Look up, plan ahead, and live. It's the law.
Working near electricity assets is one of the highest risk activities on any worksite. In South Australia, compliance with the Electricity (General) Regulations 2012 is not optional it’s a legal requirement designed to save lives and prevent devastating accidents.
This page provides the essential facts, legal clearances, and emergency procedures you need to protect yourself, your team, and your equipment when working around overhead and underground powerlines.
Who is this information for?
If your work brings you, your tools, or your machinery within the vicinity of powerlines or Stobie poles, this guide is for you.
Some examples are:
- Construction and building professionals; Residential, commercial, and civil construction workers, including those operating cranes, excavators, concrete pumps, scaffolds, and elevating work platforms.
- Tradespeople; Plumbers, painters, roofers, carpenters, arborists, maintenance crews, and anyone handling long tools or materials (ladders, piping, metal sheeting).
- Agricultural workers; Farmers, harvesters, and contractors operating large machinery like headers, augers, boom sprays, and tipper trucks.
What are the dangers when working close to powerlines?
You do not need to make direct contact with a powerline to be seriously injured or killed. Electricity can arc or ‘jump’ through the air, causing a flashover.
- Flashover; Electricity can arc from the line to an object (like a boom or scaffold) if it gets too close. The higher the voltage, the greater the distance electricity can jump.
- Energised machinery; If your vehicle or equipment touches a powerline, the entire machine instantly becomes ‘live’ at high voltage. Touching the machine or climbing out can result in electrocution.
- Step potential; If a live wire touches the ground, electricity spreads outward. The difference in voltage between your feet (especially if they are apart) can cause a lethal electric shock as the current flows through your body.
- Sag and swing; Powerlines are not static. They can sag considerably in high temperatures and swing widely in the wind. All required distances must be measured from the line's worst-case position (maximum sag and swing).
"Always assume a powerline is live, regardless of its appearance."
Pre-work planning is mandatory
Before any work begins, you must:
- Locate & identify: Use the Look Up and Live tool to find overhead powerline locations, and voltages. For underground assets, lodge a free Before You Dig Australia enquiry.
- Risk assessment: Complete a formal, documented Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) or Risk Assessment for all work near powerlines.
- Physical controls: Mark the danger zones with physical barriers (such as goal posts) to prevent accidental entry by people or machinery.
No Go Zone: Clearance and approach requirements
The No Go Zone is the designated minimum distance that must be maintained between a powerline and a person, tool, vehicle, or structure. Breaching these distances is illegal and life-threatening.
Safe Approach Limits (SAL) for people and machinery operation
This is the distance a person, including any handheld tools or materials, and machinery, including its load, boom or elevating component, must remain clear of the closest conductor (wire).
Image source: SA.gov.au/energysafe (PDF)
To work within 3-metres, you must implement these high-level control measures:
Identify voltage:
Confirm the powerline voltage.
Appoint a spotter:
A competent person must be appointed with the sole duty of observing and warning the operator against unsafe approach. This person must carry out spotting duties for the entire duration of the close-proximity work.
Prevent over-travel:
Use physical stops on machinery (e.g., limit switches) where possible to prevent the machine from accidentally entering the No Go Zone.
What if clearance cannot be maintained: Network Access Permit
If your planned work cannot be completed while maintaining the legal minimum clearance distances, you must:
- STOP WORK.
- Contact SA Power Networks to arrange a Network Access Permit.
- This permit typically requires the powerlines to be de-energised (switched off) or physically shielded with approved insulation before work can proceed.
EMERGENCY: Vehicle or machinery contact with a Powerline or Stobie pole
If your vehicle or machinery hits a powerline, Stobie pole, or other electrical apparatus, your life is in immediate danger.
“Stay In, Call for Help”
Stay in the vehicle
If the vehicle is not on fire and you are not in immediate danger: Stay seated, remain calm, and contact SA Power Networks.
SA Power Networks: 13 13 66
The "Jump and Shuffle" evacuation procedure
This procedure is for emergency evacuation only and must be performed without fail to avoid the electrical field:
- Jump clear: Jump out of the vehicle and away from it, ensuring you do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
- Land feet together: Land with your feet firmly together.
- Shuffle away: Move away by shuffling with your feet close together or taking as small as possible gliding steps. Do not lift your feet or allow them to step apart.
- Clear the area: Continue shuffling until you are at least 10 metres (a bus length) away from the vehicle and any fallen lines.
- Stay clear: Do not return to the vehicle for any reason until SA Power Networks staff have confirmed the area is safe.
For a clear demonstration of this technique, watch this short video:
Frequently Asked Questions
While the legal Safe Approach Limit (SAL) for an unqualified person to any powerline is a minimum of 3.0 metres, the clearance for machinery is based on the line's voltage and can be greater. It is best practice to always treat the area within 10 metres as a potentially hazardous zone until the specific voltage is known and safety measures are in place.
A competent person is someone who is suitably qualified by experience, training, or both, with the knowledge and skills to identify the risks and ensure the safe system of work is followed. Their sole duty when spotting is to watch and warn the operator.
No. Even if you use fibreglass ladders or non-metallic tools, you must still adhere to the legal Safe Approach Limits. The risk of flashover to the human body remains the primary danger, and all limits are mandatory.
Use the free Look Up and Live interactive map tool, which is maintained by the electricity asset owners, or contact SA Power Networks directly. You must correctly identify the voltage before commencing any risk assessment.
You can also follow this visual guide