Reporting network damage or health and safety problems

Tell us about unsafe, damaged or vandalised Openreach equipment

It's important that damaged, unsafe or vandalised equipment is reported so we can fix it as quickly as possible and keep the network safe and running for everyone.

You can contact Openreach to report damage to our network or raise any health & safety problems, such as:

• Damaged underground cables (often caused by mechanical diggers in built-up areas)
• Loose cables or cables dangling from telephone poles
• Damaged or vandalised green cabinets, including graffiti, or unattended cabinets with open doors
• Something unsafe at a site where we're working
• Damaged telephone poles (for example if they’re leaning at odd angles, or have fallen down)
• Loose, cracked or missing manhole covers

Identifying Openreach equipment

First, take a look at our identifying our equipment guide and check that it's ours.

If it is, please contact our damage team by calling us on 0800 023 2023 (choose option 1 and then choose option 1 again).

Once you’re sure the equipment belongs to us, it would really help us if you use the What3Words App to tell us exactly where the damaged equipment is so that our engineers can locate and make it safe as quickly as possible. You can download the app from the app store on your mobile device, they're a third party and you can access their privacy statement to understand how they use your data.

If you want to connect to a desk agent, please use the below steps.

For graffiti or vandalised Openreach equipment

1. Click on the chat icon on the bottom right corner of the screen   

2. Choose “Damage, Health & Safety” from the menu

3. Choose “Graffiti or vandalised Openreach equipment” from the menu

4. You will then be asked to fill in your (name, telephone, email)

5. Then you will be passed to a live agent to whom you can make the complaint

For unsafe or damaged Openreach equipment

1. Click on the chat icon on the bottom right corner of the screen   

2. Choose “Damage, Health & Safety” from the menu

3. Choose “Unsafe or damaged Openreach equipment” from the menu

4. You will then be asked to clarify if the damage is dangerous or not

5. For both “yes” or “no”, you will be asked to clarify and choose from these options: Cable damage; Cabinet damage; Pole Damage; Loose/ cracked manhole cover; Damaged/vandalised equipment

6. Then you will be asked to take a look at the identifying our equipment guide and check that it does belong to us 

7. You will then be asked to fill in your (name, telephone, email)

8. Then you will be passed to a live agent to whom you can make the complaint

For any damage to your property caused by Openreach

1. Click on the chat icon on the bottom right corner of the screen   

2. Choose “Damage, Health & Safety” from the menu

3. Choose the “Damage to my property” option from the menu

4. If you want to claim for damage we have caused to your property while we've been working, we're very sorry. If the damage was caused by one of our vehicles, please email BTMotorClaims@dwf.law, for anything else, please email BTPLClaims@dwf.law. Please include your full name, address, telephone number, email address and the date & details of the damage. We’ll respond to you within 2 working days

5. If you believe the standard of the engineering visit is not up to your expectations, please choose the “Put something right” option

6. You will then be asked to fill in your (name, telephone, email)

7. Then you will be passed to a live agent to whom you can make the complaint

Our damage teams cannot help if you:

• have a question about your broadband or telephone bill
• have a problem with your service, such as a fault or slow broadband speeds
• have a query about an engineer visit
• want to order phone or broadband, or upgrade to Full Fibre

The Openreach damage team cannot help you with any of these problems nor can they transfer you to any teams who can. Please contact your broadband or telephone service provider for any assistance with these problems.