• Overview
• Safety at Home
• Safety at work
  • Overview
  • Safety recommendations
  • Overhead lines
  • Underground cables and safe digging
• Safety on the Farm
• Equipment Protection
• Environment
• Storm Damage
• Safety Publications
• Safety for Young People/Schools

Overhead Lines

Electricity will always seek the easiest path to ground. This is true whether the electricity comes from a household lighting circuit, a high voltage power transmission line or from lightning.

Anyone who places themselves between any two energised conductors, or any energised conductor and ground, will become part of an electrical circuit. Electric current will immediately flow through their body and they will suffer either electric shock, very bad burns or be electrocuted (killed).

Over the years many people have been tragically electrocuted or seriously injured when they or their equipment came into contact with overhead power lines. But, you do not have to touch a power line to suffer shock or be electrocuted. Electricity can and will jump across a gap when the voltage is high.

Look out and Look Up

Always LOOK OUT and LOOK UP whenever you do any activity, be it construction, farming or leisure, near overhead power lines.

If you are planning to build near overhead lines, you should contact ESB Networks so that the necessary safety precautions can be put in place to prevent injury. Some simple rules include:

• Never undertake any construction activity within 10 metres of an overhead power line of 38KV or greater.
• Never dump spoil, rubble or topsoil under an overhead power line. To do so would reduce the safe line to ground clearance.
• Keep away from fallen or low hanging wires. They are very dangerous. You must always assume that they are live.
• Contact ESB Networks at its emergency number 18 50 37 29 99 so that the unsafe situation can be rectified.

More detailed information about working in proximity to overhead electric lines in available in the ESB Networks booklet:

Download Code of Practice for Avoiding Danger from Overhead Electricity Lines  (PDF | 591kb)

You can also order printed copies of This booklet by contacting esbnetworks@esb.ie stating the booklet code 9803203-1, your delivery address and number of copies required.

ESB Networks also produces a variety of Safety Media including safety videos, booklets and posters about Overhead Line Safety.