§ 95-229.7. Prohibited activities. - North Carolina Statutes

§95‑229.7.  Prohibited activities.

(a)        Unless danger ofcontact with high‑voltage lines has been guarded against as provided byG.S. 95‑229.8, 95‑229.9, and 95‑229.10, the following actionsare prohibited:

(1)        No person shall,individually or through an agent or employee, perform, or require any otherperson to perform, any work upon any land, building, highway, or other premisesthat will cause:

a.         Such individual,agent, employee, or other person to be placed within six feet of any overheadhigh‑voltage line; or any part of any tool or material used by the agent,employee, or other person to be brought within six feet of any overhead high‑voltageline, or

b.         Any part of anycovered equipment or covered item used by the individual, agent, employee, orother person to be brought within 10 feet of any high‑voltage line.

(2)        No person shall,individually or through an agent or employee or as an agent or employee, erect,construct, operate, maintain, transport, or store any covered equipment orcovered item within 10 feet of any high‑voltage line, or such greaterclearance as may be required under the circumstances by OSHA, except asprovided herein. This prohibition shall not apply, however, to coveredequipment as defined herein when lawfully driven or transported on publicstreets and highways in compliance with applicable height restrictions. Therequired clearance from high‑voltage lines shall be not less than fourfeet when:

a.         Covered equipment asdefined herein is lawfully driven or transported on public streets and highwaysin compliance with the height restriction applicable thereto,

b.         Refuse collectionequipment is operating, or

c.         Agriculturalequipment is operating.

(3)        No person shall,individually or through an agent or employee or as an agent or employee,operate or cause to be operated an airplane or helicopter within 20 feet of ahigh‑voltage line, except that no clearance is specified for licensedaerial applicators that may incidentally pass within the 20‑footlimitation during normal operation.

(4)        No person shall,individually or through an agent or employee or as an agent or employee, storeor cause to be stored any materials that are expected to be moved or handled bycovered equipment or any covered item within 10 feet of a high‑voltageline.

(5)        No person shall,individually or through an agent or employee or as an agent or employee,provide or cause to be provided additional clearance by either (i) raising,moving, or displacing any overhead utility electric lines or (ii) pulling orpushing any pole, guy, or other structural appurtenance.

(6)        No person shall,individually or through an agent or employee or as an agent or employee,excavate or cause to be excavated any portion of any foundations of structures,including guy anchors or other structural appurtenances, which support anyoverhead utility electric lines.

(b)        If the high‑voltageline has been insulated or de‑energized and grounded, in accordance withG.S. 95‑229.10, the required clearances specified in subdivisions (1),(2), and (4) of subsection (a) of this section may be reduced to not less thantwo feet. Under no circumstances shall the line or its covering be contacted.If the line is temporarily raised or moved to accommodate the expected work,without also being insulated or de‑energized and grounded, the requiredclearances from the line, specified in subsection (a) of this section, shallnot be reduced. (1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 587, s. 1; 1998‑193,s. 3.)