CS05/CS06 User Manual ◄ 7
ELECTRICAL PRECAUTIONS
The  following  guidelines  must  be  followed  to  prevent 
accidental  contact  with  overhead  electrical  conductors 
and/or  communication  wires  and  cables.  (ref.  ANSI 
Z133.1-2000)
Working in Proximity to Electrical Hazards:
An  inspection  shall  be  made  by  a  qualied  arborist  to 
determine  whether  an  electrical  hazard  exists  before 
climbing,  or  otherwise  entering,  or  performing  work  in 
or on a tree.
Only qualied line-clearance arborists or qualied line-
clearance  arborist  trainees  shall  be  assigned  to  work 
where  an  electrical  hazard  exists.  Qualied  line-clear-
ance arborist trainees shall be under the direct supervi-
sion of qualied line-clearance arborist.
A second qualied line-clearance arborists or line-clear-
ance  arborist  trainees  shall  be  within  vision  or  voice 
communication  during  line-clearing  operations  aloft 
when line-clearance arborists or line-clearance arborist 
trainees  must  approach  closer  than  10  feet  (3.05  me-
ters) to any energized electrical conductor in excess of 
750 volts (primary conductor) or when:
1.  Branches or limbs being removed cannot rst be 
cut  (with  a  pole  pruner/pole  saw)  to  sufciently 
clear electrical conductors,  so  as  to  avoid  con-
tact.
2.  Roping is required to remove branches or limbs 
from  such  electrical  conductors.  This  does  not 
apply to individuals working on behalf of, or em-
ployed  by,  electrical  system  owners/operators 
engaged in line-clearing operations incidental to 
their normal occupation.
Qualied line-clearance arborists and line-clearance 
arborist  trainees  shall  maintain  minimum  approach 
distances from energized electrical conductors in ac-
cordance with Table 1.
All  other  arborists  shall  maintain  a  minimum  ap-
proach distance from energized electrical conductors 
in accordance with Table 2.
Branches  hanging  on  an  energized  electrical  con-
ductor shall be removed using non-conductive equip-
ment. 
Table 1 – Minimum approach distances from energized conductors for qualied line-clearance arborists and 
qualied line- clearance arborist trainees. 
Nominal Voltage 
(kV phase-to-phase)
Includes 1910.269 
elevation factor,  
sea level to 5000 ft
1
Includes 1910.269 
elevation factor,  
5001 – 10,000 ft
1
Includes 1910.269 elevation 
factor, 10,000 – 14,000 ft
1
ft–in m ft–in m ft–in m
0.05 to 1.0 Avoid contact Avoid contact Avoid contact
1.1 to 15.0 2–04 0.71 2–08 0.81 2–10 0.86
15.1 to 36.0 2–09 0.84 3–02 0.97 3–05 1.04
36.1 to 46.0 3–00 0.92 3–05 1.04 3–09 1.14
46.1 to 72.5 3–09 1.14 4–03 1.30 4–07 1.40
72.6 to 121.0 4–06 1.37 5–02 1.58 5–07 1.70
138.0 to 145.0 5–02 1.58 5–11 1.80 6–05 1.96
161.0 to 169.0 6–00 1.83 6–10 2.08 7–05 2.26
230.0 to 242.0 7–11 2.41 9–00 2.75 9–09 2.97
345.0 to 362.0 13–02 4.02 15–00 4.58 16–03 4.96
500.0 to 550.0 19–00 5.80 21–09 6.63 23–06 7.17
765.0 to 800.0 27–04 8.34 31–03 9.53 33–10 10.32
1
 Exceeds phase-to-ground; elevation factor per 29 CFR 1910.269.