Excavations
Another major cause of accidents has been the inadvertent striking of buried power lines during excavation work. Many of these incidents involve the construction, maintenance of, or alterations to, buildings.
More information about working near underground services can be found in the guide Avoiding danger from underground services
Failure to use a cable locator
A labourer received burns to his torso and arm when he damaged a 415 volt electrical supply.
No plans
A worker suffered deep burns after he hit an 11,000 volt cable when excavating using a road breaker
Site rules not enforced
A 42 year old labourer was burned and died in hospital 9 days after hitting an 11,000 volt cable.
Inadequate training
- A 17 year old was severely injured when he struck an underground cable using a pneumatic breaker.
- A subcontracted labourer was seriously injured when he hit an 11,000 volt cable with a jack hammer.
Plans not used
An employee suffered minor burns when he hit a 415 volt cable whilst using a jack hammer.
Unsafe system of work
5 gas pipes and 1 electricity cable were struck using a mechanical digger.