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Start with the right safety question
“How far away should we stay?” cannot be answered safely until you know what work is being done and what equipment can approach the line. OSHA uses different frameworks for ordinary work, mechanical equipment, construction cranes and derricks, electric-power work, and line-clearance tree trimming.
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For every job, establish these facts before mobilizing:
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- What activity will occur: ordinary construction or maintenance, crane or derrick operation, electric-power work, or line-clearance tree trimming?
- Which line or lines could be reached by a worker, tool, vehicle, crane component, load line, load, rigging or conductive material?
- What is the line’s voltage, and which OSHA provision governs the work?
- Are the workers qualified for the electrical work involved?
- Can the utility deenergize and visibly ground the line at the worksite, or must another protective arrangement be used?
Never infer voltage, insulation or deenergization from a line’s appearance. Have the employer and utility identify the line and required controls. If the voltage or applicable clearance is uncertain, stop the work and involve qualified personnel.
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Which OSHA framework applies?
| Work situation | Primary OSHA framework | Key clearance or control concept |
|---|---|---|
| General industry work by unqualified persons | 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3) | Lines near the work must be deenergized and grounded, or other protective measures must prevent direct and indirect contact. The baseline distance is 10 feet for lines up to 50 kV to ground; above 50 kV, add 4 inches for each additional 10 kV. |
| Mechanical equipment capable of raising structural parts | 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3) | Use the 10-foot baseline for lines up to 50 kV, with the same 4-inch-per-additional-10-kV increase above 50 kV, subject to the rule’s limited exceptions and protective-measure requirements. |
| Construction cranes and derricks | 29 CFR 1926.1408 and related provisions | Define the work zone, assess whether any part of the equipment, load line or load could come within 20 feet, then use utility-confirmed deenergization and grounding, a 20-foot control option, or the voltage-based Table A clearance with required precautions. |
| Qualified electric-power work | OSHA electric-power requirements and qualified-worker procedures | Minimum approach distances, equipment, training and protective practices are specialized. They are not permission for unqualified workers to move closer. |
| Line-clearance tree trimming | OSHA specialized tree-trimming requirements | This is specialized work with its own training and controls. Unqualified workers must maintain the applicable distance. |
These distances are not interchangeable. A crane clearance from Table A does not replace the rule for another type of work, and a qualified-worker approach distance does not authorize an unqualified person to enter it.
Plan the site before work begins
Map the entire work zone
Walk the site and mark every overhead line that could be approached by people, vehicles, raised materials, tools, scaffolding, ladders, cranes, booms, load lines or loads. Include the equipment’s full operating envelope, not only its parked position. Consider turning, backing, setup, assembly, disassembly, lifting, load swing and wind-driven movement.
For crane work, the employer must identify the work zone and assess whether any part of the equipment, load line or load could approach within 20 feet of a power line. A work zone that appears clear at the start can become unsafe when the boom rotates or the load moves.
Identify the line and voltage through the proper parties
Ask the utility owner or operator to identify the line and provide its voltage. Do not estimate voltage from conductor size, height, number of wires, pole design or the presence of apparent insulation. Crane Table A uses nominal AC voltage ranges, while the general-industry rule expresses its threshold as voltage to ground; use the measurement and rule that actually govern the job.
Arrange deenergization and grounding when required
Under 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3), OSHA states: “If work is to be performed near overhead lines, the lines shall be deenergized and grounded, or other protective measures shall be provided before work is started.” Treat a line as energized until the utility owner or operator confirms deenergization and the line is visibly grounded at the worksite when the applicable rule requires that confirmation.
A verbal assumption by a crew member, a switch being opened somewhere else, or a line that looks unused is not sufficient. Record who provided the confirmation, what line it covers and what conditions must remain in place. If the utility cannot provide the required status, use the applicable alternative controls or do not perform the work.
Brief the crew and establish boundaries
Explain the line location, the governing clearance, equipment limits, who may direct movement, and the stop-work signal. Keep workers, tools and conductive materials outside the planned boundary. Rebrief the crew when equipment, weather, staging or the work sequence changes.
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For covered crane operations, OSHA requires a planning meeting when encroachment precautions apply. Include the operator, crew members and other people whose work could affect the clearance. The plan must address the work zone and the precautions selected by the employer.
General-industry clearance for unqualified workers
The 10-foot baseline
For unqualified persons under 29 CFR 1910.333(c)(3), the minimum distance is 10 feet for overhead lines up to 50 kV to ground. For lines above 50 kV, increase the distance by 4 inches for every additional 10 kV.
The formula is a minimum separation requirement, not a general invitation to work beneath a line. The same provision requires deenergization and grounding or other protective measures before work starts. Those measures must prevent both direct contact and indirect contact through conductive materials, tools or equipment.
How to apply the increase above 50 kV
Determine the line’s voltage with the utility or another authorized source. Then apply the rule’s increment rather than rounding the voltage down. For example, a line rated 100 kV is 50 kV above the threshold, requiring five 10-kV increments, or 20 additional inches beyond the 10-foot baseline. That produces 11 feet 8 inches under the stated formula. The employer must still assess the actual task and protective measures.
Do not use a visual estimate or a casual “about 10 feet” judgment. If the voltage, measurement point or equipment movement is uncertain, stop and obtain a job-specific determination.
Mechanical equipment
OSHA also applies a 10-foot baseline to mechanical equipment capable of raising structural parts near energized lines, with the same increase above 50 kV and limited exceptions. The hazard includes a raised boom, mast, dump body, attachment or other structural part, as well as materials being handled. Keep the equipment from entering the required distance during setup, operation, maintenance and breakdown.
Construction cranes and derricks: use the crane rule
Make the 20-foot work-zone assessment
Under 29 CFR 1926.1408, the employer must determine whether any part of the crane or derrick, load line or load could approach within 20 feet of a power line. The assessment covers the complete work zone and the equipment’s possible movement, not merely the point where the crane is initially set.
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After the assessment, the employer selects one of the regulatory paths:
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- Maintain at least 20 feet from the line and use the precautions required by the crane standard.
- Determine the line’s voltage and maintain the applicable Table A minimum clearance with the required precautions.
Lines are presumed energized unless the utility owner or operator confirms deenergization and visible grounding. They are also presumed uninsulated unless the utility owner or operator or a qualified registered professional engineer confirms insulation.
Table A minimum clearances
| Nominal voltage | Minimum clearance |
|---|---|
| Up to and including 50 kV | 10 feet |
| Over 50 through 200 kV | 15 feet |
| Over 200 through 350 kV | 20 feet |
| Over 350 through 500 kV | 25 feet |
| Over 500 through 750 kV | 35 feet |
| Over 750 through 1,000 kV | 45 feet |
| Over 1,000 kV | Distance established by the utility owner or operator or a qualified registered professional engineer |
These figures belong to the construction-crane regulation. Do not substitute them for the general-industry rule or for qualified electric-power minimum approach distances.
Use the required crane precautions
When the selected option requires encroachment precautions, conduct the required planning meeting and establish the warning boundaries and other controls specified by the regulation. Account for boom deflection, load swing, rigging, wind, uneven ground and movement during setup and teardown.
If tag lines are used, OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1408(b)(2) requires that they be non-conductive. A nonconductive tag line is only one control; it does not make an unsafe work zone safe or replace the required distance, planning and utility coordination.
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Do not treat an exception as routine permission
OSHA 29 CFR 1926.1410 generally prohibits covered crane operations closer than the applicable Table A distance to an energized line. The limited exception requires the employer to establish that avoiding encroachment and deenergizing or relocating the line are infeasible, then obtain the minimum-clearance determination from the utility owner or operator or a qualified engineer and satisfy the other specified conditions.
This is an engineered, documented exception—not an ordinary method for getting a lift completed. If the required findings, determination or controls are absent, do not proceed inside the Table A distance.
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Specialized electric-power work and tree trimming
Qualified electric-power workers use specialized minimum approach distances, training, procedures, equipment and personal protective equipment. Those distances address work performed by people who have been trained and authorized for the electrical hazards involved. They are not a shortcut for a general construction crew to work closer to an energized line.
Stop and involve the employer’s qualified electrical personnel when the task could enter a specialized approach distance, when a worker may handle the line or its hardware, or when the line status cannot be established. Line-clearance tree trimming is likewise specialized work with separate training and requirements; unqualified workers must maintain the applicable distance.
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- Position equipment so its maximum reach and possible movement remain outside the applicable boundary.
- Plan the route for delivery vehicles, telehandlers, forklifts, dump bodies and other equipment that can raise or tilt.
- Keep ladders, rebar, pipe, sheet goods, scaffolding components, tools and other conductive materials out of the line’s approach area.
- Control load swing and rigging movement; include the load, hook, block and any attachment in the clearance calculation.
- Use the warning boundaries and movement controls required by the applicable OSHA rule and site plan.
- Use nonconductive tag lines when tag lines are used during covered crane operations.
- Reassess when a line, crane, attachment, load, access route or work sequence changes.
Do not rely on a spotter’s judgment to compensate for an unknown voltage or an inadequate clearance. A spotter can support a compliant plan, but cannot replace utility confirmation, the required distance or the controls specified by OSHA.
If equipment contacts a power line
Protect people first
Assume the equipment, load and nearby ground may be energized. Keep everyone away from the equipment, load, line and surrounding ground. Do not touch the equipment or allow another person to touch it while contact is possible. Warn approaching workers and stop traffic into the area. Contact the utility and activate the employer’s emergency plan.
For crane contact, stay in the cab when it is safe
OSHA crane-worker training addresses the electrocution hazard created when equipment and ground are contacted simultaneously, the importance of remaining in the cab except when an imminent danger requires evacuation, safe evacuation from energized equipment, step potential, and keeping the crew away from the equipment and load.
Therefore, the operator should remain in the cab if there is no immediate danger such as fire, collapse or another condition that makes staying impossible. If an imminent danger requires evacuation, use the emergency procedure taught for that equipment and site. Do not improvise a technique or allow rescuers to approach until the utility and emergency responders have made the area safe.
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After the incident
Preserve the area, obtain utility confirmation before anyone approaches, provide medical assistance through the emergency plan, and report the event through the employer’s required channels. Do not return equipment to service merely because the line appears to have moved away or the power has gone out; confirmation and inspection are required before restarting.
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Common unsafe assumptions
“The line is insulated.”
For crane operations, presume the line is uninsulated unless the utility owner or operator or a qualified registered professional engineer confirms insulation. Apparent covering is not proof that contact is safe.
“The power is off.”
A line is treated as energized until the utility provides the required confirmation and visible grounding is established at the worksite where applicable. A breaker label, a prior conversation or a lack of visible activity does not establish that condition.
“Ten feet is always enough.”
Ten feet is the general-industry baseline for lines up to 50 kV to ground and the Table A value for crane lines up to and including 50 kV. Higher voltages, different work categories and specialized work require different distances and controls.
“The clearance only matters while the equipment is operating.”
Contact can occur during setup, assembly, disassembly, loading, repositioning, maintenance or a load’s uncontrolled movement. Plan the full sequence.
“A careful operator can work closer.”
Careful operation does not replace a required minimum distance or a documented regulatory exception. Stop when the planned movement cannot remain within the applicable rule.
A practical stop-work decision sequence
- Stop the activity. Do not move equipment, materials or workers toward the line while the hazard is being assessed.
- Classify the work. Decide whether the job is general industry, covered crane work, qualified electric-power work or line-clearance tree trimming.
- Identify the line. Obtain voltage and status information from the utility owner or operator; do not estimate.
- Determine who is qualified. If the work requires specialized approach distances or electrical handling, involve qualified workers.
- Calculate the applicable boundary. Use the 1910.333 formula, crane Table A or the specialized procedure that governs the job.
- Select the control. Prefer utility-confirmed deenergization and visible grounding where required; otherwise implement the exact protective measures and planning requirements for the applicable rule.
- Brief and mark the work zone. Include the equipment, load, rigging, tools, access route and every phase of movement.
- Reassess before moving. If any clearance, voltage, line status or equipment position is uncertain, keep the work stopped and contact the employer and utility.
Jurisdiction and documentation
This guidance is based on federal OSHA provisions and online OSHA materials current as accessed on October 13, 2026. State-plan jurisdictions may impose different or additional requirements, and utilities and employers may require controls beyond the federal minimum. Confirm the rule in the jurisdiction where the work occurs, review the employer’s safety plan, and obtain site-specific utility instructions before beginning.
Keep the utility contact, voltage information, deenergization or grounding confirmation, clearance determination, planning-meeting record and crew briefing with the project documentation. A written plan cannot make an unsafe clearance acceptable, but it helps the crew verify the conditions that must remain true throughout the work.
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