Major energy distributor, UK Power Networks, has issued a safety warning to construction workers after its engineers found live electric cables left in a dangerous state on a number of sites.
The company has seen an increase in the number of such cables being left in potentially hazardous situations. In a recent case, live cabling was found dumped in a wheelie bin where it could have killed someone.
Live electric cables have also been found hanging from fences or tacked onto a piece of wood.
Last year the number of incidents of interfering with the electricity network tripled, according to the company.
Between April 2022 and March 2023, there were more than 1,000 instances of interference across London, the East and the South East of England – the areas covered by UK Power Networks.
It added that power workers are now regularly finding unsafe sites.
The supplier is warning builders, demolition workers and homeowners to take care and call their network distributor if they want cables moved so a site survey can be undertaken.
‘A complete mess underfoot’
Electricity surveyor at UK Power Networks, Chris Slattery, who attends properties where people have requested alterations to their electricity service, a new connection or an upgrade, said he has seen electricity supplies left hanging off a wall or left on the floor.
“A lot of the jobs have to be reported as dangerous or unsafe because a customer has had a power cable moved,” Slattery said. “Many customers say they didn’t know the live cables couldn’t be moved by anyone, others say they knew someone who would do it cheaply.
“Also a lot of sites we are asked to attend are unsafe because they are a complete mess underfoot, and we have to abort our visit until it is safe to set foot on the site.”
Education and engagement adviser at UK Power Networks, Ros Forbes, added that building tradespeople are a key target for this awareness initiative. “In their eagerness to crack on with the job, some builders are putting themselves and others at considerable risk, and every accident is wholly avoidable,” he said.
Cable plans, showing where electricity cables run, can be obtained before starting any work via the UK Power Networks website or LineSearchBeforeUDig.
Any emergency incident involving electricity cables, or damaged cabling, should be reported by dialing 105.
