The risks of powerlines are drummed into us at a young age. The huge volumes of electrical current running through them present a significant danger to human life. For operators using a truck-mounted EWP, or any working-at-heights platform, the risk profile increases significantly. 

The boom places them in areas ground-based workers don’t reach, and often that’s in close proximity to power lines. This could be on a building site, in a residential space or within a suburban setting. 

If you’re a site manager or contractor and you’ve got questions about powerlines and EWP use, the below guide will answer them. If not, our Brisbane hire team is always available for advice, give us a ring on 1300 784 473. 

Why Powerlines and EWPs Are a High-Risk Combination

Powerlines are visible and stationary, but they have an invisible danger zone around them. Electrical arcing can take place before an object actually touches the cable. This means an operator, or the boom or basket, can get shocked without making physical contact with the line. 

Your cherry picker puts an operator well into the vicinity of powerlines. The whole point of the machine is to get up high. Whether you’re working on a suburban Brisbane treelopping job or on a commercial building site near high-voltage transmitters, you need to be aware of exclusion zones and have the right personnel on the job. Active management and observation of safety protocols before and during operations is essential. 

AS 2550 and What It Means

AS 2550 is the Australian standard governing the safe use of cranes and EWPs. It sets out minimum approach distances for working near powerlines, with exclusion zones that vary depending on the voltage of the line in question.

The key takeaway for site managers is:

• There are defined distances within which an EWP cannot operate without specific controls in place. 
• Those distances are not one-size-fits-all – a standard street-level powerline and a high-voltage transmission line carry very different requirements.

For site-specific guidance on voltages and exclusion zones, you can speak with the Performance Tower Hire team. Our operators are all up to date with the correct safety standards. 

Who Is Responsible on a Queensland Construction Site?

Under Queensland’s Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011, responsibility doesn’t sit with one party. The principal contractor, the hirer, and the operator all assume some level of responsibility. 

Principal Contractor

The principal contractor has to identify and manage the hazard before work begins. That means identifying powerline locations and voltages and establishing exclusion zones as part of the site safety plan. This all needs to be communicated to the relevant parties before EWP deployment. 

The EWP Hirer

The hirer is responsible for ensuring the machine and operator are appropriate for the task. If the job involves working near powerlines, the hirer needs to brief the operator on site-specific hazards before work starts. Handing over the keys and walking away doesn’t discharge that obligation.

The EWP Operator

The operator carries their own duty of care regardless of instructions from above. They are responsible for not entering exclusion zones and for raising concerns about anything that puts them or others at risk. An experienced operator who regularly works near powerlines knows where the line is, in every sense.

There’s no outsourcing of responsibility when it comes to EWPs and powerlines. All parties need to be engaged and aware of the work being undertaken. 

The Wet Hire Solution

Dry hire puts a machine on your site. Wet hire puts a machine and an experienced operator on your site. When powerlines are in the picture, this is an important distinction. 

It comes down to knowledge and experience – a licensed Performance Tower Hire operator who works regularly on SEQ construction sites understands exclusion zone requirements, knows how to position the machine to maximise safe working radius, and knows when to stop.

Also, all our operators are M31A qualified and we can provide approved spotter services where the job requires a second set of eyes on the ground.

If you’re a contractor and you want the confidence that EWP work in the vicinity of a powerline is being handled by someone who does this for a living, wet hire is the best choice for you. You still have the burden of compliance, but you can rest assured the competency side of things is being taken care of by Performance Tower Hire. 

Working at Height Near Powerlines? Follow These Steps. 

Before the machine arrives on site, work through these steps:

• Identify any powerlines on or next to the site. Remember those on neighbouring properties could fall within the boom’s radius.
• Establish exclusion zones in the site safety plan based on AS 2550 requirements for the relevant voltage.
• Brief the operator on powerline locations and exclusion zones before work begins.
• Confirm whether a spotter is required and have that person in position before the boom goes up.
• Have a clear stop-work protocol in place if conditions change, including unexpected line movement in wind.

These aren’t complicated steps. Safety on site comes in being consistent about implementing them. 

Talk to Performance Tower Hire Before Your Next Job

If your next Brisbane or SEQ job puts an EWP anywhere near powerlines, it’s worth a conversation before you book. We can talk through which machine is best for your job and whether you should be looking at wet hire or have the internal capacity for dry hire. 

Get in touch today and let’s get the conversation started. Your safety on site is our biggest priority, particularly when you’re working near powerlines. You can reach us here or on 1300 784 473.

Dry hire is a good option if you have a licensed and experienced operator on your team. You’re saving on costs because you’re not paying for a hired operator – but you need to be on top of the responsibilities it involves. Particularly when it comes to safety. 

With wet hire, there’s a shared approach to responsibility; when you dry hire an EWP, it falls squarely on your shoulders. You need to understand your safety obligations before the machine gets to site. 

The part that catches some hirers off guard is the shift in responsibility. When there’s no operator on site, the safety obligations that would otherwise be shared don’t disappear. They land with you. Understanding exactly what that means before the machine arrives helps the job go smoothly and keeps you on the right side of compliance regulations. 

No Hired EWP Operator on Site

When you engage in a wet hire arrangement with Performance Tower Hire, our operator handles a significant portion of the on-site safety work. That includes pre-start inspections, harness checks, spotter coordination and real-time risk assessment as the job progresses. There’s a lot of expertise built into the hire.

With dry hire, those responsibilities transfer to you. You’re legally responsible for managing the risks associated with working at heights – it’s part of the Queensland Work Health and Safety Act. We provide you with the compliant machine, you take care of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), a licensed operator, pre-start checks, spotters and any other safety protocols. 

If you’re an experienced operator you’ve no doubt got this all under control. It’s important we get this information out there though, because the WHS framework doesn’t leave much room for assumptions.

What Performance Tower Hire Takes Care Of

When one of our elevated work platforms leaves the yard on a dry hire, it goes out compliance-ready. Every unit in the fleet is maintained to AS 2550 standards. It carries current service records and goes through pre-delivery checks before it reaches your site. You can rest assured that when it comes to safety, the EWP you’re hiring ticks all the boxes. We have factory-trained technicians on-site keeping our machines in perfect working order. They’re not just safe, they’re reliable too. 

What the Hirer Takes Care Of

Let’s take a close look at your safety responsibilities when you dry hire an EWP.

PPE obligations

PPE for EWP work is non-negotiable under Queensland WHS regulations. It’s more than throwing on a hard hat – let’s look at what every EWP operator should have sorted:

Full-body harness and lanyard 

A full-body harness is required for all EWP operations. This can’t be a chest harness or a waist belt. Inspect it before each use, fit it to the operator correctly and ensure it’s firmly attached to the EWP anchor point. 

Helmet 

A safety helmet certified to AS/NZS 1801:2024 must be worn on site. Regular inspections and replacements after any serious knocks are also non-negotiables. Helmets are important all the time, especially when working with overhead hazards like tree branches. 

Hi-vis clothing 

Hi-vis compliant with AS/NZS 4602.1 is required for most EWP work sites. Class D/N is the right call for the majority of jobs as it covers both daylight and low-light conditions. It’s the standard expectation across construction, civil, and outdoor maintenance work in Queensland. 

Safety footwear 

The operator must wear steel-capped boots certified to AS/NZS 2210. Slip resistance is a critical feature too – the platform can get s;ippery if there’s any wet around. 

Truck-mounted EWP Best Practice for Safety

Performance Tower Hire operates truck-mounted EWPs from 16m up to 54m working height. These are serious heights, and serious safety considerations need to be taken. Your properly sized lanyard and correctly positioned anchor point are extremely important in the event of a fall or slip. 

Our machines have designated anchor points built to AS 2550 requirements. Before you start on the job, ensure your operator knows where the anchor point is, that the lanyard length is correct and fitment and connection are all done properly. We can’t stress this enough when you’re operating a truck-mounted EWP.

EWP Licencing

Every machine in the PTH fleet has a boom length over 11 metres, which means the WP High Risk Work Licence is required without exception. 

Confirm your licence is current before the machine arrives. Too many businesses leave it to the last minute before realising they don’t have a correctly licensed operator. 

Pre-start Inspection

Before anyone goes up, a pre-start inspection is required. Here’s what to check: 

• Controls are working
• The platform is in decent condition, 
• Where the harness anchor points are and if they are secure
• The ground conditions around the outrigger footprint. 

A documented risk assessment of the site should also be completed. This needs to cover overhead hazards, ground stability, exclusion zones, and emergency procedures.

When to turn to wet hire

No matter how experienced your team is there are still situations where wet hire is more suitable. In that kind of situation, having a licensed operator on site removes risk and pressure, while ensuring the job gets completed to a very high standard. 

Examples could be jobs with very complex site conditions, or work on a site with tight compliance restrictions. Wet hire could simply be the more efficient and safer method of getting the job done. 

Talk to Performance Tower Hire before you book

Not sure whether dry or wet hire is the right fit for your next job? Give us a buzz on 1300 784 473 or get in touch here. We’re happy to talk through what the job needs before you commit to anything. It’s important you get the right machine and the right hiring arrangement for your working at heights job, and we’re here to guide you to that.