Conduit mowed over

A lawnmower damaged a conduit at the base of a parking lot light near the entrance to a restaurant. I discovered that this circuit was still energized later that day. I am always amazed when I find this situation around these types of installations. If the conduit here was anything other than nonmetallic, this situation may have only caused damage to the lawnmower blade. The rules in the NEC under Section 300-5(d) cover protection from damage. Direct buried conductors and cables emerging from the ground must be protected by enclosures or raceways extending from the minimum cover distance required by Section 300-5(a) below grade to a point at least 8 feet above finished grade. In no case shall the protection be required to exceed 18 inches below finished grade. Where the enclosure or raceway is subject to “physical damage,” the conductors must be installed in “rigid metal conduit, intermediate metal conduit, Schedule 80 rigid nonmetallic conduit” or an equivalent.