CRITICAL RISK MANAGEMENT
Practical training for working safely around overhead powerlines

Give your people a clearer understanding of electrical hazards and the decisions that help keep them safe. Critical Risk Management brings electricity network experience to powerline safety training, supported by independent safety consulting and ICAM investigations.

Explore Training Get in touch
Critical Risk Management
Critical Risk Management
Electricity network experience
Critical Risk Management

Real incident learnings

Critical Risk Management
Delivered on site, where your crews work
Critical Risk Management
Independent ICAM investigations

Help your team understand the risk before work begins

Working around electrical infrastructure requires people to recognise hazards, understand the controls and know how to respond when something goes wrong.

Critical Risk Management delivers practical training that connects these responsibilities to the work your people do. Led by Chris Trutwein, formerly a Senior Safety Specialist at Essential Energy, sessions draw on industry experience and real incident learnings to make electrical safety clear, relevant and memorable.

From civil construction and utilities to transport and agriculture, the focus is on helping people apply what they learn when they return to work.

Critical Risk Management

UETDREL006

Working Around Overhead Powerlines

Overhead powerlines can become part of the background on a familiar worksite.

When vehicles, machinery and changing work conditions are involved, recognising the risk needs to be an active part of planning the job.

Our working around overhead powerlines training helps participants understand electrical hazards, the importance of effective controls and the consequences of contact with the electricity network.

Chris explains the reasoning behind safe work practices, encourages questions and uses practical examples to connect the training to everyday tasks.

About this course

Safety support before and after an incident

Safety Consulting

Independent support to help you understand critical risks and strengthen the way they are managed. We work with your organisation to identify concerns, review current practices and develop practical improvements that make sense for the work being done.

Explore Safety Consulting

ICAM Investigations

Understand what happened, what contributed and where improvements are needed. Our ICAM investigations examine the circumstances surrounding an incident to help your organisation learn from it and address the factors that could allow it to happen again.

Explore ICAM Investigations
Critical Risk Management

FOUNDER: CHRIS TRUTWEIN
Learn from someone who understands the electricity network

Chris Trutwein founded Critical Risk Management after a career that included delivering electrical safety education through Essential Energy.

His experience includes engaging with council workforces, earthmoving contractors, transport operators, farming communities and emergency responders. That breadth helps him relate electrical risks to different roles, work environments and levels of experience.

Participants consistently describe his presentations as informative and engaging. He makes complex topics accessible, invites discussion and helps people understand why the safety message matters to them.

More about Chris
Central West Heavy Vehicle Forum
“Chris was an absolutely excellent presenter, he asked questions on prior knowledge, and taught people what to do and why in an electrical emergency, which is such a prevalent risk in both general life and our industries”

Central West Heavy Vehicle Forum

Riverina Water
"One of the most engaging and informative presentations I have seen." Thank you to Joe Mansour and the team at Riverina Water County Council for the opportunity to share practical safety lessons and industry experience”. 

Riverina Water County Council's Work Health & Safety Officer described Chris's presentation as "one of the most engaging and informative presentations I have seen," noting positive feedback from workers, managers and supervisors across the organisation.

Riverina Water

Gunnedah Library – Electrical Safety in the home 

"Chris delivered an exceptionally engaging and informative presentation that was extremely well received by our senior community members. Attendees consistently commented on how much they learned and described it as one of the most interesting presentations they had attended. Chris has a remarkable ability to translate complex electrical safety topics into practical, easy-to-understand advice that people can apply in their everyday lives. The positive response was overwhelming, and participants immediately requested a return presentation the following year."

Gunnedah Library – Electrical Safety in the home 

Cowra Council 
I just wanted to thank you again for last week's training. I've had nothing but positive feedback from all staff who attended. You presented really well! Thank you for coming to Cowra to deliver the sessions.

Cowra Council 

Ventia Australia
"The presentation was outstanding and highlighted the significance of asset locating when working near live services. The discussion on potential dangers, avoiding asset strikes, and utility awareness was particularly valuable. The team gained a strong understanding of situational awareness and the importance of accurate service locating. The messages of 'Dial Before You Dig' and 'Look Up and Live' resonated strongly with attendees and reinforced the serious consequences of utility incidents. The session significantly enhanced our team's understanding of operational risks."

Ventia Australia

Hume Link East Project
"With an audience of more than 850 project personnel, Chris provided practical insights into working safely around electrical infrastructure, delivering a presentation that was highly relevant, well received, and directly aligned with the safety objectives of the HumeLink East project. Attendees and project leaders praised the practical nature of his examples and the value they brought to strengthening safety awareness and risk management across the workforce."

Hume Link East Project

Insights

Working Near Powerlines: What to Check Before Starting

Working Near Powerlines: What to Check Before Starting

Posted Oct 2026

Overhead powerlines can be easy to overlook on a familiar site. A practical look at identifying electrical hazards and making them part of your work planning.

Read more
Would Your Team Know What to Do in an Electrical Emergency?

Would Your Team Know What to Do in an Electrical Emergency?

Posted Oct 2026

An incident involving electrical infrastructure can unfold quickly. Why emergency response needs to be understood and discussed before your team faces a real situation.

Read more
What Can an ICAM Investigation Tell You About an Incident?

What Can an ICAM Investigation Tell You About an Incident?

Posted Oct 2026

Understanding an incident means examining more than the immediate events. Explore how ICAM investigations help identify contributing factors and opportunities for improvement.

Read more
Making Safety Training Relevant to the Work Your People Do

Making Safety Training Relevant to the Work Your People Do

Posted Oct 2026

Training has more impact when people can connect it to their daily tasks. How practical examples, questions and discussion help turn safety information into understanding.

Read more

Lets talk about your team’s safety needs

From training your crews to investigating an incident, the right support starts with a conversation. Reach out with a few details and you’ll talk through what your organisation needs to keep its people safe.

Get in touch
Critical Risk Management logo

Where to Next...

Contact Us

2026 © All Rights Reserved. Website by Cloud Concepts