A man is carried to a waiting ambulance in North Dunedin
yesterday after being burnt in an electric arc flash when a
probe he and a colleague were using struck an underground
high-voltage power cable. Photo by Craig Baxter.
Two men were taken to hospital after they were burnt when
a probe they were using struck an underground high-voltage
power cable in Dunedin yesterday.
The men were using a penetrometer to test soil density in
Great King St, in front of the Willowbank Quarter, when it
struck a 6600-volt cable buried about 60cm below ground at
10.12am.
The pair were working for Wellington geotechnical drilling
company Griffiths Drilling.
Delta's general manager of asset management, Adam Fletcher,
said the sharp point of the penetrometer pierced the
high-voltage cable, causing an earthing of the cable and an
electric arc flash.
Another man who was working in the area at the time said he
and his colleagues went outside after they heard a "heck of a
bang" to find "quite a bit" of smoke in the area.
He said one man had burns on his legs and up his front and
his hair was singed.
A St John spokeswoman said the more seriously injured of the
men received burns to about 10% of his body, mainly on his
arms and legs.
The second man received moderate burns to his arms and legs.
They were taken to Dunedin Hospital for treatment.
Thirty-nine Delta customers were without power for 32 minutes
while the company took the damaged cable out of service and
arranged alternative supplies.
Griffiths Drilling managing director Mel Griffiths did not
return calls yesterday.
Mr Fletcher said Delta's advice to anyone planning to dig or
probe into the ground was to obtain cable-location plans
before they started.
"They are available free of charge. A full onsite cable
location service is also available. Please call 0800 4DELTA
before digging."
There were live-wire warning signs in the area.
A Department of Labour spokeswoman said it had started making
inquiries about the incident.
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