Outside, overhead wires are not insulated with a protective covering. Most electrical accidents occur when people or something they're carrying or driving makes contact with overhead wires.

If you touch lines with a ladder, lumber, trees, a crane, a boom truck, objects on your vehicle, a pipe, or a wide variety of materials, the electrical current will pass through the object to you and you can be killed.

It's easy to grow complacent when you're on a job site for a few days. But you have to pay attention every minute because it only takes a second for a deadly accident to happen. Keep hazards well marked with signs provided by NB Power. When moving cumbersome equipment that blocks your view of the wires, ask someone to watch.

The key to keeping safe is maintaining these minimum safe distances:

• Up to 750 volts - 0.9 metres (3 feet)
• 751 to 100 000 volts - 3.6 metres (12 feet)
• 100 001 to 250 000 volts - 5.2 metres (17 feet)
• 250 001 to 345 000 volts - 6.1 metres (20 feet)

If there isn't enough clearance, take another route or call NB Power to raise the wires.

When calculating clearances when cutting trees, calculate it as if the tree were lying on the ground in any direction. You can not predict exactly where a tree will fall. If there isn't enough clearance, contact NB Power because we can de-energize the lines.

REMEMBER: If contact does occur, always assume the wire is still live. Leave the object where it is, stay away from it and contact NB Power at 1 800 663-6272.