Damage to service supply cable

[Penance]

Hi all
I have a job that I'll be starting mid July. Currently the chap is digging foundation trenches for the extension.
Last night I had a call from him asking if I can repair a cable he hit with a spade. It is the service supply cable, service head is PME. He has cut through the outer sheath and severed a few strands of the armour.
I told him to contact the DNO as there is nothing I can do, explained that it is the DNO's property etc.

I left it with him but got the distinct impression he is not going to contact the DNO and will cover it over, I think it may even be under the footings so possibly will be cased in concrete.

What would you guys do, leave him to it as my only responsibility is inside the property or would you try to take it further?

 

[telectrix]

you should contact DNO. be a much bigger job if it fails under foundations .

 

[Penance]

Yep that's my thinking, though I have a gut feeling I may lose the job by doing that.

 

[telectrix]

then keep quiet. his problem, not yours.

 

[Penance]

Also, cable was around 750mm deep but no protection over it, do you think he'd have any leverage with that, as in he's not to blame so shouldn't cost him?

 

[1shortcircuit]

Last night I had a call from him asking if I can repair a cable he hit with a spade. It is the service supply cable, service head is PME. He has cut through the outer sheath and severed a few strands of the armour.
I told him to contact the DNO as there is nothing I can do, explained that it is the DNO's property etc.

I left it with him but got the distinct impression he is not going to contact the DNO and will cover it over, I think it may even be under the footings so possibly will be cased in concrete.

When I was working on a large Gas Pipeline we had to apply for a "Permit to dig" before even picking up a spade in an area where there was a live supply. Does the same thing apply to the Supply of electricity? I would have thought it would given the consequences???

 

[Penance]

then keep quiet. his problem, not yours.

I kind of feel that I should report it for his good if nothing else.
Maybe an idea if I go and do a visual tomorrow.

 

[Penance]

1shortcircuit, it's in his garden, can't see people having to get permits for digging gardens.

 

[nickblake]

you dont know if its damaged any where else , better safe than sorry also you can sleep at night

 

[Penance]

Good point nick.

 

[nickblake]

1shortcircuit, it's in his garden, can't see people having to get permits for digging gardens.

round here there are alot of supply cables in gardens couple of months ago a fault developed in a garden , nice lawn pond etc the fault was in a joint under the pond out came the fish and bye to the pond it was put back by a landscape gardener at no cost to the house holder trashed his lawn mind

 

[1shortcircuit]

1shortcircuit, it's in his garden, can't see people having to get permits for digging gardens.

You may be surprised?

I may be wrong? I'm just offering an example of what experience has taught me in the past

If there is risk of the supply being damaged then they may wish to know of work going on it that area.

If a spark can't pull a fuse then why wouldn't they want to know that their supply cable could be at risk of damage?

Either way, it would be nice to know for future reference.

 

[JD6400]

Chances are he will have to pay !
We had one about three weeks ago on a barn conversion we are doing .
We had a 70 m mole to do for a new sub main we needed , but i was not to keen on moiling the first 8 m as we were not sure of the incoming services , so we got his digger driver to trench it .
You guessed it , the fist pass and bang !
The thing is it was two and a half inches below his lawn , but they still billed !

 

[Penance]

You may be surprised?

I may be wrong? I'm just offering an example of what experience has taught me in the past

If there is risk of the supply being damaged then they may wish to know of work going on it that area.

If a spark can't pull a fuse then why wouldn't they want to know that their supply cable could be at risk of damage?

Either way, it would be nice to know for future reference.

Fully agree but I doubt it would happen.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I would be worried, that it's not armour that has been damaged, but could be either the neutral or the earth, as usually concentric cable is used.

 

[JD6400]

I would be worried, that it's not armour that has been damaged, but could be either the neutral or the earth, as usually concentric cable is used.

Spinlondon is right , if it is not sealed up properly you could end up losing your earth / neutral .
You mentioned it is a pme installation so make sure you belt and brace your main bonds !

 

[Penance]

Very good point, hadn't considered concentric.

Any bonding will be better than they currently have!

 

[Deleted member 9648]

Years ago a builder was digging foundations in the house opposite me and hit the concentric....he got pretty shirty when I told him there was nothing I could do,accusations of jobsworth etc......He'd taken out half the street so how he thought I was going to restore the DNO supply I dont know..........cost him a small fortune if I recall :chinese::chinese::chinese:

 

[mattmoo1974]

Id go and explain that if he reburrys it and theres a fault, The DNO will come out and dig up the cable to find the fault.
And if that happens to be under his extention and they feel its his fault he ll be Paying BIG!
And poss have a large piece of his extention removed :|D

 

[mogga]

working with streetlighting I got a callout to an"Exploded box" guy in call center gave ne exact description as given to him by firebrigade and I knew we had a box EXACTLY where he said so off I went through red lights got there to discover it wasnt streetlighting but cableTV box had exploded Called Cable company SP and Gas as there had been digging in area hence disturbing soil around OLD gaspipes (Not pvc ones) the disturbed joints have leaked in the past causing gas to travel along any available route in the earth to escape Cause of said EXPLOSION was CableTV installers had "Clipped" S.P. cable on the 5th core and over time 4-6 months this had burnt away and crackled n popped till BANG Since then Cable TV stopped fining their guys when S.P were called out to hit cables as the call for explosion all costs went to CableTel 3 fire appliances 4 police cars 8 bobbies road closure and diversion set up ( Removal of same) Council electrician (me) and my gaffer for 6 hours 2 S.P senior engineers 1 sp call out engineer 5 sp digging crew 3 sp cable jointers THEN 2 km of 100core fiberoptic cable (sp happened to cut it to get access lol Cable Gaffers face was a picture) then they also had all the insurance claims as S.P had to turn off power to sub stn Also B.G engineers and diggging crew to repair joints So all in all its probably going to be easier and cheaper for him to call out DNO beforehand specialy if he can show he has used CAT and been digging carefully

 

[Penance]

Told him he must get it fixed and that I will contact DNO for him.

 

[mattmoo1974]

Put a bandaid on it

 

[Richpa]

It looks like a 25mm split SNE cable and does need a outer repair to the sheath or else over time it will degrade and fault. If it was the homeowner digging in his own garden then it is unlikley that the dno will charge as the homeowner does not know about safe digging techniques or how to use a Cat and Genny. If they do try and charge, talk niceley to the guy in charge as they do normally have some flexibility in who they charge. It is easier to repair now in an open trench rather than digging it back up once the extension is finished.

 

[mogga]

also looks like a couple of neutral cores may be damaged there GET IT SORTED

 

[Penance]

It is being sorted guys.

 

[mattmoo1974]

My mates friend works for your local DNO penance iv checked with him, If theres No tape THEY VE GOT to fix it for FREE!!
If you find some tape HIDE IT!!!
I sent him the picture they ll just seal it he said.

 

[Noton1205]

If its a pme earth system thats tneir, chances are its concentric cable and not swa, if this is the case hes cut some strands of the neutral conducter. Best thing to do is contact dno.

 

[skip]

are you still working as a meter fitter.
the tests l have been shown for polority dont seem right to me .
The plug test is ok,
But if you have a tncs system , you cant test across the neutral and the earth.
We are not aloud to remove the cover off the consumer unit so have trouble finding an independent earth.
ln some buildings you will have about ten meters for flats and no sockets to test polority . one fellow was said to have mixed polority and was sacked straight away, what happens to him now will he find work in the industry again from what l have heard he wont because it is so serious. l am worried and dont want it to happen to me

 

[skip]

<P>are you still working as a meter fitter.<BR>the tests l have been shown for polority dont seem right to me .<BR>The plug test is ok, <BR>But if you have a tncs system , you cant test across the neutral and the earth.<BR>We are not aloud to remove the cover off the consumer unit so have trouble finding an independent earth. </P>
<P>ln some buildings you will have about ten meters for flats and no sockets to test polority . one fellow was said to have mixed polority and was sacked straight away, what happens to him now will he find work in the industry again from what l have heard he wont because it is so serious. l am worried and dont want it to happen to me </P>