Building and operating a “ham” radio station is a perfectly safe pastime. However, carelessness can lead to severe injury, burns or even death by electrocution. The information here is provided as a general guideline to electrical safety. More specific details are available through the American Radio Relay League and the National Electric Code.

Antenna Safety – Look Up and Live!

• Assume all overhead power lines are energized and dangerous. They are not covered! This includes the service drop, which typically runs from the power pole to your home or shack.
• Look for power lines which can be hidden by trees and buildings.
• Plan the work and work the plan. Before you put up or take down an antenna, assess the job; discuss the project’s activities with your helpers and agree on specific assignments. Ask yourself… “at any time can arms, legs, head, the antenna, wires or tools come in contact with power lines?”
• Use a safety spotter. Nobody can do the work alone and assess safety distances. A safety spotter’s only job it to keep people and equipment safely away from power lines.
• Remember the 10-foot rule. Keep all equipment, tools, your antenna, guy wire and tower at least 10 feet away from power lines. 
• Contact Edison if you must work closer than 10 feet from a power line or if you’re in doubt about safety clearances.  SCE will work with you to make safety arrangements.
• Never use metal ladders or long-handled metal tools when working near power lines.
• Make sure the antenna cannot be rotated into power lines. Or that it cannot fall into a power line if the guy wires fail and the tower falls.
• Use non-conductive guys.
• Have a solid earth ground for your antenna and operating equipment.  This helps reduce the risk of electrical shock and also provides a low-impedance path to ground for stray RF. 
• Call Dig-Alert (800) 226-2700 at least two days in advance of digging a tower footing or a cable trench. Dig Alert is a free service which will mark the location of the underground utilities near your home, shack and work area. Underground utilities may be buried just a few inches below the surface!

Field Day Safety

• Your first step is to locate the power lines. Point them out to everyone and discuss how you will all approach the set up and breakdown of the antennas, towers, awnings and tents
• Never set up an antenna in the dark.  But if you feel you must do so, first use a high powered spotlight to locate overhead power lines. Look for where the power lines are, as well as where they are not. Remember, power lines can easily be hidden by trees and buildings.  
• Assess antenna clearances. Locate your antennas as far as possible away from power lines -- and no less than 10 feet!  Make sure your temporary antennas or guy wire can’t fall into power lines.
• Never throw an antenna wire, guy wire or rope into a tree which is located near a power line.  If a power line is touching a tree, stay away!
• If you encounter a downed power line, stay away and keep others away. Call 9-1-1 immediately.  

Portable Generators

The backflow from a portable generator can seriously hurt or kill an unsuspecting SCE employee or First Responder.

Never plug a generator into the house circuit. Be sure you pull the breaker to the house.