Farming & agriculture
Industry Safety
Working near the Western Power network is dangerous
This section provides information on how you can keep safe when you're working near Western Power’s electricity network.
This information should be used in conjunction with the standards and regulations applicable to your industry. You need to ensure that there are adequate risk management procedures in place before working around the electricity network.
It is essential to know the location and voltage of any underground power cables and overhead network assets around your work area to assess the risk and carry out work safely. To get this information, contact Before You Dig Australia or freecall 1100.
Reduce the risk of accident and injury by planning ahead
Planning ahead is vital in ensuring you are safe when working near the overhead network. Limit the risk of accident and injury by gaining an understanding of the area you are working in.
Simple steps to achieve this are:
- know the location and voltages of network assets in your work area to determine the required clearances
- check the height of loads
- determine the extension, reach and height of equipment
- do not lift loads directly underneath powerlines
- do not lift loads over powerlines
- establish your lay down area or site storage away from the Western Power network
- place waste bins outside of the danger zones (see danger zone section for more information)
- tip sand outside of the danger zone.
Danger Zone
A danger zone is a specific area surrounding live electrical apparatus that ordinary persons, equipment and materials must not enter. The size of the danger zone is determined by the voltage of the electrical apparatus. Find out more about your obligations by visiting the danger zone section in your industry category.
Determine the voltage of distribution assets
Distribution assets include the low voltage network (415 - 1,000 volts) and parts of the high voltage network (up to 33,000 volts or 33kV).
To determine the voltage of overhead and underground assets in your work area, lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry. Submit your request for the following services at least 30 days before you need to start work (longer if you think assets might need to be removed or relocated).
Services for transmission and communication assets
Western Power offers a number of services for proposed works that may be impacted by transmission (33,000 volts - 330,000 volts) and communication assets. These include:
- relocation of transmission assets
- relocation of communication assets
- clearance assessments
- earth potential rise/low frequency induction studies
- provision of technical data
- civil/structural assessments
- de-energising the transmission line (requires at least 40 business days notice).
Should you wish to proceed with any of these services or for more information on:
- relocation of transmission and/or communication assets please refer to moving our equipment
- all other technical services, please apply here.
A consultant will contact you within two business days to progress your enquiry.
All services are conducted on full cost recovery basis.
Preventing ground collapse for overhead assets
Ground collapse is one of the primary risks to be controlled in excavation work. Ground collapse can occur quickly and without warning, giving a worker virtually no time to escape.
When planning the work, select appropriate excavation methods and control measures for the working environment and consider the collapsible areas for overhead assets.
Excavating can be dangerous if you do not know what is below the surface
When working near underground assets, it is your responsibility to ensure the proposed work can be carried out safely.
Excavating, drilling and installing posts and poles can be life threatening if you do not know what is below the surface.
Accidental contact with network assets is not only dangerous but it can also leave entire communities without essential services.
Guidelines for undertaking excavation work
-
Contact Before You Dig Australia to obtain a cable location plan
Visit byda.com.au or freecall 1100 to submit an enquiry for plans detailing the location and voltages of Western Power network assets in your work area. The voltage information is used to determine your minimum approach distance. -
Follow the 5 P's process
Plan your works by submitting a Before You Dig Australia enquiry, conducting a Job Risk Assessment and performing a Safe Work Method Statement.
Prepare - Prepare by reviewing your plans and contacting the utility if you need assistance. Look for onsite asset and infrastructure clues such as streetlights, pillars and meters. Engage a BYDA Certified Locator prior to potholing
Pothole by hand or other non-destructive means to remove small amounts of soil to prove the location and depth of underground services in your work area.
Protect the assets and colleagues using barriers around the excavation site and work area.
Proceed with care. -
Determine the minimum approach distances
Refer to your industry's regulations, codes of practice and guidelines. -
Consider the operating height of any excavation equipment
Many vehicles and pieces of equipment needed for digging can extend into the overhead powerline danger zones. Reference your overhead Before You Dig Australia plans for the location and voltages of our powerlines to determine the clearances required. -
Engage a qualified cable locating service provider
This will help confirm the location of known and unknown underground services in your work area. Before You Dig Australia manage a list of certified locators. -
Determine the collapsible area of the proposed excavation
This will ensure that the assets are protected from any excavation activities. -
Only use mechanical excavation after all services have been identified and exposed
It is essential to prove the location of service assets in your work area before erecting barriers and creating allowances to maintain the appropriate clearances. -
Stop work and call Western Power on 13 10 87 if you cannot locate assets on the plans
Call Western Power on 13 10 87 if you discover damaged insulation or cables, or if you discover a cable that is not shown on your plans. -
Get advice from WorkSafe's Excavation Work Code of Practice 2013
WorkSafe's Excavation Code of Practice 2013
Preventing ground collapse for underground assets
Ground collapse is one of the primary risks to be controlled in excavation work. Ground collapse can occur quickly and without warning, giving a worker virtually no time to escape.
When planning the work, select appropriate excavation methods and control measures for the working environment and consider the collapsible areas for underground assets.
Stubble burning requires careful planning and constant monitoring as it can cause widespread damage and power interruptions if it gets out of control. Things to consider include:
- check for overhead powerlines before starting work
- clear vegetation from around the base of power poles to at least 1.5m in diameter
- dampen the base of poles before and after stubble burning
- do not rake wind rows beneath or next to powerlines or poles
- have mobile fire units that are easily accessible should a stubble fire get out of control.
Follow general advice for all prescribed burns:
- inform your local government fire control officer and neighbours prior to commencing
- stay up to date with the latest weather information
- check the fire danger rating for the area and whether any bans are in place
- do not go ahead if conditions are hot, dry or windy or forecast to become so.
Harvesters and seeders are at high risk of coming into contact with powerlines. You can reduce this risk by following these steps:
- check for overhead powerlines and poles before starting work
- know the height and width of your machinery and have this information displayed
- if you haven’t worked in a paddock for a while, check for any new infrastructure or electrical hazards
- do not assume the height of overhead powerlines as the clearance may change throughout the day due to sag in hot weather or periods of increased power demand
- do not harvest or seed when weather conditions are not suitable. Check the Emergency WA website for all current fire warnings. Vehicle movement bans may change during the day
- crops such as swathed canola coming into contact with powerlines may lead to a power interruption. Sometimes the obstruction may clear itself but if not, under no circumstances attempt to remove the obstruction. Report the incident to Western Power on 13 13 51
- if machinery does make contact with powerlines, stay in the cab and phone Western Power for assistance on 13 13 51. Do not attempt to exit the vehicle until Western Power has determined that it is safe to do so. This short video helps to explain what to do in this circumstance.
Working together for the safety of the community
Our power poles need to be inspected regularly to make sure they are safe and do not pose a risk to individuals and communities.
With our network spread far and wide, power poles are often located on our customers' properties. From time to time our teams will therefore need to access your property to assess the condition of our power poles.
We realise this may be an inconvenience to land owners but it is a necessity to keep yourself, your family, your property and your community safe.
Work with us to minimise disruption
To minimise disruption, you can submit a property access form, so we can:
- contact you prior to accessing your property
- take into account property entry considerations prior to accessing your land.
Please note you don't have to provide this information. If you do, we'll only use it to organise access to the property and we will not give it to any third parties without your consent.
Western Power will always attempt to work with you in gaining entry to your property. However, the safety of our network for the community is paramount and as such we have power of entry to conduct maintenance of our assets.
If you have any queries, please contact us on 13 10 87.
Your duty of care to stay out of danger
Anyone who works near the network has a duty of care to Western Power. If it is reasonably foreseeable that your works may impact upon overhead or underground assets then you must demonstrate due diligence.
To assist in this Western Power has identified minimum approach distances for both underground and overhead assets.
Minimum approach distances for underground cables
| Nominal voltage | Minimum approach distance | |
| Power tool or plant | Non-powered hand tool/non-destructive digging | |
|
Up to and including 1,000V (low voltage) |
30cm |
Approach with care, avoid contact |
|
1,000V up to and including 33kV (high voltage) |
50cm |
|
|
Greater than 33kV up to and including 330kV (transmission) |
3m* |
|
* Western Power must assess any works within 3m of cables 33kV and above. Permit and/or authorisations for your works may be required.
Non-destructive digging (or potholing) is the use of high pressure compressed air to break up the ground, which is then removed by a powerful vacuum unit.
Danger zones for live electrical apparatus
A danger zone is a specific area surrounding live electrical apparatus that ordinary persons, equipment and materials must not enter. The size of the danger zone is determined by the voltage of the electrical apparatus.
If you are in charge of the work area, it's your responsibility to plan work so it can be carried out safely outside of the danger zone, and that nothing or no one enters it.
If your works enter the danger zone as prescribed in section R166A of the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022, or you make contact with the network, you may be prosecuted and be liable for any damage to the network.
Danger zones around overhead powerlines
In addition to the above minimum distances, you should refer to your industry’s regulations, code of practice and guidelines.
What an easement means for you
Our electricity network covers more than 255,000 square kilometres. This means that powerlines and structures are frequently located on or near private property, particularly in rural and remote areas.
In some areas Western Power may have an easement registered on the Certificate of Title of a property.
An easement, sometimes referred to as a ‘wayleave’, provides a ‘right of way’, allowing us and our contractors to access land to build and maintain electrical infrastructure on private property.
If you have an easement registered on your property, there may be some restrictions on the activities you can perform or structures you can place within the easements.
Easement guidelines outline restricted activity
The guidelines outlining the activities that are limited have been developed with the safety of the landowner in mind and include restrictions on:
- altering or disturbing the present ground level
- constructing or erecting any building or structure
- construction of fencing greater than 2m in height
- constructing, erecting, improving, enlarging or altering any storm water drain, basin or dam
- growing, cultivating or maintaining any vegetation exceeding 1m in height
- stacking or storing any material or garbage
- using machinery or vehicles that exceed 4.5m in height
- parking any vehicle or machinery exceeding 2.5m in height.
Request information to assess risk and work safely
It's important to know the location and voltages of all network assets in your work area so you can assess the risk and work safely around them.
The voltages determine the clearances required. Go to Before You Dig Australia or freecall 1100 at least two days before starting work.
You will receive plans showing the location of all overhead and underground network assets in the vicinity of your work area within 15 minutes of a request being submitted.
Privately owned electrical assets such as service lines from the green dome to the house or council-owned street lights will not appear on the plans unless they are privately registered.
Occupational safety and health regulation obligations
When working near underground assets, it is essential to follow the five Ps of excavation:
- Plan – Plan your job and lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry at least two days before any excavation
- Prepare - Prepare by reviewing your plans and contacting the utility if you need assistance. Look for onsite asset and infrastructure clues such as streetlights, pillars and meters. Engage a BYDA Certified Locator prior to potholing.
- Pothole – To establish the exact location of underground infrastructure, pothole or hand dig if permitted
- Protect – Protect the infrastructure via various methods, including communication, utilising barriers and marking the location of the exposed infrastructure
- Proceed – Only proceed once you have planned, potholed (if permissible) and have protective measures in place.
It is also mandatory for the customer/excavator/contractor to physically locate all services before any excavation works (Occupational Safety and Health Regulation 1996 3.21). Never assume the depth and alignment of cables. Remember - only use Before You Dig Australia plans as a guide only.
When undertaking any works, it is the responsibility of the customer/excavator/contractor to ensure that all due care and safe clearances are observed and maintained. Check the Utility Providers Code of Practice for Western Australia for works in road and rail reserves.
Stay safe by respecting clearance zones
Landowner’s activities are limited for safety purposes within clearance zones. These zones are applied to electrical infrastructure in the absence of a registered easement.
The guidelines by which activities are limited are in line with easements.
Assessment of clearance zones is critical
The distance of a clearance zone is defined by the Australian Standard for overhead line design (AS/NZS 7000:2010).
Western Power does not support any development within the clearance zone of an overhead powerline unless the area has been properly assessed and approved in accordance with relevant standards and procedures.
Western Power or a suitably qualified and competent professional can assist you to calculate the clearance zone on request. We complete the engineering assessment, which includes a survey component. You can arrange for the survey through a licensed surveyor.
Be aware that upon a study being conducted to determine the clearance zone, a building cannot be safely built unless it also complies with danger zone requirements prescribed in section 3.64 of the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996.
Aerial visual covers (tiger tails)
Tiger tails are yellow and black sheaths that can be installed on low voltage conductors (up to 1,000 volts) to improve visual awareness of overhead powerlines - they do not provide insulation or reduce the danger zone.
How do I request installation or removal of tiger tails?
The cost to install and remove covers on one bay of low voltage mains directly adjacent to a work site is based on the following requirements:
- all four wires being covered
- mobilisation of crew and equipment
- administrative costs
- traffic management
Submit a request for installation of visual aerial covers (tiger tails).
- Please allow 2 weeks from application for technical assessment – dependent on applicant response to Public Impact Team Enquiries.
- Allow at least 8 - 14 weeks from receipt of monies paid to schedule into our works program.
- You can extend the period of Tiger Tail supply by emailing us. Further charges will apply.
Request to isolate (de-energise) network assets
To safely perform work within the overhead danger zone or minimum approach distances underground of distribution assets, you can request us to isolate the network assets within your work area.
| Distribution network assets (0 to less than 66kV) |
Aerial visual covers (tiger tails) |
|
| Isolation or de-energisation |
|
|
| Relocation or removal |
|
|
| Transmission network assets (66kV or over) |
Temporary transmission network isolation |
|
Request to remove or relocate network assets
There are many reasons why our infrastructure may need to be removed or relocated. Perhaps it is for a special event to ensure safe access or there may be equipment in the path of a proposed development. Learn more about removing or relocating our equipment.
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