What must be maintained around energized electrical conductors to ensure worker safety?

Maintaining limited approach boundaries around energized electrical conductors is essential for ensuring worker safety. These boundaries are defined distances that workers must not cross unless they are properly equipped and qualified to work on or around live electrical equipment. The purpose of these boundaries is to minimize the risk of accidental contact with energized parts, which can lead to serious injuries or fatalities due to electrical shock or arc flash incidents.

By establishing and respecting these boundaries, workers can maintain a safe working environment. They are crucial for preventing unauthorized individuals from inadvertently entering potentially dangerous areas and for ensuring that personnel who are working in proximity to energized components have proper training and protective equipment when necessary.

While proper ventilation, emergency equipment, and protective gear are important elements of overall safety in an electrical environment, the specific focus of limited approach boundaries is primarily to control access and mitigate the risks associated with working near live conductors.