Electrical Hazards Awareness

Briefing

Excavation and Trenching

Module 5

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These tools must be used with
care!

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Serious Injury at DOE Site when
13.2kV Cable Struck

• A laborer was burned

and rendered
unconscious when his
jackhammer hit a
buried 13,200 volt
electrical power
cable.

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 Typical Tasks That Expose
Personnel to Underground
Power Lines

• Construction site excavation

• Jack-hammering
• Well drilling
• Landscaping
• Trenching for piping
• Fence installation
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 Excavation Program Elements
• Designate a Competent Person to oversee all excavation
jobs and train to understand the electrical hazard

• Use written excavation procedure and excavation permit

• Require an excavation/trenching checklist to be used in

job planning

• Require non-intrusive surveys of areas and develop an

interference map of area

• Ensure excavation planning requirements flow down to

subcontractors
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 Electrical Hazard Identification
• Perform detailed drawing and map review including original site
drawings and recent project drawings

• Understand that drawings and maps, however, may not be up to

date or indicate all field routings correctly

• Perform walk-down of site surrounding the excavation area and look

for conduits and raceways that extend underground and could cross
into the excavation work zone

• Discuss excavation area with facility site knowledge

• Look for new asphalt, manholes not marked on prints or disturbed

soil to identify potential for unmarked interferences

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 Field Investigation
• Perform non-intrusive surveys of excavation area using trained and
certified utility locators

• Mark surface with interferences and verify immediately prior to start

of excavation

• Know limitations of non-intrusive equipment

– GPR has been off target by 3 feet and may not identify some
interferences
– Voltage proximity detectors are shielded by ground wire or
conduit
– Current proximity detectors will not detect if electrical load is
turned off
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 Identifying Interferences
• De-energize and lockout known electrical hazards-Don’t
let schedule and convenience take precedent.

• Hand excavate interferences within excavation limits

– Look for different types of soil in the excavation area
or for colored concrete that may indicate presence of
underground electrical line

• Consider use of vacuum excavation technology for

uncovering interferences

• Use caution when hand digging-even shovels and post

hole diggers can damage direct burial cables
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 Identifying Interferences
• Use appropriate PPE (voltage rated gloves and footwear)
when identifying electrical interferences
– PPE is important since detection of hidden utilities can
not always be guaranteed

• Use double-insulated electrical tools

• Use fiberglass-insulated shovels and picks when

excavating by hand

• Use rubber mats as appropriate

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 Other Safe Practices
• Stop work and call a time out if an unidentified
obstruction is found during excavation

• Revise maps and drawings to reflect actual found field

conditions before closing excavation permit

• Consider use of electronic drill stops when drilling in

concrete (DOE Electrical Safety Handbook Section 11)

• Observe all Power Line Right of Ways and notify power

company prior to excavation

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Conclusion
• Remember, you can
avoid the pain and
suffering that can happen
when you contact an
underground energized
electrical power line
• Implement and follow the
practices in this module
• Stop work when in doubt

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