Stop digging immediately. If excavation has struck or exposed an underground electricity cable, leave the excavation, keep every person away, and treat the cable as energized even if there are no sparks. Do not touch, move, pull away, or repair the cable, and leave any tool or object that is touching it where it is. Call the local electricity network operator or the cable owner at once. Call your local emergency number as well if someone is injured, a fire has started, or another immediate serious danger exists.
Immediate response: stop, leave, keep clear, report
Use this sequence for a cable that has been struck, cut, crushed, scraped, exposed, or pulled during excavation. It also applies when a cable is discovered and its condition or ownership is uncertain.
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- Stop the excavation. Shut down the digging activity and do not continue probing, widening, or clearing the trench.
- Leave the excavation. Anyone inside the trench or pit should get out without approaching the cable or disturbing anything in contact with it.
- Create distance. Keep workers, visitors, vehicles, tools, and members of the public away from the excavation and cable. Establish a perimeter from a safe position and prevent anyone from entering to look more closely.
- Do not touch or alter anything. Do not handle the cable, pull out a bucket or hand tool, move soil to inspect the damage, shift the cable, or attempt a repair. Leave an object that is stuck to or touching the cable in place.
- Report it immediately. Contact the local electricity network operator or the cable’s owner and follow its instructions. The correct telephone number depends on the country, state, territory, and owner.
- Call emergency services when there is an immediate threat. Use the local emergency number if anyone is injured, there is fire, smoke, an explosion risk, arcing, or another serious danger that cannot wait for a utility response.
Do not treat the report as routine merely because the cable still appears intact. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), updated in 2025, warns that underground cable damage can cause fatal or severe injury through electric shock, arcing, explosion, or fire.
Why a cable must be treated as live
Visual inspection cannot establish that it is safe
An underground electricity cable may look like a pipe or another non-electrical service. The HSE says it is impossible to tell by sight whether an underground cable is live. A cable that is not sparking may still be energized, and damage may be hidden beneath insulation, soil, ducting, or a protective covering.
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Damage can create several hazards at once
Contact with an energized conductor can cause electric shock. A damaged sheath or conductor can also produce an arc, ignite nearby materials, or trigger an explosion where gas, vapour, dust, or confined-space conditions are present. The absence of noise, smoke, or visible movement is not a safety test.
Ownership may not be obvious
The electricity network operator is not always the owner of every cable in the ground. HSE guidance notes that some cables may belong to a highway authority, the Ministry of Defence, Network Rail, or another organization. If ownership is uncertain, report to the local network operator and explain that the asset owner is unknown; the operator can direct or transfer the report.
Who to contact: the number depends on where you are
There is no worldwide cable-strike telephone number. Use the current emergency or fault contact published for the local network operator or the organization that owns the cable. The examples below are jurisdiction-specific and must not be used outside their stated areas.
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| Location | Primary report route | Emergency-service route | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain | Call the electricity network operator’s emergency number or 105. | Call 999 for an emergency. | National Grid Electricity Distribution gives 105 as a route for dangerous electricity-network damage; 999 is for an emergency. These numbers are UK examples, not universal numbers. |
| South Australia | Report an underground cable strike immediately to SA Power Networks on 13 13 66. | Use the state’s emergency number when there is an immediate serious threat. | The 13 13 66 number is for SA Power Networks and South Australian cable strikes. |
| Queensland | Contact the electricity distributor immediately and follow its advice. | Use the local emergency number for injury, fire, or another immediate danger. | The Electrical Safety Office publishes distributor emergency contacts for powerline issues; confirm the current number with the relevant distributor. |
| United States | Contact the utility that owns the line. | Call 911 for a serious immediate emergency. | A utility’s service number applies only within its service area. Florida Public Utilities, for example, directs customers to its own contact and to 911 for a more serious emergency. |
Great Britain
National Grid Electricity Distribution advises that after damaging an underground cable you should vacate the excavation, phone the electricity network operator’s emergency number or 105, and keep everybody clear. If a person is injured or there is fire or another emergency, call 999 as well. A utility report does not replace an emergency-services call when life or property is in immediate danger.
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South Australia
The South Australian Government says underground cable strikes should be reported immediately to SA Power Networks on 13 13 66. Keep people clear while making the call and follow the distributor’s directions about access and isolation.
Queensland
The Electrical Safety Office instructs people who encounter an underground electrical cable not to move it, to contact the electricity distributor immediately, and to follow the distributor’s advice. Distributor contacts can change, so use the current contact for the network serving the site rather than relying on a number from another region.
United States and other locations
In the United States, identify the utility that owns or operates the line and use its emergency or damage-reporting channel. Call 911 when the incident includes injury, fire, or another serious immediate hazard. In any other country, state, or territory, contact the local network operator or asset owner and the local emergency number when the danger is immediate. Do not assume that 105, 999, 13 13 66, or 911 works in your location.
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Make the report from a safe location without returning to the excavation for a closer look. Give the dispatcher enough information to identify the site and assess urgency:
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- The exact site address, nearest road, lot, entrance, or other landmark.
- Whether the cable was struck during digging or was found before any contact.
- What equipment or activity was involved, without moving the equipment or cable to obtain more detail.
- Whether anyone is injured, trapped, receiving a shock, or unable to leave safely.
- Whether there is smoke, fire, arcing, an explosion risk, or another immediate hazard.
- Whether a tool, excavator attachment, vehicle, or other object remains in contact with the cable.
- Any visible marking, warning sign, duct, or label that can be read from the safe perimeter.
If you cannot identify the owner, say so plainly. A network operator can determine whether the cable belongs to its system or redirect the report to another asset owner. Do not delay the first call while trying to establish ownership yourself.
Follow the dispatcher’s instructions exactly
The operator may ask for access information, a site contact, or details about the excavation. Answer from outside the danger area. Keep the perimeter in place, do not resume work, and do not allow another person to approach until the operator or emergency responders provide further direction.
Actions that can make the incident worse
The following actions are unsafe even when the damage looks minor:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Continuing the excavation: further movement can worsen conductor damage or bring a person into contact with an energized part.
- Approaching to inspect: a closer view cannot prove that the cable is de-energized and may put you inside an arc or contact hazard.
- Pulling out a tool or attachment: leave anything stuck to or touching the cable in place, as advised by UK Power Networks and Queensland safety guidance.
- Moving the cable: do not lift, drag, straighten, bury, cover, or otherwise reposition it.
- Attempting a repair: do not tape, splice, cap, cut, or cover the cable. Isolation and repair require the responsible network operator or asset owner.
- Sending someone else to check: a supervisor, coworker, or passer-by faces the same electrical risk and should remain outside the perimeter.
- Relying on the absence of sparks: no sparks, noise, smoke, or visible flame does not establish that the cable is dead.
When emergency services must be called as well
Call the local emergency number immediately if a person is injured or receiving an electric shock, if fire or smoke is present, if an explosion or arcing hazard exists, or if the excavation or cable creates an immediate threat to people who cannot be kept away. Tell the dispatcher that an underground electricity cable may be involved and give the site location.
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Use the utility’s emergency or damage-reporting number for the network response, but do not wait for the utility if emergency services are needed. In Great Britain, 999 is the emergency route identified in the National Grid Electricity Distribution guidance; in the United States, 911 is the emergency route identified for a serious immediate danger by Florida Public Utilities. Other jurisdictions use different numbers.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Two different situations: damaged cable and suspected cable
A cable was struck or damaged
Use the full stop, leave, keep-clear, and report sequence. Do not re-enter the trench to retrieve equipment or examine the damage. Tell the operator that contact occurred even if the cable appears undamaged and no electrical symptoms are visible.
A cable was found before contact
Stop the work around it, keep people away, and do not move the cable. Contact the electricity distributor or other likely owner immediately and follow its advice. A cable discovered during excavation may not appear on a utility information service if it is privately owned, so the absence of a record does not make it safe to handle.
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Keep the exclusion area in place while waiting. Tell the site supervisor or person in control of the work from a safe location so that no one restarts the excavation or sends another crew into the area. Maintain a clear route for utility or emergency personnel without approaching the cable yourself.
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When the operator arrives or gives instructions remotely, provide the information requested and comply with its access and isolation directions. Work should not restart simply because the cable looks intact or the immediate symptoms have stopped. Resume only when the responsible operator or owner has dealt with the hazard and given instructions that make the work safe to continue.
Preventing another underground cable strike
Prevention begins before the excavator, breaker, auger, or hand tool enters the ground. HSE guidance explains that service plans indicate approximate locations; they do not replace competent locating and confirmation in the field.
- Obtain current underground-service plans. Request plans for the site and review the notes, legends, depth information, and any ownership limitations.
- Check the relevant information service. In Queensland, the Electrical Safety Office recommends checking Before You Dig Australia information before excavation. Treat the information as a starting point, not proof that every private cable is recorded.
- Locate and identify each service. Use appropriate locating equipment operated by a competent person. Confirm which markings correspond to electrical cables and which belong to other services.
- Mark the route on the ground. Markings should remain visible and be checked as the work area changes. Plans and marks are not a substitute for physical confirmation.
- Use trial holes or potholing. Confirm the service location with non-mechanical excavation where required. Queensland guidance specifically recommends non-mechanical potholing.
- Expose the service carefully. HSE advises exposing a service horizontally rather than digging directly above it. Use controlled methods near the confirmed route.
- Repeat locator checks during the job. Recheck when the excavation moves, ground conditions change, plans are revised, or the service route is uncertain.
- Stop and ask when information conflicts. If the cable is not where the plan or mark indicates, stop work and contact the network operator or owner rather than guessing.
Why plans alone are not enough
Plans can be incomplete, out of date, or drawn from records that show an indicative route rather than the exact depth and alignment. South Australian Government guidance and the HSE both emphasize that plans must be supplemented by careful location and field confirmation. Queensland’s guidance also warns that privately owned cables may not appear in the information service. A competent locating process is therefore part of safe excavation, not an optional paperwork step.
Supervisor checklist for a cable incident
- Work stopped and the excavation vacated.
- People, vehicles, tools, and the public kept outside a clear perimeter.
- Cable and anything touching it left undisturbed.
- Local network operator or cable owner contacted immediately.
- Emergency services called for injury, fire, arcing, explosion risk, or another immediate serious danger.
- Site location and incident details provided from a safe position.
- No excavation restarted until the responsible operator or owner has addressed the hazard and issued further instructions.
The essential rule is simple: a suspected or damaged underground electricity cable is an electrical emergency until the responsible operator establishes otherwise. Stop, leave, keep clear, and report it to the correct local owner.
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