SureDuct is designed for use by electricity and telecoms maintenance teams to help ensure their safety. Here’s how it works for one of the UK’s largest electrical maintenance teams.

UK Power Networks is one of the six major Distribution Network Operators working in the UK to maintain vital electricity networks.

UK Power Networks owns and maintains electricity cables and lines across London, the South East and East of England to ensure power flows reliably, safely, and securely.

Part of its work includes maintenance of underground power cables to locate and fix faults, connect and upgrade supplies. Electrical cables are housed in plastic ducting which must be cut through to create an inspection window.

Luke Perkins, Health and Safety Advisor at UK Power Networks, says: “The safety of our employees and the public is our top priority and we are always looking for new and innovative ways to further increase the safety of our operations.

“SureDuct helps our teams to quickly and safely open ducts in the ground with electricity cables running through them. We’ve received positive feedback from our teams.” 

UK Power Networks collaborated with the team at SureDuct about its requirements and possible designs before a product was brought in for trials.

“Those who trialled SureDuct said it was easier to use and a safe option. Some of our teams open up several ducts to locate a fault, but with this tool it was only taking them a day.

“The tool cuts steadily and evenly, reducing the strain on the worker’s body.”

UK Power Networks employees found SureDuct worked well in the majority of scenarios where there is room to move a multitool around the circumference of a cable duct.

Luke adds: “In some cases ducts are found on top of ducts, so there is less room to move. However, if you can do three quarters of the work with SureDuct and the rest is more labour intensive, you are working much more efficiently as well as more safely.”

UK Power Networks also found that using SureDuct instead of the traditional methods of getting through a duct makes the process of rejoining the duct at the end of the process simpler.

“Other methods can leave rough edges around the area where the duct has been opened,” says Luke. “Using SureDuct rings the duct nicely and means it can be rejoined in a straightforward, neat and tidy way.”

UK Power Networks’ staff have been trained in the use of SureDuct since November 2023, and the discs are in everyday use and available for order by UK Power Networks’ internal staff as well as contractors.

Each worker is provided with a set of colour-coded SureDuct discs which easily fit to a standard multitool. They simply choose the correct disc for the job, attach it to the tool and then safely cut through the duct to the required depth.

This year more operatives will be trained and eventually, using SureDuct will be ‘business as usual’ for UK Power Networks’ teams.

“In the long term we will be using SureDuct to cut hundreds of ducts a year – it will become everyday use where possible,” says Luke.