Mini Digger, Mains Cable, OOOPS
Discussion
Well the good weather is here and I thought it was time for a new fence, since the last one was installed about 1943.
Never being one to do things the hard way I had a mini digger delivered complete with post hole borer. Easy job, nice neat hole, post in, level, drop in some concrete down the hole and next...
All was going really well (neighbors aside) until I found the 3phase cable for the village. Fortunately I have apparently keen hearing, heard it hit something, backed out gently and started fishing in the hole by hand, which is when I found the warning tape.
Turns out I had hit the cable, and done very minor damage to it, shorting out one phase and taking out the breaker. (since this was Sunday lunch time I wont be showing my face down the village pub any time soon)
Called out YEDL, who turned up, isolated the damage, replaced the fuse, and then effected a repair, I'd not even cut a conductor, so they essentially just taped it up.
Now I have a set of plans for the cable run, which show the location of the cable and I was not that close to the indicated path. I was digging holes in the existing fence line and believed the cable ran inside my property not crossing the boundary.
What bothers me is that obviously as just a property owner replacing his fence I am not insured for this kind of eventuality, and am a little worried I may now be issues with a big bill.
Has anyone got any experience of this, and what should I expect to happen next, and indeed can I contest the inaccuracy of the plans I had.
Advice appreciated!
Never being one to do things the hard way I had a mini digger delivered complete with post hole borer. Easy job, nice neat hole, post in, level, drop in some concrete down the hole and next...
All was going really well (neighbors aside) until I found the 3phase cable for the village. Fortunately I have apparently keen hearing, heard it hit something, backed out gently and started fishing in the hole by hand, which is when I found the warning tape.
Turns out I had hit the cable, and done very minor damage to it, shorting out one phase and taking out the breaker. (since this was Sunday lunch time I wont be showing my face down the village pub any time soon)
Called out YEDL, who turned up, isolated the damage, replaced the fuse, and then effected a repair, I'd not even cut a conductor, so they essentially just taped it up.
Now I have a set of plans for the cable run, which show the location of the cable and I was not that close to the indicated path. I was digging holes in the existing fence line and believed the cable ran inside my property not crossing the boundary.
What bothers me is that obviously as just a property owner replacing his fence I am not insured for this kind of eventuality, and am a little worried I may now be issues with a big bill.
Has anyone got any experience of this, and what should I expect to happen next, and indeed can I contest the inaccuracy of the plans I had.
Advice appreciated!
You will receive a bill for about £300.00 for this, and it is your reponsibility to ensure you dont cut the cable, regardless of whether there was marking tape, drawings etc.. .. ..
I am going by what it cost when one of my chaps did the same thing recently
I am going by what it cost when one of my chaps did the same thing recently
Edited by Slikk on Monday 16th March 09:42
Slikk said:
You will receive a bill for about £300.00 for this, and it is your reponsibility to ensure you dont cut the cable, regardless of whether there was marking tape, drawings etc.. .. ..
I am going by what it cost when one of my chaps did the same thing recently
Kim - Hope all is well? YHMI am going by what it cost when one of my chaps did the same thing recently
Edited by Slikk on Monday 16th March 09:42
I remember some years ago putting the drains connections in to a depot I was building. We had to get them under an 8" water main, all went well until digger driver catches said main with bucket.
It was very spectacular for about three seconds, then the water filled the hole, and flooded half the road.
It was very spectacular for about three seconds, then the water filled the hole, and flooded half the road.
eddie1980 said:
Mini Digger, Mains Cable, OOOPS
eddie1980 said:
All was going really well (neighbors aside) until I found the 3phase cable for the village. Fortunately I have apparently keen hearing, heard it hit something, backed out gently and started fishing in the hole by hand, which is when I found the warning tape.
Jon C said:
eddie1980 said:
Advice appreciated!
Be glad you are still around to type this morning?
bitwrx said:
Be warned. They'll probably try it on.
We had a similar job on the farm. I forget the figures now, but they basically tried to bill us for many more man-hours than it took to fix the job.
When challenged, they backed down immediately and came back with a much more realistic figure.
I suspect thats what will happen...We had a similar job on the farm. I forget the figures now, but they basically tried to bill us for many more man-hours than it took to fix the job.
When challenged, they backed down immediately and came back with a much more realistic figure.
They were on site for about 3 hours tops, (one van, 2 men) and in that time they had chance to boil the kettle on there gas stove and have a drink or 2.
So when the bill comes in for lots of money I'll mount a fight and see if they back away.
As far as I can tell there not used to people contesting them as there mainly handled by the operators insurance who just pay out as its "not cost effective to dispute a claim".
A mini digger and an auger for fence posts!
Still, no major harm done, but cables are never where the drawing shows, they usually show where they wanted them to go, generally, but something usually turns up in the way for a minor diversion, or even just wandering off line.
Normally on sites, or work by any contractors, will start with a scan of the area with a CAT, similar to a metal detector which will pick up buried cables, and sometimes non-live conductors, and even then, drainage and gas/water is treated as possible.
If you did hit it full on with the auger, they most you'd get would be a loud bang, smoke, and burning earth, and probably a big hole in the tip of the auger.
I know someone who hammered a road pin (long metal pin/spike) straight into an 11KVA cable. They were lucky not to be holding the pin with one hand, as that would have been far more serious.
When the cable was dug out to be repaired, there was about a metre missing which had burnt out!
Still, no major harm done, but cables are never where the drawing shows, they usually show where they wanted them to go, generally, but something usually turns up in the way for a minor diversion, or even just wandering off line.
Normally on sites, or work by any contractors, will start with a scan of the area with a CAT, similar to a metal detector which will pick up buried cables, and sometimes non-live conductors, and even then, drainage and gas/water is treated as possible.
If you did hit it full on with the auger, they most you'd get would be a loud bang, smoke, and burning earth, and probably a big hole in the tip of the auger.
I know someone who hammered a road pin (long metal pin/spike) straight into an 11KVA cable. They were lucky not to be holding the pin with one hand, as that would have been far more serious.
When the cable was dug out to be repaired, there was about a metre missing which had burnt out!
about a shallow(!) BT cable that got caught and disabled by a digger..... They spent about an hour mending it, and eventually presented a bill for a bit more than this figure. The call out charge was 100......
were the plans you had officialy from the electric board ,did you apply to them for them ?
If so were they rubber stamped saying these plans are to be used as a guideline only or words to that efect
It should also say that any excavation within 1m of the approximate route should be done by hand
Also because 1 fuse blew the other 2 were still live and you should never ever
around near live underground cables
this is a vid of overhead powerlines down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EochMYzYz20&fea...
underground cable can do the same in a hole until a fuse blows
If so were they rubber stamped saying these plans are to be used as a guideline only or words to that efect
It should also say that any excavation within 1m of the approximate route should be done by hand
Also because 1 fuse blew the other 2 were still live and you should never ever
around near live underground cables this is a vid of overhead powerlines down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EochMYzYz20&fea...
underground cable can do the same in a hole until a fuse blows
eddie1980 said:
Well the good weather is here and I thought it was time for a new fence, since the last one was installed about 1943.
Never being one to do things the hard way I had a mini digger delivered complete with post hole borer. Easy job, nice neat hole, post in, level, drop in some concrete down the hole and next...
All was going really well (neighbors aside) until I found the 3phase cable for the village. Fortunately I have apparently keen hearing, heard it hit something, backed out gently and started fishing in the hole by hand, which is when I found the warning tape.
Turns out I had hit the cable, and done very minor damage to it, shorting out one phase and taking out the breaker. (since this was Sunday lunch time I wont be showing my face down the village pub any time soon)
Called out YEDL, who turned up, isolated the damage, replaced the fuse, and then effected a repair, I'd not even cut a conductor, so they essentially just taped it up.
Now I have a set of plans for the cable run, which show the location of the cable and I was not that close to the indicated path. I was digging holes in the existing fence line and believed the cable ran inside my property not crossing the boundary.
What bothers me is that obviously as just a property owner replacing his fence I am not insured for this kind of eventuality, and am a little worried I may now be issues with a big bill.
Has anyone got any experience of this, and what should I expect to happen next, and indeed can I contest the inaccuracy of the plans I had.
Advice appreciated!
You have no idea how close to death you came do you, you great arse !!Never being one to do things the hard way I had a mini digger delivered complete with post hole borer. Easy job, nice neat hole, post in, level, drop in some concrete down the hole and next...
All was going really well (neighbors aside) until I found the 3phase cable for the village. Fortunately I have apparently keen hearing, heard it hit something, backed out gently and started fishing in the hole by hand, which is when I found the warning tape.
Turns out I had hit the cable, and done very minor damage to it, shorting out one phase and taking out the breaker. (since this was Sunday lunch time I wont be showing my face down the village pub any time soon)
Called out YEDL, who turned up, isolated the damage, replaced the fuse, and then effected a repair, I'd not even cut a conductor, so they essentially just taped it up.
Now I have a set of plans for the cable run, which show the location of the cable and I was not that close to the indicated path. I was digging holes in the existing fence line and believed the cable ran inside my property not crossing the boundary.
What bothers me is that obviously as just a property owner replacing his fence I am not insured for this kind of eventuality, and am a little worried I may now be issues with a big bill.
Has anyone got any experience of this, and what should I expect to happen next, and indeed can I contest the inaccuracy of the plans I had.
Advice appreciated!
Strike an AC cable and it won't electrocute you, it will explode and burn you.
I know of a guy who died last xmas eve after an incident with an 11kv cable. Lived for a month after being caught in an explosion.
I know of another where the guy, who survived, was caught on cctv in flames.
All utility plans are inaccurate. Read it and you will see it says so somewhere.
I'd suggest you have a drink, pay whatever the bill is and be thankful for it too
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