Gardeners – be aware of electricity outdoors
Posted on 28th March 2024
Are you considering some gardeing this Easter weekend? Many keen gardeners will be busy digging, planting and remodelling.
It’s important to be aware of the possibility that there are buried electrical cables and to use electrical equipment safely outdoors.
Contact with high voltage underground electricity cables can be fatal. Everyone is encouraged to simply think about the risk of a potential electric shock before breaking the ground.
The top tips for gardeners include:
checking the location of underground electricity cables at Linesearch and requesting details before you start work as well as using a Cable Avoidance Tool (CAT) for larger projects
assuming any cables identified are live and hand digging trial holes to check their depth when deeper holes and excavations are needed to plant trees or instal fence posts for example
always fitting plugs with a residual current device (RCD) when using electrical equipment outdoors to automatically switch off power if there’s a fault
look up before you use a ladder outdoors to check for overhead power cables because contact could cause serious injury or even death.
Other things to think about include avoiding use of electrical equipment in your garden near water, when it’s raining, or when there’s dew on plants and lawns. Trailing cables aren’t only a tripping hazard, you also need to be careful that you don’t run over and cut them when mowing or cut through them with a spade. Also, make sure you don’t overload your plug sockets with too many pieces of equipment.
Please get in touch if you would like to instal outdoor plug sockets or are considering lighting or water features for your garden this summer.
Tagged as: domestic installations, Electrical safety
Share this post: