It’s always the season for powerline safety. This is especially true in Fall when homeowners and roofing professionals are likely to head up top to maintain roofing systems and keep them free from seasonal debris.
Before touching a ladder, consider these steps and considerations to make sure you come down safely:
Assess the site: Whether heading up to a roof for repairs, cleaning, or general maintenance, it’s important to get a clear idea of what you might encounter up high, particularly when it comes to powerlines.
“One of the first and most important things any roofing team must do is assess the site,” Patrick Falzon, powerline safety specialist with Electrical Safety Authority (ESA). “It’s not safe to go out there and start doing the work; you need to take time during the estimate phase or early planning steps to see where the work is being done and how close the home or building is to a powerline.
Check for damage: Rain and wind can cause slipping and tripping hazards on a roof. Ensure these damages are spotted and known to anyone who goes up. One wrong step can put people or tools in contact with hazards like overhead powerlines.
See a powerline? Make the call: If your site assessment reveals that you’ll be working closely to a powerline, don’t leave anything to chance.
“Roofers can’t just say, ‘No big deal,’ and work around those active wires because even though some of them are insulated, a lot are not, and you cannot trust the integrity of the insulation of the wires,” insists Falzon.
To ensure safety, it’s best to call the local utility and have the powerline safely disconnected, something some utilities will do free for the homeowner for the roofing crews once per year. Remember, however, that utilities might need a little time to get on-site, so don’t leave calling until the last moment.
“If, for some reason, the utility can’t safely disconnect the power line, the next step is to have a conversation with them on safety measures,” says Falzon. “At the end of the day, though, the Occupational Health and Safety Act makes it very clear that the employer is the one who needs to come up with all means of protecting all workers from shock and arc flash hazards.”
Check your clearances: Ladders and other roofing tools can act as conductors if they touch or come close to a powerline. Make sure any work slated for the roof meets clearances and that anyone going up is extremely mindful when moving equipment around.
Watch the weather: That nice fall breeze can turn deadly if it blows equipment or tools into powerlines. Moreover, dew or frost can form during colder temperatures, adding further tripping or slipping hazards to the area. As such, it’s important to pay attention to wind and weather conditions at all times.
Factor in fatigue: Anyone going up on a roof needs to be alert at all times. And yet, this is not always a given for roofing professionals coming off a long day of work.
“We find many powerline incidents occur by the end of the day when workers are exhausted and eager to pack up and get home. That’s when they’re more likely to forget the hazards around them and take their safety for granted because they’ve been hauling their tools up and down all day without incident,” Falzon notes.
Fatigue will always be a factor in roofing. Make sure it never results in taking unnecessary risks and letting powerline safety practices fall through the cracks.
Making training a priority
Ongoing health and safety training is a must in roofing. This can take the form of employer-led training, electrical hazard training (e.g., through the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA), safety talks presented by local utilities, or daily employer-led safety meetings.
“From ESA’s point of view, training is extremely important. It’s always the employer’s responsibility, and there are a lot of resources out there to help,” Falzon says.
For its part, ESA offers a number of powerline safety resources, including:
- Powerline safety signs that can be posted to remind workers to always be on the lookout for overhead power lines
- Ladder tags, which serve as an additional reminder for workers to detach their ladders every time they’re around overhead wires.
- Powerline safety information on our website, including guidelines, insights, and links to other supports.
Ultimately, adds Falzon, “Our goal is to bring awareness to this very real safety risk and bring those powerline incident rates down to zero.
Visit ESASAFE.com for more powerline safety insights and resources.
