Dump truck causes sparks to fly
Release Date: 17 January 2008
A dump truck in Albany came into contact with powerlines on Wednesday 16 January in an incident Western Power has described as very dangerous.
The truck came into contact with 22,000 volt powerlines as it elevated its tray to dump a load of sand at a work site in Wilyung Road at 10.30 am.
There were no injuries but a Western Power spokesperson Mr Kerrin Digney warned that the incident could have had a tragic ending.
"Contacting overhead powerlines is very dangerous and it is just lucky that the person operating the vehicle was not seriously hurt," said Mr Digney.
"This kind of contact usually results in loud bang and a shower of sparks as the electricity passes from the lines and travels down the truck to the shortest path to earth," Mr Digney added.
Mr Digney said the incident is a reminder for people to be careful of electrical infrastructure when they are working.
"We can't stress enough that powerlines are dangerous, both overhead and underground.
"Most of our distribution lines are elevated five metres above the ground so if you are working with high equipment please check to make sure you have clearance from the power lines," said Mr Digney.
"Western Power also wants to remind people that they need to dial 1100 before they dig to check for underground power cables."
There were no outages resulting from the truck contacting the lines.
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If you have any questions regarding this media release please email us: media@westernpower.com.au
