GS 6 Avoidance of danger from overhead electric power lines

1. GS 6 Avoidance of danger from overhead electric power lines

2. Presentation Content • Dangers of overhead power lines • Overview of GS6 • Current goalpost use • Guardian Goalposts • Questions

3. Electricity Kills • Around 6% of all work place fatalities have an electrical cause • 50% are by contact with overhead power lines • About 10 people die each year in the UK • A third of line contacts prove fatal

4. Electricity Kills In the last 3 years there have been 21 reported incidents with overhead power lines in Northern Ireland resulting in 2 fatalities

5. Legislative Framework Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 GS6 is not legally binding

6. Who does GS 6 affect? Contractors Designers Public Bodies Health & Safety professionals Anyone!

7. Understanding the Risks • All overhead electric lines can be lethal • Mistaken identity • Flow of electricity • You don’t need to touch the cables

8. Assessing the risk • Does the work need to be carried out under or near the overhead lines? • Divert all overhead power lines? • Make power lines dead while work is in progress? • As a last resort work around the overhead lines.

9. Steps to Safe Working • Pre-plan your work Check to see if power lines are : • within or immediately adjoining the work area, or • across any route to it.

10. Steps to Safe Working • Precautions depend on the nature of the work to be undertaken. • No work in area • Passage under the cables • Working under the cables

11. Use Of Goalposts • Passageways should be kept as small as possible • Kept to a minimum • Defined route • Parallel to conductors • Made of suitable material

12. Use Of Goalposts Crossbars should be fitted Red & White Risk highlighted by warning notices Illuminated at night

13. Goalpost Positioning Figure 1 Configuration for roads– longitudinal view, not to scale conductor wires Guardian Goalpost Guardian Goalpost SAFETY CONTROL ZONE 12m† 12m†

14. Goalpost Positioning conductor wires catenary sag 0.59m allowance for catenary sag 5.41m‡ minimum clearance Figure 2 Configuration for roads – transverse view, not to scale pole height = 6m

15. Typical Goalposts

16. Typical Goalposts

17. Typical Goalpost Base

18. Issues with current methods • Not built to an acceptable standard • Difficult and expensive to position / move • Bases present danger to motorists • Bases and poles present manual handling risks • Problems encourage contractors to gamble!

19. Guardian Goalpost System • Developed with Northstone Q&A Division • Objective – safe, professional solution • Kit consists of • 6 metre telescopic non-conductive red / white poles • Manual handling friendly Galvanised steel bases • Red/white plastic bunting

20. Guardian in action

21. Guardian in action

22. Benefits • Fast, safe installation • Manual handling risk reduced • Bunting tension easily adjusted • Hi-visibility telescopic poles • Transportation costs reduced • Solution available for night-time working

23. Working at Night

24. Conclusion • High risk of death following cable strikes • The use of goalposts is essential • GS6 sets out the minimum standards • Temporary goalposts present a range of hazards to operators and the public • ‘Guardian Goalposts’ have been designed to reduce these risks