National Grid issue safety plea of ‘look out, look up’ to farmers in Devon

“Look out, look up” and stay safe around electrical equipment is the message to Devon farmers from National Grid Electricity Distribution as Farm Safety Week (22-26 July) kicks off today.

Every year the company, which has more than a million customers across the South West, is called to incidents where farm vehicles collide with overhead power lines.

One of them was near Whimple where a tractor trailer hit an electricity line pole.

The tractor driver didn’t realise he had clipped the pole with his trailer and continued dragging it for another six meters until it came down on top of him, with a steel cross arm penetrating the cab roof.

The driver escaped uninjured by jumping clear of the vehicle and taking leaping strides to safety – a technique he had recently learnt on a farm safety course.

It is estimated that at least one agricultural accident involving overhead lines is reported every day in the UK.

As farm machinery continues to increase in size, the distance between equipment and nearby power lines is at risk of reducing, meaning that accidents could be more likely.

Paul Woodward, Safety Manager for National Grid Electricity Distribution, said: “Every year, our engineers and technicians are called to incidents involving farming equipment and overhead power lines.

“Accidents involving the electricity supply can have devastating consequences, so it’s really important that farmers ‘look out’ and ‘look up’ – particularly when working with big or heavy machinery.

“We are committed to ensuring that farm workers have the knowledge and resources they need to get home safe every day, and will continue to work with farming communities in Devon and across the country to reduce incidents involving our power lines.”

As part of National Grid’s farm safety campaign, the operator has outlined these simple steps to ensure farmers stay safe when working close to power lines:

• Never raise elevating equipment, such as spray booms, cabbage harvesters and trailer bodies, under or close to overhead power lines.
• Never store or move materials under, or close to, overhead power lines, as this reduces the safe clearance distance beneath the overhead lines.
• Know the maximum reach and height of any vehicle you are operating, and be vigilant when using GPS – accidents can still happen.
• You cannot see electricity – the area around a fallen line, including the soil, equipment and other objects, could be live – so stay away.

If contact is made with a power line, farm workers are advised to stay in the cab and try to drive clear. If that is not possible, the driver should stay in the cab and telephone 105, only leaving the machine in an emergency.

When leaving the vehicle, they should take care not to hold the machine and touch the ground at the same time, and take leaping strides so one foot is clear from the ground at all times – or “bunny hop” away with both feet kept together.

Farmers are also encouraged to use the “What3Words” app, which allows farmers to pinpoint the exact location of an incident. This means that network engineers can isolate the power in seconds using remote technology, therefore reducing the risk of accidents and threat to life.

Farmers can find out more about National Grid’s safety advice and access additional resources at www.nationalgrid.co.uk/customers-and-community/health-safety/farming-safety.