Electricity at work - Simple precautions

Excavation and underground services

What you need to know

When underground cables are damaged, people can be killed and injured by electric shock, electrical arcs (causing an explosion), and flames. This often results in severe burns to hands, face and body, even if protective clothing is being worn.
Damage can be caused when a cable is:

• Cut through by a sharp object such as the point of a tool
• Crushed by a heavy object or powerful machine
• Cables that have been previously damaged but left unreported and un-repaired can cause incidents

The HSE booklet "Avoiding danger from underground services" gives guidance on how you can manage the risks of digging near underground cables.

What you need to do

If you are digging or disturbing the earth you should take care to avoid damaging underground services. Underground electrical cables can be particularly hazardous because they often look like pipes and it is impossible to tell if they are live just by looking at them.
Damage to underground electrical cables can cause fatal or severe injury and the law says you must take precautions to avoid danger.

For further information please visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/electricity/information/excavations.htm

Source: www.hse.gov.uk

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