Minimum safe clearance from overhead lines for 600-50,000 V?

Minimum safe clearance from overhead lines for 600-50,000 V?

• A. 6'
• B. 4'
• C. 8'
• D. 12'

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is protecting yourself from electric arcing. When you’re near overhead power lines, the air can act as an insulator only up to a certain distance, and that distance gets larger as voltage increases. For lines in the 600–50,000-volt range, the practical minimum safe clearance is six feet. That buffer reduces the risk of an arc jumping to a tool, pole, scaffold, or person if something shifts, sways, or sags in heat or wind. Keeping six feet as a rule gives you a clear, workable safety limit while you’re painting or using equipment near lines. Distances larger than six feet are safer, but six feet is the minimum standard for this voltage range.

The main idea here is protecting yourself from electric arcing. When you’re near overhead power lines, the air can act as an insulator only up to a certain distance, and that distance gets larger as voltage increases. For lines in the 600–50,000-volt range, the practical minimum safe clearance is six feet. That buffer reduces the risk of an arc jumping to a tool, pole, scaffold, or person if something shifts, sways, or sags in heat or wind. Keeping six feet as a rule gives you a clear, workable safety limit while you’re painting or using equipment near lines. Distances larger than six feet are safer, but six feet is the minimum standard for this voltage range.