NIE issue 'alarming' damage increase warning

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) has recorded more than 400 incidents of damage to overhead and underground electricity cables since the start of the year.

The figures were revealed as NIE issued a safety appeal in light of such "an alarming increase" in figures because of work carried out by homeowners and contractors.

Roy Coulter, NIE Director of Safety and Risk, said: “Any contact with live electricity equipment can result in a fatality and contractors must follow correct safety procedures to keep all those on site safe.

“Every contractor should familiarize himself with all services, electrical, gas, water and telephone present at a work location. Contractors should also contact NIE in good time requesting information about electrical equipment in the vicinity of their work."

Mr Coulter revealed that during 2003 alone contractors and individual householders working on their property caused over 169 outages on the high voltage network, affecting over 87,000 customers, with an average disruption to electricity supplies of 1.6 hours per customer.

"We will issue a ‘mark up’ drawing, free of charge, detailing all the information we have on underground electrical equipment in the area where work is to be carried out," Mr Coulter said. "Contractors should ensure this document is on site when working and that all sub contractors have been fully briefed.

"In recent months we have discovered contractors working without mark up drawings on site – this is a highly dangerous practice and steps must be taken to ensure proper safety procedures are followed.

Mr Coulter said NIE would continue to seek financial recompense from contractors and individuals who damage the electricity network.

Ken Logan, Head of HSENI's Construction Group, welcomed NIE’s awareness campaign. "The Health and Safety Executive will continue to work with NIE to help break the cycle of repeating the same type of accidents.

"Electricity demands our respect - it has killed and will kill again if proper planning and management control are not applied to work in the vicinity of services.

"We urge all contractors to ensure health and safety guidelines are strictly applied to all projects working in the vicinity of electricity equipment," he concluded.

(MB)