10 foot rule

Do you know the 10-foot rule?

The rule refers to the safe distance you should observe when you are working outdoors with equipment or machinery, such as a crane, forklift, backhoe, dump truck, TV antenna, drilling rig or block loader.

OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) requires that you and your tools and equipment maintain a minimum distance of 10 feet. It’s also important to remember that Missouri law requires you to notify the co-op anytime you work near a power line. If you’re working near power lines, you either have the power lines de-energized and grounded, or take other protective measures before work is started.

If you are an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure that your employees are aware of the location of the power lines, the hazards involved, and the protective measures taken. You must post warning signs, and make sure that anyone working from an elevated position stays at least 10 feet away from the power lines.

So play it safe, and remind your family, coworkers and neighbors to practice the ‘ten foot rule’ too.

It’s the Law

It’s now the law in Missouri that anyone working within ten feet of a power line must notify the utility first, so that proper safety precautions can be exercised.

With the new Overhead Power Line Safety Act, any person who accidentally comes into contact with a power line, and didn’t contact the utility first, will be the negligent party.