'Safety Saves Lives' is the simple message from Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) as the latest figures show a worrying rise in the number of third party damages to the electricity network in the last year.

There have been over 1,110 avoidable damages to the high and low voltage network, disrupting electricity supplies to over 51,300 homes, schools and businesses across Northern Ireland. In addition 17 people came into direct contact with the network, putting themselves at great personal risk.

Kevin McDowell, Head of Health, Safety and Environment at NIE says anyone working near the electricity network must be aware of the dangers and ensure working practices have a strong safety focus.

Mr McDowell said: "Any contact with NIE equipment can result in a fatality and contractors, farmers and homeowners must follow safety procedures to keep themselves and all those on site safe.

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"The rise in both the number of damages and the number of customers inconvenienced by these damages is disappointing, and indicates a level of complacency on work sites which puts everyone at risk. There are important precautions that everyone working in the vicinity of electricity equipment should take. Contractors must be aware of the location of utility services at their work site before they start work - electricity, gas, water and telecommunications.

"NIE is here to help, but planners and contractors must contact us well before work starts to request drawings and information about the location of NIE equipment in the vicinity of their work. We will issue a ‘mark up’ drawing, free of charge, giving guidance on the location of electrical equipment we have where work is to be carried out. Planners and contractors must ensure the drawings are provided to and used on site by all contractors and sub contractors. The drawings should be used as part of the site safety plan prior to work starting, and trial excavations completed to establish the depth and route of underground electricity cables. In recent months we have discovered contractors working without mark-up drawings on site – this is a highly dangerous practice and introduces an unnecessary risk."

(CD/IT)