Elering warns of the dangers of working around high-voltage lines

Activities near high-voltage lines must be coordinated with the owner of the line and require increased attentiveness to protect people’s lives and welfare.

In spring of this year, several incidents have occurred during construction and other activities which have resulted in machinery operated by individuals hit high-voltage lines or the danger area and have caused serious injury to people and significant damage to property.

“Shocks from high-voltage lines can occur even if there is no direct contact with the line. The higher the voltage in the line, the bigger the danger area around the line,” explained Mart Landsberg, head of Elering’s network management department. “For example, with an overhead line with a voltage of 330 kilovolts, discharge can occur in problematic conditions even at a distance of 2.5 metres.”

Typically, dangerous conditions are caused by vehicles and construction equipment with moving parts, such as a dump truck or a crane boom that protrudes several metres above the vehicle. At the end of the summer, combine harvesters will also be operating dangerously close to power lines. Movement on public roads for vehicles over 4.5 metres in height must be coordinated in writing with the network operator. Beyond public roads, prior consultation with the network operator is required when operating within the power line’s protection zone to ensure safety.

The driver of a vehicle that is under an energised cable that has fallen should under no circumstances leave the vehicle, as this would put him in greater danger. If it is not possible to move the vehicle away from the line under its own power, additional help must be sought before exiting the vehicle and confirmation that the line has been powered down must be received. In many instances, the equipment becomes immobile as the overload destroys the vehicle’s tyres.

According to Landsberg, Elering must be contacted and consulted if during construction or other work near power lines the question arises as to whether they pose a risk to people’s health and require written approval or instructions from an Elering employee in simpler cases. Enquiries can be directed to Elering’s general contacts or regional operators whose contacts can be found on the Elering website.

Last week, a military vehicle with a high antenna caught fire when it hit a high-voltage line in Ida-Virumaa. On Wednesday, a similar incident happened in Tartu, where a short circuit and break in the line was caused by a dump truck with a raised box. Elering recently discovered unapproved construction of a water pipeline near Pärnu, where excavation work directly under the line cables posed a danger both to the power lines as well as the workers and equipment on the work site.