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| Overhead and Underground Safe Work Practices |
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| Review these tips with coworkers at your tailgate or toolbox meetings before work begins to help avoid potential hazards when working near overhead and underground power lines. |
| Order our FREE worker safety kit on the FirstEnergy e-SMARTworkers website. |
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| Look Out for Overhead Power Lines |
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Survey your job site every day to find overhead power lines, poles, and guy wires, and point them out to coworkers. Be alert for lines that may be masked by foliage or otherwise blocked from view. |
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Consider all overhead power lines to be energized and dangerous, including the service lines that run from utility poles to buildings. |
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Mark a safety boundary to keep workers, tools, and equipment a safe distance away—at least 10 feet—from power lines up to 50 kV. Higher voltages require greater distances. For specific requirements, consult osha.gov. |
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Please contact your FirstEnergy electric company for power line assistance and questions at 1-888-LIGHTSS. If your work requires additional encroachment precautions, call well in advance so that any necessary arrangements can be made. |
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Designate a spotter whose only job is to make sure you maintain the mandatory safety clearances between your equipment and overhead power lines. |
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| Dig Safely |
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Notify 811 before you dig or move earth in any way—even for small or shallow jobs. This service will arrange to have underground utility lines marked so that you can dig a safe distance away from them. |
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Dial 811 or use the online ticket-entry system, then wait the required time for facility owners to mark their lines: |
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In Ohio, wait at least 48 hours excluding weekends and legal holidays. |
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In Pennsylvania and New York, wait at least 2 business days not including the date the ticket was created, weekends, and holidays. |
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In New Jersey, wait at least 3 full business days excluding weekends and federal or state legal holidays. |
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In West Virginia, wait at least 48 hours excluding weekends and federal or state legal holidays. |
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In Virginia, wait at least 48 hours excluding the date of notification, weekends, and federal or state legal holidays. |
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In Maryland, wait at least 2 full business days, excluding the date of notification, weekends, and legal holidays. |
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Pre-mark the boundaries of your proposed dig area with white paint, flags, and/or stakes before you notify 811. Some 811 centers allow you to pre-mark through electronic white-lining when making your online locate request. |
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Hand dig or use other soft excavation methods within the tolerance zone to carefully expose marked utilities and verify their precise location and depth. In Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, this distance is 18 inches. In New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia, it is 24 inches. |
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In the event of an emergency, dial 911 immediately. Report any damage to underground utilities—no matter how minor—to both the utility operator and your local 811 center. |
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| Always contact your state 811 center before digging and for the most current requirements. |
| Would You Like to Know More? |
| Additional utility safety tips, case studies, instructional videos, and educational tools can all be found, at no charge to you, on FirstEnergy's e-SMARTworkers website. |
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