SAFE WORKING TO THE FORE DURING EUROPEAN SAFETY WEEK

24/10/2007

Northern Ireland Electricity today launched a new safety information campaign ‘Think Before You Dig’ to raise awareness of safe working practices around the electricity network for anyone in the construction and building trades. The campaign has been launched as European Safety Week (22nd – 26th October) highlights health and safety within the working environment.  
 
NIE’s Safety and Risk Manager, Roy Coulter, hopes raising awareness of site safety procedures among workers will improve standards of health and safety.  
 
Speaking at the ‘Think Before You Dig’ launch, Roy Coulter stressed the dangers involved in working near electricity equipment without the necessary information and safety precautions. “Any contact with live electricity equipment can be fatal and contractors must follow correct safety procedures at all times to keep everyone working on site safe. Every week we see incidences of safety guidelines being flouted and unnecessary risks taken – safe working must come first for every single person on site.  
 
“Every contractor, builder, construction worker and DIY enthusiast must familiarise themselves with all services, electrical, gas, water and telecommunications equipment present at, or adjacent to, a work location. Contractors should contact NIE on 08457 643 643 in good time requesting advice or information about electrical equipment in the vicinity of their work.  
 
“NIE will issue a ‘mark up’ drawing, free of charge, detailing all the information we have on underground electrical equipment in the area where work is to be carried out. Contractors should ensure this document is on site when working and that all sub contractors have been fully briefed. In recent months we have discovered contractors working without mark up drawings on site – this is a highly dangerous practice and steps must be taken to ensure proper safety procedures are followed.  
 
“All contractors working near the underground network should carry out their work in accordance with HSG 47. These principles are clearly laid out in our booklet Safety Advice for Contractors which can be downloaded from the NIE Safety website www.niesafety.co.uk under the Contractors section.”  
 
As part of the information campaign contractors can contact NIE via the website or telephone 08457 643 643 to request cab safety stickers for a range of heavy plant machinery, advice leaflets, and specialised on-site talks from the NIE Safety Team.  
 
Roy adds, “Electricity is safe when treated with respect but flouting safety guidelines can have severe consequences. Damage to the electricity network is on the increase, 1155 damages since April this year compared to 1021 in the same period in 2006. The saddest statistic of all is that seven people have lost their lives in the last three years because they made contact with the overhead electricity network. There have also been a number of serious injuries and NIE does not wish for these tragedies to be lost on every DIY enthusiast or contractor who fails to take note of the proximity of the electrical network to their work area. Safe working is even more important with the high level of construction activity in Northern Ireland planned for the next few years.”  
 
For additional safety advice check the NIE Safety website at www.niesafety.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland - HSE guidance notes GS6 (Avoidance of danger from overhead electric lines) and HSE booklet HS (G) 47 (Avoiding danger from underground services).  
 

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