ESB denies dragging its feet as school moved into pole position

RECENT media coverage of the removal of poles from the construction site of Gael Choláiste na Mara, Arklow, Co Wicklow, provided an opportunity for some tongue-in-cheek coverage.

However, it missed a serious safety issue that should be addressed.

All those involved in construction activities are well aware of the constraints and limitations of working in the vicinity of live overhead lines.

In the case of the school in Arklow, an understanding had been reached that the network would be taken out of service in January in order to remove the poles and to facilitate building under the line in a safe manner.

Some reports suggested that ESB had dragged its feet in removing the pole. This is not true and unfair to the staff involved. The removal of a heavily loaded 38,000-volt power line, with houses on both sides and a railway line nearby, is a complex operation, involving careful planning to ensure safety and minimise disruption to electricity supply. In this case, it also required the close cooperation of Iarnród Eireann.

Any work near or under an electricity network involves strict health and safety requirements.

ESB Networks and the Health and Safety Authority have been working with the construction industry to ensure that developers and contractors are well aware of the dangers.

It is never acceptable to put employees at risk by building under a live high voltage line.

Each year construction workers are killed or seriously injured in similar situations. Thankfully in this case no injury occurred.

John Shine

Executive Director

Networks

ESB

Lr Fitzwilliam Street

Dublin 2