Hong Kong Regulations

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY LINES (PROTECTION) REGULATION - SECT 10

Requirements relating to works in vicinity of electricity supply lines

Works in Vicinity of Electricity Supply Lines

(1) A person shall not-

   (a)  carry out or cause or permit another to carry out in the vicinity of
        an underground electricity cable any works which are below ground
        level; or

   (b)  carry out or cause or permit another to carry out in the vicinity of
        an overhead electricity line works of any kind, unless before the
        works are begun all reasonable steps have been taken to ascertain the
        existence within the proposed works site and its vicinity of any such
        underground electricity cable and its alignment and depth or of any
        such overhead electricity line and its alignment, distance from the
        ground and voltage, as the case may be.

(2) A person who-

   (a)  carries out or causes or permits another to carry out in the vicinity
        of an underground electricity cable any works which are below ground
        level; or

   (b)  carries out or causes or permits another to carry out in the vicinity
        of an overhead electricity line works of any kind, shall ensure that
        all reasonable measures are taken to prevent the occurrence of an
        electrical accident or an interruption to the supply of electricity
        arising from those works.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) as it applies in relation to works in
the vicinity of an underground electricity cable, and without affecting the
generality of that subsection, reasonable steps shall not be regarded as
having been taken unless a competent person has undertaken an investigation
for the purpose of ascertaining the existence within the proposed works site
and its vicinity of any such underground electricity  cable and its alignment
and depth and has provided a written report of his findings as to those
matters.

(4) Subject to section 11(7), where the Director has approved a code of
practice for any of the requirements of paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1)
or (2), then, subject to subsection (3), compliance with the provisions of
that code shall be deemed to constitute the taking of all reasonable steps, or
the taking of all reasonable measures, as the case may be, for the purposes of
that requirement.

(5) A competent person who undertakes an investigation to ascertain the
existence, alignment and depth of an underground electricity cable-

   (a)  shall not delegate the function and duty of the investigation to
        another person;

   (b)  may carry out the investigation with the assistance of any other
        persons, but such persons shall be directly supervised by that
        competent person at the proposed works site in the course of the
        investigation;

   (c)  shall carry out the investigation in a manner that does not cause
        damage to, or impair the operation of, the underground electricity 
        cable; and

   (d)  shall provide the person requesting the investigation with a written
        report of his findings as to that matter.