Contact with overhead power lines is one of the most dangerous hazards in exterior cleaning. It can cause instant death or severe burns, and it requires specific, detailed documentation in your RAMS before any work begins near electrical infrastructure.
The Scale of the Risk
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that contact with overhead power lines causes around five deaths and many serious injuries in the UK every year. The majority of these incidents involve mobile plant, vehicles, or equipment — including ladders, water-fed poles, and pressure washing lances — coming into contact with or arcing to overhead lines.
For exterior cleaning contractors, the risk is particularly acute because the equipment used — long-reach water-fed poles, extended pressure washing lances, and vehicle-mounted access platforms — can easily reach the height of low-voltage distribution lines, which are often found running along the backs of terraced properties and across commercial yards.
Critical Safety Point
You do not need to touch an overhead power line to be electrocuted. Electricity can arc across a gap — particularly in wet conditions. The safe clearance distances specified in HSE guidance GS6 must be maintained at all times.
The Legal Framework
Several pieces of legislation create a legal duty to manage the risk from overhead power lines:
Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
Regulation 14 requires that no person shall work on or near any live conductor (other than one suitably insulated) in such a way that danger may arise. This applies to overhead power lines, which are typically uninsulated.
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
Section 2 requires employers to provide safe systems of work. Working near overhead power lines without a documented safe system — including a RAMS — would constitute a breach of this duty.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
Regulation 3 requires a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for all work activities. Work near overhead power lines is specifically identified by the HSE as a high-risk activity requiring a detailed risk assessment.
HSE Guidance GS6 (Avoidance of Danger from Overhead Electric Lines)
While not legislation, GS6 is the HSE's definitive guidance on working near overhead power lines. Following GS6 is considered best practice and will be expected by the HSE in the event of an incident investigation.
Safe Clearance Distances (HSE GS6)
HSE guidance GS6 specifies minimum safe clearance distances from overhead power lines. These distances must be documented in your RAMS and communicated to all operatives before work begins:
| Line Type | Voltage | Minimum Clearance |
|---|---|---|
| Low voltage distribution (LV) | Up to 1kV | 3 metres |
| High voltage distribution (HV) | 11kV – 33kV | 6 metres |
| High voltage transmission | 66kV – 132kV | 9 metres |
| Extra high voltage transmission | 275kV – 400kV | 15 metres |
Source: HSE Guidance Note GS6 (5th edition). These are minimum distances — greater clearance should be maintained where practicable.
What Your RAMS Must Include
When work is to be carried out near overhead power lines, your RAMS must specifically address:
- Identification of all overhead power lines in and around the work area, including their voltage where known
- The safe clearance distances to be maintained from each line
- The maximum height of equipment to be used on site (water-fed poles, ladders, MEWPs)
- The method for establishing and maintaining exclusion zones around overhead lines
- The procedure for contacting the Distribution Network Operator (DNO) if safe clearance distances cannot be maintained
- The procedure for requesting a temporary power outage or line diversion if required
- Emergency procedures in the event of contact with or arcing to an overhead line
- The training and competency requirements for operatives working near overhead lines
Contacting the Distribution Network Operator
If safe clearance distances cannot be maintained, you must contact the relevant Distribution Network Operator (DNO) before work begins. The DNO can arrange for the line to be temporarily de-energised, insulated, or diverted. This process takes time — contact the DNO as early as possible in the planning stage.
In England, Scotland, and Wales, the main DNOs include UK Power Networks, Western Power Distribution (now National Grid Electricity Distribution), Northern Powergrid, and SP Energy Networks. Contact details are available on the Energy Networks Association website.
RAMS Creator includes overhead power line hazards in its pre-built hazard library, with suggested control measures aligned with HSE guidance GS6. This ensures that every RAMS you produce for jobs near electrical infrastructure meets the required standard.
