What zone should be maintained when using a clam shell bucket to demolish a structure?

When using a clam shell bucket for demolishing a structure, maintaining a safe zone within 25 feet of the line of travel of the bucket is essential for ensuring the safety of personnel and equipment. This distance is determined by the potential hazard zones created by the movement of the clam shell bucket, which can swing or drop debris as it operates.

The area around the bucket's movement is particularly dangerous because it may not only affect the operators but also anyone nearby. This 25-foot radius is a precautionary measure to minimize the risk of injury from falling objects or unintended movements of the equipment.

In the context of the other choices, a zone of 50 feet from the operation might be unnecessarily conservative given the specific operation of a clam shell bucket. At the feet of the operator wouldn't provide adequate distance to protect from any potential hazards, and maintaining a height of 2 feet above ground level doesn't address the lateral movement or potential for debris fall during demolition. Therefore, the specified safe zone is critical for operational safety and aligns best with industry practices for using this type of equipment.