Yes, some idiot phoned someone up to say that they could see some power cables arcing into the trees across the road from us.
So, a contractor was sent to hack the trees.
At ten to five in the evening.
For three hours. No power to the whole street.
As if the trees are going to grow more than another centimetre overnight, or as if they had suddenly done so the night before?
I had to feed the boys by candlelight, and luckily we only need the gas hob.
Michael
Good practice for the future if the predicted power shortages occur, most youngsters would enjoy the novelty. A whole 3 hours ,you do sound a bit precious. Depending on the type of cables an arc down through a tree may not be a good idea to be left occurring,stray currents can damage things nearby that are not immediately obvious such as other cables or cause voltage gradients in the ground nearby that can be dangerous especially to 4 legged animals or two persons holding each other such as a couple or as you have introduced suffering children, a mother and child.
G.Harman
That's how long each of the rolling blackouts were in the 1970's (miner's strike). As a child at the time, I found them quite fascinating. Rigged up battery lights using torch bulbs, and many meals by candlelight.
The point is that it is absurd to imagine that the arcing suddenly began today or that it will be significantly worse tomorrow morning. It just happened that someone noticed it today, not yesterday or last week, or last month even. The idea that the problem *must* be attended to
*immediately* if someone phones at, say, 3pm is just bonkers. As I said, trees don't spring up overnight.If the utility and distribution companies were doing their job, overhead cables would be inspected every year or two. Clearly they are not.
Michael
After we had a series of power cuts men with chainsaws spent a week on the whole 11KV ring..
Of course. But, if it was reported at 3 p.m., and at 4 p.m. someone was injured as described, the power company would be liable...
JOOI do you happen to know as fact that the cables did not supply someone reliant on medical gear - for example, a ventilator - and with time-limited back-up facilities? (Suppliers used to have lists of such people and prioritise repairs accordingly.) Would you be happy to tell them to wait while you feed your boys?
Well, it follows that I wouldn't hold them liable. I take the consequences of my own philosophies, obviously.
Besides, it's a rather fatuous argument. If it were reported at 3pm but it took 2hrs for a team to be mobilised then it's still too late for someone injured at 4pm. Which indicates either that the network should be inspected regularly to *prevent* such incidents or that it's pointless trying to eliminate any such liability claims - so just don't worry about it and do it in the morning (unless the call were made at
10am in which case we'd all expect the team on site by 3pm and hopefully finished before dusk.Michael
In message , Michael Kilpatrick writes
I think I can better that one.
A few years back we were notified of a power outage (residential area) from (IIRC) 1900 - 2200 (and it was that long). This was in December, and it was during a cold snap. The distro company's helldesk couldn't understand why this was a problem.
Adrian
Exactly.
Tim
They do check them, both by helicopter or by walking along the route of overhead lines checking tree growth and using infra red cameras to detect bad joints. Anything running at the final voltage delivered to the consumer (415v/240v) is the lowest priority.
Think yourself lucky they did cut the supply, a high resistance phase to earth fault from tree contact looks just like normal load to protection equipment at the substation and so won't be detected. This can easily lead to electrocution for those on the ground, usually large animals but occasionally humans.
I think you're still missing the point. As long as they started mobilising once notified, they wouldn't be considered negligent, even if operational reasons caused some delay.
if they sat on their hands and did nothing until the next day, they could be held negligent if the fault could be considered life threatening and someone died before they'd started mobilising.
Tim
OK, change the timescale and the argument is still valid.
I think you're being precious about it too. Sounds as if your only priority is your own comfort...!
I disagree. The fact that they allowed trees to grow to endanger their (rather dangerous) power lines, or planted their overhead lines in the vicinity of extant trees is in itself negligent in the first place.
Michael
You were notified? Lucky you.
I was busy typing an email in response to an email quote from a borehole driller (see thread started by me a little earlier today) when my computer was just switched off - a few seconds before I was going to hit the send button...
Michael
Err, what? Ask who to wait? The tree-cutters or the ventilated patient?
If they have to cut the power for three hours at some point to do the tree work, presumably they will notify any such patient and give them notice such that they can prepare their back-up system (assuming they do indeed have such lists).
If the tree work takes exactly three hours then it matters not a jot whether they do it before, during or after my boys have dinner - it's still a three-hour period for which the patient needs to be prepared.
By the way, if the company is forced not to undertake the tree-cutting immediately owing to the presence of a ventilated patient who needs time to prepare or be moved elsewhere, and someone is killed on the street at 5pm by an arcing power-line/tree, I assume the company will still be liable?
Michael
Best you go offgrid then. Cover your roof with solar panels and stick a wind turbine up.
Well, it seems that the power cut has had one other side-effect.
It appears that the hard disc of our Topfield PVR is now corrupted. All the recorded programmes have zero length. The boys are not going to be happy that all the Shaun The Sheep and Octonauts have gone.
Michael
Tch. Once they are notified about this, they had to act. if some0ne was killed as a result of their inaction there would be hell to pay So I don't see what you are whining about. Could have been you killed. Potentially very dangerous fault.
You should have the power cut eventuality planned for. We are likely to get more power cuts in the future. And it is likely to happen in Winter. And gas central heating won't work without electricity.
You are clearly a half wit as others have explained. The trees were likely not there when the line was erected. And who are "they"?
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