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Safety around our Network

We are taking a lead in how the energy industry manages the risks inherent in working and living around electricity. We have stopped live line work where possible and will shut off power when notified of low hanging or downed power lines.

When alerted to a low hanging or downed line, we will remotely shut down power to that area, before crews arrive on site. Stopping live line work where possible extends to both planned and outage maintenance. As a precaution you should still treat lines as live at all times. You should never approach downed or low lines without approval from emergency services or Vector crew attending on site.

Our crews have access to bus lanes to minimise travel time to any incident and we are looking at new technology options to minimise the impact and disruption for customers.

Low hanging or downed lines may be ours, other utilities’, or customers’, but it is best to turn the power off as a precaution until crews get to site to check for safety.

Our new safety protocols may lead to a few more outages, but we believe Aucklanders will agree with us that keeping our people and the public safe is worth it.

You can do your bit by keeping your service lines maintained, including your trees around our lines and reporting damaged network lines and equipment to us.

For more safety information around our network click here.


 

Who owns what

Safer Communities


Vector is committed to educating communities about the importance of keeping safe around electricity and other energy infrastructure.

Vector continues to support ‘beforeUdig’, an online service giving anyone undertaking excavation works access to information on the location of cables, pipes and other utility assets in and around any proposed dig site. This helps to protect people and valuable assets during these works. In 2018, more than 172,000 enquiries were managed through the site.

catch action, not cables when you're out on the water

 

It'’s great to see so many people out on the water. But if you’re heading out on the boat, give underwater electricity cables a wide berth.

Vector has a number of underwater cables in the Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour. They provide power to island communities and important links in the Auckland network.


Anchoring over them is dangerous and not allowed – doing so could damage them. Because of the safety risk and the potential disruption to thousands of people, the penalties for wilfully damaging the underwater cables can be significant, in addition to the costs to repair any broken cables.

Markers show where cables enter and leave the water, and routes are shown on marine charts NZ 5324 and NZ 533.

If you snag an underwater cable, follow these steps

  • Don’t try to tug it free
  • Instead, note your position and abandon your gear
  • Call 0508 VECTOR (0508 832 867) with the location details.


Overhead lines

  • Watch out for overhead lines around boat ramps or when towing your boat onto land.

 
If a boat mast has brought down power lines onto a vehicle, follow these steps

  • Stay in the vehicle. Call 0508 VECTOR (0508 832 867) with the location details.
  • Only try to exit if there is an urgent situation, such as the vehicle being on fire.
  • If you need to exit, jump well clear without touching metal surfaces. Do not touch the machine and ground at the same time.

 

If someone has been electrocuted

  • Don't touch the victim until you are certain the source of electricity has been removed. Call 111.

     


 

 

Our approach to health, safety and environment

Our approach to health, safety and environment

We want to be recognised as setting the standard for Health, Safety and Environmental leadership for New Zealand businesses.
 
Our management of health, safety and the environment is underpinned by key policies (Health and Safety, Process Safety, Environmental, Rehabilitation and Drug and Alcohol).