Join thousands of SSEN’s safety-conscious customers this Easter and ‘think before you dig’

In the past year, nearly 12,000 of SSEN’s safety-conscious customers across the north of Scotland and central southern England have accessed the company’s Safety website for guidance and information on how to stay safe when working in the garden and on DIY projects around the home; with almost 3,000 customers checking specifically on underground cable safety.

As gardening and DIY projects increase through the springtime, so too can safety incidents where underground cables are struck by members of the public, with 350 incidents reported to SSEN last year. Thankfully, while none of these incidents were serious, the distribution operator wants to remind customers of the potential dangers of working near electricity cables and is asking them to join the many thousands of existing customers who have checked SSEN’s safety information ahead of their planned projects.

Striking an underground electricity cable can have serious, if not potentially fatal, consequences and SSEN is using its annual Easter awareness campaign - combined with easy-to-access information on its website – in a bid to raise awareness and lower the potential for incidents involving underground cables.  

SSEN is aware that most of its customers will be gardening on a smaller scale, but deeper excavations for tree roots, fence post replacements, footpath widening, or patio laying require safety checks to be carried out before any works are started.

Peter Vujanic, Head of Safety, Health and Environment at SSEN Distribution, said:

“SSEN knows that springtime, especially the first Bank holiday weekend of the year, is traditionally a busier time for people working on their homes and gardens, so we want to make sure our customers have all the information they need to work safely on their green-fingered pursuits and DIY projects. Sadly, each year, around 70 people across the UK suffer life-changing injuries as a result of accidentally striking underground cables. The safety of our customers and communities is our top priority, so we want to raise awareness of the potential dangers lying beneath the soil in our gardens, with the simple campaign message – think before you dig.”

Peter continued:

“If you’re planning on working in the garden or carrying out any property maintenance or DIY that might bring you close to our underground cables, please take the time, ahead of your project, to visit our website for guidance, book an underground cable assessment or call us for some free and helpful safety advice from our dedicated teams.”

For safety information, visit SSEN’s safety webpages here.

Customers can also use the free-to-call 105 number to request guidance on any works they are undertaking, or to report any issues they see on the network ahead of planned works.