside the close worker zone (and therefore well outside the MAD).
In some cases, we may
choose to “de-engergise for safety” in case we see increased risk of trees
falling clear of the workers and into lines. Third party vegetation
workers must operate under a Close Approach Consent remain outside the
specified safety distance, which must also be outside the close worker
zone (and therefore well outside the MAD). This is different from an HV
isolation. Power is off for safety, but no permit is applied and
third-party workers must treat lines as live at all times.The question is unclear, as it all hinges on how “near” to the HV lines they are.
The main situations are as follows:
Work inside the ‘close worker zone’:
– Lines must be isolated. Access permit held by a competent person (could be staff or contractors); the cost of this is charged to the third-party vegetation contractor, if they are not competent to hold access (currently we have none who are competent to that level).
Work outside the ‘close worker zone’:
– Work can be completed under a Close Approach Consent, the specified safety distance must also be outside the close worker zone (and therefore well outside the MAD).
– In some cases, we may choose to “de-engergise for safety” in case we see increased risk of trees falling clear of the workers and into lines. Third party vegetation workers must operate under a Close Approach Consent remain outside the specified safety distance, which must also be outside the close worker zone (and therefore well outside the MAD). This is different from an HV isolation. Power is off for safety, but no permit is applied and third-party workers must treat lines as live at all times.