Copper thieves put lives at risk

27 April, 2012

Copper thieves put lives at risk

The culprits behind a spate of copper thefts from Northpower’s lines network are risking electrocution.

And by stealing the copper earth wires from power poles, they are also putting the lives of others in jeopardy.

Northpower’s Network General Manager Graham Dawson is appealing to members of the public to report the culprits to police before someone is injured or killed.

“We are working with police right now to identify a pattern to these thefts but we have been hit six times in the past fortnight alone – mainly on the East Coast,” says Mr Dawson.

“We need to put a stop to it now because while there is a significant cost of replacement, safety is our primary concern as these thefts have potential to put our field crews and customers at risk in the event of a fault. This is because the ability for a fault current to flow, and in turn operate protection devices is reduced.”

In the event of a fault, the earth wire allows high fault current to flow, which in turn allows protection devices to operate.

Mr Dawson says cutting into the electric ground wires, if there is a loose connection on the pole, could result in a person being killed or seriously injured.

“We are talking voltages up to 11,000. It’s a very hazardous occupation chopping into that kind of voltage.”

Mr Dawson says destroying the integrity of the earth system also poses a danger to staff making repairs as the copper ground wire is designed to protect the lines, equipment and transformers on the poles.

“These people are taking copper that might be worth $5 or $10 at a scrap yard and they could be killed in the process. It costs us $500 to $1000 to replace the stolen copper every time.

About Northpower
Northpower is a Northland owned electricity distribution company with over 54,000 electricity consumers connected to its network over an area of 5,700 square kilometres across the Whangarei and Kaipara Districts in Northland. Northpower Contracting, a division of Northpower, is a leading supplier of electricity distribution network design, maintenance and construction services with branches across New Zealand’s North Island and in Perth, Western Australia. More about Northpower is available at www.northpower.com

ENDS

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