Hotline of power engineering specialists:
IDGC of Centre - Belgorodenergo division in the first half of 2015 recorded 105 facts of power equipment damage by third parties. The most common cases are breaks of cable networks and damage to poles of power lines as a result of a car accident. The total amount of damages the company incurred is 1.4 million rubles. Through systematic work of power engineers for damages recovery, a third of the amount has already been refunded.
The largest number of cable networks breaks was recorded in Belgorod, Stary Oskol, Shebekinsky and Yakovlevsky districts. Such cases become numerous at the beginning of the season of construction work in individual housing neighbourhoods. Many developers, in order to save time, bypass legislation and do not coordinate their activities for the gas and water supply with a grid company.
So, in March 2015 a resident of the neighborhood of Streletskoye 23A in Belgorodsky district conducted excavation work near their plot and damaged a 10 kV cable line. The culprit, fortunately, was not injured, and for actions not agreed upon with the power company he was forced to pay an administrative penalty in the amount of more than nine thousand. Approximately the same amount was paid by a Belgorod construction company that carried out excavations in the regional centre without the consent of the power company and damaged the cable.
Common violations include traffic accidents with collisions of vehicles on the power line poles. From the beginning of the year in the Belgorod region 54 electricity poles were damaged. For example, on June 26 because of violations of speed limits on the road Belgorod - Razumnoye a car knocked down an outdoor lighting pole. Perpetrators will now have to pay damages to the power company in the amount of 42.2 thousand rubles.
All of these actions are a gross violation of security zones of power lines and can lead to serious man-made accidents and even death. To avoid possible accidents, IDGC of Centre - Belgorodenergo division recommends not to break the security zones of power facilities established by Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation of February 24, 2009 № 160 "On the order of establishment of security zones of electric grid facilities and special conditions of use of land located within the boundaries of these zones".
Any action in the protected zone of power lines should be coordinated with power companies. So, earthworks near cable routes must be carried out only with the permission of the power company and solely on the basis of agreed projects. Do not use earth-moving equipment at a distance of less than 1 m, and impact and vibration mechanisms - less than 5 metres from the cable route.
Power engineers strongly recommend to drivers of heavy vehicles to be careful and follow the rules of movement under power lines. They should keep in mind that it is strictly prohibited to perform any loading or unloading operations in the protected zone of power lines. Movement under wires is allowed to vehicles in height from the road surface of not more than 4.5 metres. For the safe passage of large machinery or transportation vehicles with oversized cargo under power lines one should contact the nearest Distribution Zone of Belgorodenergo to move the power line up to the desired height.
Belgorod power engineers urge residents of the region to be careful and follow the rules of behaviour in the protected zones of power lines: power equipment is under high voltage and is a danger to life. To coordinate their actions in the security zone of power lines or in the case of damaged power equipment one should immediately contact the power company via the direct phone line of Belgorodenergo at 13-50.