A MainPower employee has received an electric shock while repairing network damage caused by copper thieves, a stark sign of the growing danger these thefts are creating across North Canterbury.
The worker was carrying out a routine repair on a power pole where thieves had earlier cut and stolen the copper earthing wire.
MainPower Chief Executive Sean Horgan says the incident is exactly the danger the company has been warning about since the thefts surged earlier in the year.
“One of our experienced employees was carrying out a routine repair when they received a shock from a pole where thieves had stripped out the copper earthing wire and damaged an adjacent electricity asset in the process. That wire is there to carry electricity safely to ground, and without it an everyday job became dangerous.
Our team member had the appropriate safety equipment and we are grateful they are okay, however if it was a member of the public this could have been a different outcome.”
Copper earthing wires are a critical safety feature. If a fault occurs on a power pole, the earth wire directs electricity safely into the ground. When that wire is cut or stolen, the risk of electric shock, burns or fire rises sharply, and the danger is invisible to anyone who comes near.
“Our concern is for the safety of our communities,” Mr Horgan says. “A child or anyone who comes across a damaged pole or a loose wire has no way of knowing it could be live. These thieves are not just stealing from the community for the sake of a few dollars, they are leaving hidden hazards behind them.”
Since the start of the year MainPower has recorded more than 300 separate thefts of copper earthing wire from poles across North Canterbury, with an estimated cost of more than $1 million to repair and the cost of these repairs falls on every power consumer in the region.
MainPower is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for significant information that helps identify those responsible, and has been working alongside a private investigator, local Community Patrol groups, and the New Zealand Police.
Staying safe and reporting thefts
MainPower is urging the public to treat all network equipment as dangerous and to never touch or approach damaged poles, hanging wires or equipment.
If you see anything that does not look right, especially loose wires or damaged poles, stay well clear and report it to MainPower immediately on 0800 30 90 80.
If you see suspicious people or vehicles interfering with power poles or cabling, contact Police. Call 111 if it is happening now or poses an immediate risk.
To share information about the thefts for the reward, call the Wire Theft Information Team on 0800 WIRETHEFT (0800 947 384) or email wiretheft@mainpower.co.nz.
MainPower staff are easily identifiable and always in full safety gear. Anyone else interfering with the network should be reported.
