Endeavour Energy's Minimum Safe Working Distances: What Tradies Near Your Property Must Follow

How close can you legally work to Endeavour Energy powerlines? If you are not specifically trained and authorised, the answer is 3 metres for almost every line you will see in western Sydney, and further for the big transmission lines. Endeavour Energy's Electrical Safety Rules, updated in October 2024, set these minimum safe working distances for everyone on or near its network, and they apply to painters, roofers, arborists, scaffolders and machinery operators just as much as electricians.

⚡ Quick Answers: Endeavour Energy safe working distances

• How far must a homeowner or untrained tradie stay from powerlines? At least 3 metres from anything up to 132,000 volts, which covers street level lines across western Sydney. That rises to 6 metres and then 8 metres for the largest transmission lines.
• Do trained electrical workers get closer? Yes. Authorised persons may work to 500mm on low voltage and 700mm up to 22,000 volts, but only with the right authorisation and equipment.
• What about scaffolding? Scaffolding must stay at least 4 metres from electrical equipment unless the line is isolated, earthed and a formal Access Authority is issued.
• What if I hit an underground cable while digging? Keep everyone at least 8 metres back and have someone guard the area until it is checked.
• Can drones fly near powerlines? Endeavour's rules require remote aircraft to stay at least 1.5 metres from powerlines and their supporting structures.
• Am I even in Endeavour territory? You can check your network area in seconds with our postcode checker.

1. Two sets of distances: ordinary people and authorised workers

Endeavour Energy's rules divide the world into ordinary persons, instructed persons and authorised persons. An ordinary person is anyone without the training to recognise and avoid electrical dangers, which in practice means homeowners and most tradies.

Ordinary persons must keep 3 metres from live equipment up to 132,000 volts under clause 6.4.2 of the Electrical Safety Rules. Authorised persons who hold written approval from Endeavour Energy work to much smaller distances, because they are trained, assessed and equipped for it.

2. The distances that matter on a house block

Almost everything you can see from a western Sydney backyard runs at 132,000 volts or less, so the 3 metre rule is the one to remember. That includes the low voltage street mains, the 11,000 volt lines higher on the same poles, and the service line to your roof.

The buffer is generous on purpose. Electricity can arc across an air gap before you touch anything, ladders and tools extend your reach, and a slip changes distances instantly. If a job like painting a gable or clearing gutters puts you inside 3 metres of the service line, the safe fix is a temporary disconnection through our disconnect and reconnect service.

3. Scaffolding, cranes and excavators

Scaffolding has its own tighter rule: 4 metres from electrical equipment unless the line has been isolated, earthed and a formal Access Authority issued by Endeavour Energy. Builders who discover this mid project lose days waiting for network access, so it pays to plan the scaffold layout around the service line early.

Operating cranes, excavators and elevated work platforms near the network requires either the full ordinary person distance or an authorised operator with a dedicated safety observer. If excavation strikes or exposes an underground cable, the rules require everyone to stay at least 8 metres back while the cable is guarded until Endeavour confirms it is safe.

4. Trees, drones and fallen wires

Vegetation work close to live lines is restricted to specially authorised crews using insulated tools and elevated work platforms, with strict limits on branch sizes and drop zones. If your trees are growing into the lines, do not send a general arborist up with a chainsaw.

Drones must keep 1.5 metres from lines and poles. And any fallen wire, after a storm or a vehicle strike, must be treated as live from 8 metres away, no exceptions. Call Endeavour Energy on 131 003 for network emergencies, 000 if life is at risk, and our storm damage team for the private side repairs. Our guide to live low voltage work under Endeavour's rules explains why even professionals rarely work on energised gear.

5. How this compares with Ausgrid

The 3 metre ordinary person distance is consistent across NSW networks, so the habit transfers if you work across the boundary. The differences sit in the fine print, such as authorisation categories and plant rules, which we cover in our Ausgrid safe approach distances guide and the Endeavour Energy Electrical Safety Rules explainer.

Why it's Level 2 ASP work

Any job inside the safe working distances needs the network made safe first, and only accredited people can do that. A Level 2 ASP can disconnect and reconnect your service, arrange tiger tails or line covers, and carry out work on overhead service mains that no standard electrician or tradie is permitted to touch.

How High Demand Electrical helps

We are authorised to work on the Endeavour Energy network, so we handle the part of your project the safety rules put off limits. That includes temporary disconnections for painting, roofing and scaffolding, protective covers over service lines during renovations, private power pole work clear of the network, and emergency make safe responses when something has already gone wrong. One call sorts the isolation, the work window and the reconnection.

Safe Working Distance FAQs (Sydney)

Do the 3 metre rules apply to my own service line?

Yes. The service line from the street to your roof is live network equipment, and untrained persons should stay 3 metres clear. If work needs to happen closer, book a temporary disconnection. See disconnect and reconnect services.

Who enforces safe working distances on a worksite?

The principal contractor and each employer carry WHS duties, and Endeavour Energy can stop work near its network. SafeWork NSW prosecutes breaches, especially after contact incidents.

Can I trim a branch that is touching the powerline?

No. Vegetation inside the safe approach distances must be handled by authorised vegetation crews. Report it to Endeavour Energy and keep everyone clear in the meantime.

How do I know if my street is Endeavour or Ausgrid?

Endeavour Energy covers most of western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Macarthur and the Illawarra. The fastest way to confirm is our postcode network checker.

Need power made safe before work starts?

Get a disconnection and reconnection quote for your renovation or trade work, or call 0402 559 777. Every job is confirmed with a site assessment before scope and pricing are locked in.