Hotline of power engineering specialists:
IDGC of Centre - Belgorodenergo division in the first half of 2014 recorded 127 facts of power equipment damage by third parties. Such cases are mostly common in the regional centre and Belgorod district — more than 40 facts. The damage, caused by the company this year, was estimated at nearly 1.5 million rubles. The branch has already recovered the third part of the funds.
The most common violation since the beginning of the summer construction season is still damaged cable lines. Only this year in the region 41 facts were recorded, in 2013 this figure reached 75 figures. In most cases companies, laying gas and water supply utilities in residential individual construction micro-districts, which do not coordinate their actions with power engineers, are guilty.
For example, in May 2014 employees of one of construction companies drilled holes for the installation of fencing at school № 11 of Belgorod and damaged a 0.4 kV cable line. Work was carried out with gross violation of the rules of operation of power grids. Perpetrators had to repair the damage, but in such cases, this is the minimum punishment. It is worth to remember that the cable is under high voltage, and in the case of unauthorized excavations there is always a direct threat to human life.
Breaking a cable line is a serious disruption in the power grid complex. It is much more complicated to technologically restore a cable line than an overhead one. It takes much more time and effort to locate a breaking site and its elimination. Hundreds of residents at the time of the repair work because of violators will be without electricity.
In addition to cable damage, impact of vehicles on poles of overhead power lines as a result of an accident and driving vehicles with oversized cargo under power lines is widespread. Over the past year drivers of vehicles knocked down 129 power line poles and damaged 9 km of wire. In the first half of 2014 the number of cases increased. There are already 69 recorded facts of poles impact and breaking 5 km of power lines. In addition, power engineers during raids fix hanging foreign objects on overhead lines to steal electricity, as well as unauthorized trimming of trees, etc. Such violations can lead to disruptions in energy supply for entire communities, and, moreover, are a real threat to life and health of citizens.
All cases of damage to power equipment are a serious violation of exclusion zones of power lines. According to statistics of IDGC of Centre - Belgorodenergo division, today 4,738 cases of such violations were recorded in the region. All these facts are fraught with not only administrative, but also criminal penalty.
To avoid risks and accidents Belgorodenergo urges to follow the Rules of operation of electrical grids, approved by Order of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation № 229 of June 19, 2003, according to which any action in the exclusion zone of power lines, including excavation and construction near cable ROWs should only be performed with permission of a power grid company and solely on the basis of projects. It is not allowed to use earth-moving equipment at a distance of less than 1 m, and impact and vibration ground deep mechanisms — less than 5 m from a cable ROW. In case of damage to power equipment one must report immediately to the direct line of power engineers at 13-50. If you plan to drive large vehicles under wires of an overhead power line, it is necessary to apply to a Distribution Zone, which will raise wires of the overhead line to the desired height.