Overhead National Grid Power Lines

Aug 13, 2010
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Help!
We have just returned to caravaning after a 25 year break we are slightly shocked after our first trip out.
On arriving at our alloted pitch we were amazed to find that we were to be positioned directly under overhead power cables; as we were at the end of a line of similar positioned caravans we assumed this was normal. However on lowering the corner jacks and assembling the awning poles we soon realised something was not right as were getting a very uncomfortable strong tingling sensation when in contact with anything metal.

We contacted the site reception and received a different pitch with the advice that everything would be OK once the electric hitch-up was connected as we would then be earthed!
This was on a popular site with several awards.

Is this normal acceped practice? What are the safety implications? What would be the implications if I had a pacemaker etc?

On returning home I tried to investigate further by contacting the Health and Safety Executive. Their advice was to contact the local environmental agency who futher advised me to contact the electrical utlity company responsible for the power lines. Both said they would follow this up and ring back. Needless to say nobody has!

Does anyone know the safety implications of receiving an induced shock?
 
Feb 3, 2005
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Whatever repies you were to get I would be inclined not to trust them, as views of the so called experts tend to change from time to time. How many times have we been told that something is safe, then somebody carries out some tests and says it is dangerous to our health? Radiation from mobile phones is an example.

I would be inclined to walk away (I know that's not easy if you've booked a pitch, but health is more important).
 
Jul 1, 2009
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beeing a crane driver tower cranes and mobiles the safe distance is the lentgh of the jib plus ")20 mtrs .BUT if the pole is wooden and1100kv its as little as 6 mtrs so i would say they would give you a go ahead ,but if it affects you say so dont forget its a lot less in the damp.THEshortest route to the ground is your awning.
 
Jun 14, 2009
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I have worked in power stations for the past 40 years. During this time I have been working around some of the biggest electro-magnets imaginable. I have suffered no ill effects. Overhead power-lines depending on pylon type can be 400Kv, the noise of insulators fizzing away can be quite concerning. There is no risk, unless you decide to fly a kite or something similar. Personally I would not feel happy to be pitched under a power-line, although I have done twice before at the CC Camelford site and a private site at Bradwell, Great Yarmouth. I wonder if the tingling you was feeling was just mentally induced because you were uncomfortable with your surroundings?
I know there have been cases of people living in close proximity to transformers or overhead power-line developing tumours, but the power companies have always pooh-poohed the idea that they are at fault. Who knows?
 
Jul 1, 2009
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400 kv is low for a power station 1100 is the norm for low levele wood poles you have tasted a bit of static i get tha on most damp mornings
 
Oct 1, 2009
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This is a common problem and I have provided an extract from a document by the National Grid - ‘Development near overhead Power Lines’
“High voltage equipment produces electric fields which can cause nearby conductive objects to acquire a charge. When discharged to earth through a person touching the object, a small microshock may be experienced. For instance, a car parked under a power lines can pick up a voltage and when a person touches it, a small spark may occur between the car and that person. Microshocks my sometimes be annoying but are not normally regarded as dangerous or a health risk.
Metal clad buildings and fences under overhead power lines can similarly pick up a voltage. These should be appropriately earthed to reduce effects of such voltages.”

So you see now see what caused the tingling sensation and the advice given by the site reception was correct. Whether I, as a retired elctrical engineering consultant, would have been happy pitching there is another matter and apart from that, my wife wouldn't let us go anywhere near it !
Regards
Alan
 
Jun 14, 2009
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forest gump said:
400 kv is low for a power station 1100 is the norm for low levele wood poles you have tasted a bit of static i get tha on most damp mornings

I beg to differ Forest, but 400kV is 400,000 volts, 11kV is 11,000 volts, so 400kV is bigger than 11kV.
 
Jun 14, 2009
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forest gump said:
sorry old salt read it wrong 400 v i ment

Thats fine Forest,
Whatever the voltages, they pack a mighty punch and I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of either of them!!!!!
 
Mar 8, 2009
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As an ex rally secretary for a CC centre, and a long time centre member it has been a long standing instruction to rally marshals/stewards in our centre not to park ralliers/members under high voltage power lines. Why? (A bit shrouded in history,) but a couple of reasons are that in wet/misty weather the noise (sizzle) can be quite disturbing, and also you get quite a bit of condensation accumulating on the cables and if this is dripping on your van - not very pleasant. Another reason is in the unlikely event of storm damage to the cables. Who wants to be under them?
Lastly, would you build your house under them or live under them, if not : Why should your 2nd. home be under them?
 

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