04 July 2006 00:00 Central Networks issues warning after child injured climbing into Warwickshire substation

Central Networks, the electricity distribution company for central England, has issued a warning after a child was injured climbing into one of its substations in Stockton.

It is believed that the boy had kicked his football over the substation fence and had climbed in to recover it. Unfortunately, while doing this, he fell and broke his wrist.

Stephen Hennell, Network and Public Safety Manager for Central Networks, said: “We fence off our substations and display danger of death notices warning people to stay out because the equipment inside this type of substation can cause serious injuries if interfered with or damaged.

“We can understand why this lad went in after his ball but he’s very lucky that he only ended up with a broken wrist. While this substation contained fully enclosed equipment, other sites may not.

“The only people who should go into our substations and their compounds are our engineers – the message to others from us is to stay out – stay alive.”

The substation safety rules are:

•Play ball games well away from substations;
•Don’t ever go in to get an item yourself, even if looks to be within reach;
•If an item goes inside a substation, tell an adult.

Anyone who needs an item retrieving from a substation should contact Central Networks on 0800 626555.

Ends

Notes to editors:
•Central Networks is the new name for Midlands Electricity and East Midlands Electricity. The company brings power to 4.9 million customers across the East and West Midlands through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables – enough to go round the Earth almost four times – and via almost 97,000 substations;
•Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.

For more information contact:
Jonathan Smith on 024 7642 5741
A selection of Central Networks images is available free of charge to the media by registering at www.newscast.co.uk and by looking under Distribution.