Man dies after break-in at Bathurst West substation

What happened

Early on Saturday 13 April 2019, police in Bathurst, New Brunswick, responded to a power outage on St-Anne Street and found a man with serious injuries at NB Power's Bathurst West Substation. He was unresponsive, and first responders attempted resuscitation. He was taken by ambulance to Chaleur Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Bathurst Police's criminal investigation division and forensic identification section were investigating. NB Power confirmed that an individual had broken into the substation but did not confirm what the man was doing there. The utility warned that tampering with high-voltage equipment, including substations and power lines, can be deadly.

Contributing factors

The source does not state the cause of the injuries. NB Power said theft of copper wire is a concern for the utility, which has been using less expensive metals where possible to address copper thefts.

Lessons learned

1. Substations need effective perimeter security and intrusion detection, because copper theft remains a motive for unauthorised entry.
2. Where technically suitable, operators can use less valuable materials for conductors and earthing to reduce the incentive to steal.
3. Public warnings should state clearly that entering a substation or touching high-voltage equipment can be fatal.

More lessons on theft, arson and site security, electrical protection and isolation, emergency response and public communication, from every incident on the register.

Source

ctvnews.ca