What Does the Law Require?

Legal Duties and Responsibilities When Working Near Overhead Powerlines

The rules are clear: work should only take place near live overhead powerlines when there is absolutely no reasonable alternative. If the task can be completed elsewhere, at a different time, or using a safer method, that option must always be chosen. No job is worth risking a life.

Avoid Working Near Live Powerlines Wherever Possible

Working close to overhead powerlines must always be the last resort. Eliminating the risk entirely by changing how or where the work is done is the most effective control measure.

If exposure to overhead lines can be avoided, it must be avoided. This principle underpins both good safety practice and legal compliance.

Risk Assessment Is Mandatory When Work Cannot Be Avoided

If work genuinely has to take place near a powerline, it may only proceed when the risks are acceptable and properly controlled.

This requires a site-specific risk assessment that considers:

• The exact location and height of the overhead lines
• The voltage and type of powerline
• The equipment, vehicles, and tools being used
• Environmental conditions such as weather and ground stability
• The control measures needed to keep people safe

Further guidance on carrying out suitable and sufficient risk assessments is available from the :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} (HSE).

Responsibilities of Businesses, Contractors, and Workers

Everyone involved in the work has legal responsibilities. Businesses, contractors, and workers carrying out tasks near overhead lines must work together to manage the risk.

This includes:

• Identifying hazards associated with overhead powerlines
• Putting safe systems of work in place
• Establishing and enforcing exclusion zones
• Providing supervision to ensure controls are followed
• Stopping work if conditions change or controls fail

Safe systems of work must not only be written down but actively followed and monitored on site.

Duties of Overhead Line Owners

Overhead line owners also have legal duties. They must take reasonable steps to reduce the risks posed by their powerlines and provide advice when consulted.

In most cases, the line owner will be the local electricity company, known as a distribution or transmission network operator. However, this is not always the case.

Depending on the location, the overhead line owner may be:

• An electricity network operator
• Network Rail
• A local authority
• A private site owner, such as at a caravan park or industrial estate

Identifying the correct line owner is essential so that accurate advice and controls can be put in place.

Key Legal Message

The law requires overhead line risks to be properly assessed, controlled, and managed. Work must not go ahead unless these conditions are fully met.

If the risks cannot be controlled to an acceptable level, the work must not proceed.