NSW work near electric lines: plan the job before the equipment arrives
A ladder, raised truck body, tree branch or buried cable can turn ordinary maintenance into a fatal electrical incident. Direct contact is not always necessary. Electricity can arc across a gap, and objects touching a live line can become dangerous themselves.
SafeWork NSW's Work near overhead and underground electric lines Code of Practice, May 2026, commenced on 22 May 2026, replacing the 2006 overhead-power-lines code. It addresses work near electric lines, with specific scope exclusions for activities governed by other arrangements. It is not a licence to perform electrical work.
Identify the whole job, above and below ground
Assess setup, deliveries, travel routes, operation, packing up and changes during the work. A machine's parked height is not necessarily its maximum reach. Loads, attachments, long tools and materials can extend the danger area.
For a correctional facility or public building, include contractors, grounds staff, people using adjacent routes and emergency access. Coordinate the plan with the relevant electricity supply authority and, where appropriate, the person controlling private electrical installations.
Assume overhead lines are live unless the appropriate authority has provided the required confirmation. A cable covering or a belief that a line is telecommunications equipment is not proof that it is safe.
Eliminate the exposure where practicable
Consider whether work can be relocated or rescheduled, or the supply isolated through the proper authorised arrangements. These decisions belong with the relevant authority and competent specialists, not a worker switching something off and assuming the whole area is safe.
Where risks remain, select suitable equipment, physical separation and movement controls as part of a documented safe system. Warning signs and PPE are not substitutes for stronger controls where those are reasonably practicable.
The code has different approach requirements for different voltages, activities, equipment and levels of training. Scaffolding and service lines have particular provisions. Do not use a single clearance number from a blog as permission to proceed. Obtain the task-specific assessment and comply with the electricity supply authority's requirements.
A safety observer needs a real role
Where an observer is required, the person must have the relevant training, a suitable view, effective communication and authority to stop unsafe work. They should not simultaneously carry tools, manage another machine or perform unrelated duties.
A machinery licence does not automatically establish competence for work near electric lines. Verify relevant training and ongoing competence, not merely the presence of a certificate in a folder.
Consult affected workers and their health and safety representatives. Tell every shift what restrictions apply and who resolves uncertainty before work continues.
Plans help locate cables, but do not prove their exact position
Before excavation, obtain current underground-service information, including relevant adjacent areas, and share it with the people planning and doing the work. Plans may be diagrammatic or inaccurate, and private cables may need information from the property controller.
Competent utility location and verification may be needed in consultation with the asset owner. Do not dig, probe, cut a conduit or expose a suspected cable simply to check whether a plan is correct. The work method and any asset-owner supervision must be established first.
Tiger tails are warnings, not insulation
The visible covers often called tiger tails highlight overhead lines. They do not provide electrical protection or make contact safe. Only appropriately electrically qualified and authorised people may fit them.
Report moved or damaged indicators to the electricity supply authority. Do not attempt to reposition them. Trees and branches can also conduct electricity, including in dry conditions; vegetation touching lines needs specialist response, not routine pruning.
Prepare for an incident before one happens
Emergency arrangements need to address the actual work and electrical hazards, with trained personnel, reliable communication and coordination with emergency services and the network operator. In an emergency, call 000, keep others clear and follow emergency-service instructions. Do not approach affected machinery or attempt an improvised rescue.
Electrical protection may automatically re-energise a line after a fault. An apparent loss of power is not clearance to approach. Following contact or flashover, competent inspection and any required remedial work are needed before equipment returns to use; damage may not be obvious.
Read the official code
The document references the WHS Regulation 2025. Since 1 July 2026, section 26A requires compliance with an applicable approved code or another method providing an equivalent or higher health and safety standard. Check current technical requirements with the relevant competent professionals.
Official source: © State of New South Wales (SafeWork NSW), licensed under CC BY 4.0 subject to its stated exclusions. The PDF is supplied unaltered; its logos are incidental to the original document. This independent guide is general awareness information, not an electrical procedure, approach-distance assessment, rescue instruction or legal advice. Full 70-page source reviewed; checked 13 November 2026.
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