FTTP installation: cover for accidental damage to pipes/cables.

[FloFosterJenkins]

Holes must be drilled for cable ingress and for fixing the ONT and the outside box. Are installers covered for accidental damage to pipes/cables, or do they have to pay out of their own pocket?

[licquorice]

That is a question for Openreach and their sub contractors. It has absolutely nothing to do with BT

[jac_95]

It would be Openreach or a contractor on behalf of Openreach doing the installation of full fibre.

You might be interested in this link if you have a complaint about damage to your property: https://www.openreach.com/help-and-support/when-to-get-in-touch-with-openreach/complaints-policy

[iniltous]

OR employees have utility/ stud finders , and drill from inside out so the chances of hitting a hidden service are small , but with plastic water pipes etc there is always a small chance of hitting one , if that’s the case OR pay for the damage not the individual employee , unless they make a habit of doing the same thing time and again, it in which case there may be repercussions for that employee , but not to the extent of them having to paying for the damage directly.
Contractors working on behalf of OR may take a different approach but ultimately the damage is repaired at no cost to the householder .
Some complaints though may be dismissed, hitting a water pipe wouldn’t be challenged, but something like a small part of brick detached from the wall , where the hole was drilled ( which can be pretty much unavoidable ) they wouldn’t offer to rebuild the wall or even replace the brick , they may make attempts to make it visually less obvious but their are limits .

[FloFosterJenkins]

I thought someone on this forum might have had experience, and would know.

[licquorice]

But it would only be hearsay rather than an authoritative answer.

[FloFosterJenkins]

There is no damage. A Morissons engineer refused yesterday to drill the few holes required to fix the ONT and the exterior box because his detector was showing red. I assured him that the 1911 house’s flank wall is of double brick construction and concealed nothing.
Openreach will site the ONT in the same location as the current broadband box. The engineer who fitted that had no concerns about drilling there.
The engineer said that he had had to pay £600 of his own money last week because he’d hit a pipe or cable, despite assurances from the fish and chip shop owner that it was safe. I don’t believe him.
So the 2nd attempt to install has failed.

[FloFosterJenkins]

Not if it was from someone who works in such business. My guess is that engineers are insured against such damage.

[licquorice]

But how would you know that it wasn't your Morrisons guy replying with the same BS?

[iniltous]

TBH , the solution would be pretty simply , let you drill the holes , if you hit a hidden service that would be your problem not the installers.

As stated , contractors are not employed by OR , the arrangement OR have is with the contract company not the individual contractor, so the safeguards for the contract engineer isn’t the same as direct labour  , contractors could be liable depending on the terms of the contract they have with the company that employs them , and obviously they can have a ‘hire and fire’ mentality .

Openreach couldn’t arbitrarily make a tech making an honest mistake, pay directly for the error , however , if a machine designed to detect hidden services , detected something it would be foolhardy to proceed, as said , they should have handed you the drill .