Working near high-voltage facilities

High voltage can kill. Always keep a safe distance, and always get in touch with Elia’s Contact Centre before you start work.

When to contact our Contact Centre

There are specific risks involved in working near a high-voltage facility. Our Contact Centre can advise you on the safety measures you should take.

In some cases, you are required to contact us before you begin work:

if you will be working within 100 metres of our facilities;
if you will be working near pipelines carrying hazardous substances;
if you will be working near HV power lines;
if you will be working near underground electricity cables;
before you begin a construction project or issue a building permit;
if you will be working with tall farming equipment (like tractors, irrigation equipment or combine harvesters) under high-voltage lines;
if you will be working with a crane, elevator, excavator or another long object (like a ladder);
if you are working on a roof or scaffolding within 100 metres of an overhead line;
if you are erecting a wind turbine.

Specific rules

Specific rules apply to some of the activities listed above. Our Contact Centre will tell you everything you need to know and answer all your questions. The specific rules relate to:

1 Construction

Legal height restrictions apply to buildings near high-voltage power lines. The permitted height depends on the position of the cables, which can vary depending on the nature of the connection, environmental factors (wind and temperature) and the distance between the two pylons.

2 Excavation work, elevation work and groundwater drainage

Wherever you are planning to carry out this type of work, you are required to report it well in advance. You can do this through the Federal Cable and Pipeline Management Database (KLIM-CICC) platform. By taking this simple step, you can be sure that there are no underground high-voltage cables where you will be working.

You can also read our brochure for details of the basic safety rules to apply and practical tips for each stage of your project: preparation, execution and completion : Working near underground high-voltage cables (in French) and Working near underground high-voltage cables (in Dutch)

3 Wind turbines

You must ask Elia for an opinion before erecting a wind turbine. Wind turbines can have effects (such as vibrations) across a 500-metre radius. They can also pose a risk to HV power lines, pylons and HV substations - for instance, they may fall over, break a blade or throw ice. Specific guidelines may apply depending on the location. Elia optimized its regulations on Feb. 1, 2024.

See our procedure: opinion on wind turbines in the vicinity of HV facilities for more information