BlueSky Mast AL1 STANDARD Series, User Manual

Page: 5 / 76

Safety Precautions
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Important Safety Precautions
Part I: Power Lines, Lightning and Grounding

LOOK UP AND LIVE! Before erecting the mast, check for overhead power lines. Never de-
ploy this mast where there is any possibility of direct or indirect contact with a power line.
Keep the mast a distance equal to or greater than twice its height away from power lines.
This will ensure that the Antenna, masts, guy ropes or cables will not contact power if it
falls either during installation or later. Any person touching any part of a mast or even
standing near a mast that contacts a power line can be seriously injured or killed.

BEWARE OF UNDERGROUND POWER LINES! Ground stakes might penetrate underground
power lines. Before deploying any ground stakes, be sure to check the area for warnings
of buried cables and contact your local power company to verify. Any person touching any
part of a mast or even standing near a mast that contacts a power line can be seriously
injured or killed.

Keep guy ropes away from power lines to eliminate the possibility of a power line falling
on the guy rope.

Never touch a mast or structure that you suspect may be accidentally energized electri-
cally.

Never work with a mast or related structure during electrical storm activity.

Contrary to popular belief, most lightning injuries and damage do not come from direct
lightning strikes. There are several ways that lightning can injure you:

“Step Potential” is potentially hazardous voltage that can exist on the ground like
stepping on a live wire. This results from electrical energy diverted into the ground
from lightning striking nearby. It is the most common injury causing lightning ef-
fect.

Flashover is when lightning strikes a nearby object and then jumps to another
nearby object. This is usually what injures people standing under trees in an elec-
trical storm.

Do not stand near the mast, deploy or retract the mast during electrical storm activity.

Always ground the mast.