cut bare live ends

[stillp]

Very few people (whether painters or whatever) would normally dream of taking a hacksaw to a big fat electricity cable they had come across.

Lots of metal thieves do that all the time John often without worrying if they're cutting a live cable.

 

[JohnW2]

Very few people (whether painters or whatever) would normally dream of taking a hacksaw to a big fat electricity cable they had come across.

Lots of metal thieves do that all the time John often without worrying if they're cutting a live cable.

That is true. I suppose I was referring to 'sane' people, in relation to whom I still think my point is largely correct!

Kind Regards, John

 

[skenk]

IIRC westie works for WPD, if correct I think that's worth mentioning

 

[westie101]

IIRC westie works for WPD, if correct I think that's worth mentioning

Sorry but you don't IIRC, I definitely do not work for WPD!

The last time I worked in the old SWEB area was 1990 after the storms in the Somerset/Devon/Cornwall

 

[mfarrow]

The DNOs do not inspect their equipment within private property with any regularity. Therefore it is my opinion that the taping a cable bare end should not be acceptable, as the service life of PVC tape should be well understood.

If DNOs are goverened by the use of fault protection, then that too makes the practise unacceptable.

Redundant, Dead, Isolated, Earthed, Capped, Off. These are all words which can have different meanings. If the terminology is mis-interpreted the wrong way, as would appear so from the homeowner, we end up with this mess.

 

[skenk]

I definitely do not work for WPD!

apologies, my mistake

 

[viewer]

Very few people (whether painters or whatever) would normally dream of taking a hacksaw to a big fat electricity cable they had come across.

Lots of metal thieves do that all the time John often without worrying if they're cutting a live cable.

That is true. I suppose I was referring to 'sane' people, in relation to whom I still think my point is largely correct!

Kind Regards, John

I don't think that any untrained person can be regarded as 'sane' when dealing with electricity. It is classic 'common sense' which implies common knowledge which, in turn doesn't exist. You don't know what you don't know is true.
Often (and it comes up in this forum) there are quips about health and safety which cause a laugh but are needed,e.g. "Becomes hot when heated". People get accustomed to microwaving in containers which stay cool and don't even consider that a new container will be any different.

Wrexham industrial estate, 1980s. I was accompanying a council officer to a job. He stopped at a site being excavated. Big, fat cable in bottom. Foreman says,'I've been told all cables in area are dead'. Council officer said, 'Don't touch - call MANWEB'. Go to job. On way back stop for ambulance.
Talk to witnesses. Foreman had told workman to saw through with hacksaw. Man starts work, feels tingle and stops. Foreman. to prove cable is dead, jabs it with the neon screwdriver. He survived but was very badly burned and lost several digits.

 

[ricicle]

Is this any different to some DNO LV cables coming from a pole to a house overhead and a workman climbing a ladder to remove them because the homeowner said they were dead ?
Who would we be trying to blame then ?

 

[JohnW2]

Is this any different to some DNO LV cables coming from a pole to a house overhead and a workman climbing a ladder to remove them because the homeowner said they were dead ? Who would we be trying to blame then ?

Not very different - anyone cutting through cables solely on the basis of someone (particularly 'a member of the public') having told them that the cables were dead is clearly crazy.

However, as I said before, the (ridiculous) reliance on such a word-of-mouth reassurance (from a member of the public) that a cable was dead would probably be 're-inforced' if it could see that the cut ends of the cable were 'lose' and just covered with (deteriorating) tape (and had been so for years) - so that can act as a 'contributory factor'. Even westie does not deny that to leaving a cable live, on the side of a house, for a decade after it last supplied a load is not acceptable.

Kind Regards, John

 

[JohnW2]

I don't think that any untrained person can be regarded as 'sane' when dealing with electricity. It is classic 'common sense' which implies common knowledge which, in turn doesn't exist. You don't know what you don't know is true.

I don't think that's really true - most people's flavour of common sense takes on board the limitations of their level of knowledge in many situations. In context, I still believe that such common sense would tell the great majority of people that it was very unwise to saw through a fat (or, indeed, thin!) electricity cable without (somehow) first satisfying themselves that it was absolutely certain that it was dead!

Kind Regards, John

 

[rjm2k]

OP hasn't responded since page 2, will be interesting to get an update once this is resolved. Whatever way, hopefully the injury isn't too serious, the guy doesn't lose too much income and is wiser than before.

 

[EFLImpudence]

And a nice compensation sum from the DNO, if not legally due, then morally -


out of the goodness of their hearts.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I don't think that's really true - most people's flavour of common sense takes on board the limitations of their level of knowledge in many situations.

We see on an almost daily basis proof here that that is not true.

In context, I still believe that such common sense would tell the great majority of people that it was very unwise to saw through a fat (or, indeed, thin!) electricity cable without (somehow) first satisfying themselves that it was absolutely certain that it was dead!

Would that be the same common sense that tells them not to fiddle with things when they know that they don't actually understand how they work?