On 19/10/2012 10:49, Tim Watts wrote:
Nightjar wrote:

On 19/10/2012 09:12, Tim Watts wrote:
Michael Kilpatrick wrote:

On 18/10/2012 23:00, Tim+ wrote:
Michael Kilpatrick wrote:

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.

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.


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

Why couldn't they be considered negligent for not inspecting and taking
remidial action beforehand?

Because it is the land owner's responsibility not to allow trees to
interfere with power lines, not the electricity companies'. The
electricity company only has a duty after they know there is a danger to
the public.

Colin Bignell

I would argue that since they *know* that private landowners cannot all be
trusted, they should be inspecting anyway.

If you want that sort of service, just to deal with a minority of land
owners who don't meet their responsibilities, be prepared to pay a lot
more for your electricity.

It's surely easier to serve
notice on the landowner than to have to bugger about turning the power off
later.

When the industry was nationalised, it was usually easier for the Board
to do the work for the land owner without charge, but that did depend
upon the land owner asking for it to be done.

As has been said, trees do not grow that fast, so surely this could be done
when they do other inspections on the line and poles?

They do, but an entire tree could grow in the period between routine
inspections for most low voltage lines. There is not a lot that goes
wrong with them, apart from trees growing too close (0.8m for a 230/415v
distribution line) and a wooden pole should last at least 25 years.

Colin Bignell