820 Cranes and Derricks Safety I

Employee Training

If the equipment contacts a power line, death or injury may be avoided if the workers in and on the crane know and understand the steps they can take to protect themselves. In general, the crane operator and any other person on the crane will be safe as long as they remain on the crane. The greatest danger is faced by a person who simultaneously touches both the crane and the ground, but a person who is near, but not touching, the crane can also suffer electric shock.

To ensure employees have the information they need to protect themselves, you must train each operator and crew member assigned to work with the equipment on how to avoid electrocution in the event the equipment contacts a power line. Such training must include:

• information regarding the danger of electrocution if a person simultaneously touches the equipment and the ground;
• the importance to the operator's safety of remaining inside the cab, except where there is an imminent danger of fire, explosion, or other emergency that necessitates leaving the cab;
• the safest means of evacuating from equipment that may be energized;
• the danger of the potentially energized zone around the equipment (step potential);
• the need for crew in the area to avoid approaching or touching the equipment and the load;
• safe clearance distance from power lines;
• the limitations of an insulating link/device, proximity alarm, and range control (and similar) device, if used; and
• how to properly ground equipment and the limitations of grounding.

Assembling a Crane Near a Power Line

The precautions described above for crane operations must also be taken when assembling or disassembling a crane near a power line. Under no circumstances may a crane be assembled or disassembled beneath an energized power line.

While traveling under or near power lines with no load, the clearances specified in 1926.1411, Table T, below apply.

In determining whether the equipment will maintain the required clearance distance, you must take into account the effects of speed and terrain on the equipment's movement (including movement of the boom/mast). In addition, if any part of the equipment can get closer than 20 feet to the line, you must use a dedicated spotter to observe the clearance and signal the operator in order to keep the required minimum clearance.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.