Farmers urged to ‘Look Up It’s Live’ this summer harvest season
3rd July 2024
As farm workers across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire take to their fields to harvest crops, the region’s electricity distribution network operator is sharing a vital safety message.
Northern Powergrid has launched its summer ‘Look Up It’s Live’ campaign, urging the farming industry to watch out for overhead power lines.
Tractors and combine harvesters will be a common sight in fields and on countryside roads due to haymaking and silage collection, as well as the start of the combine season for cereal crops like wheat, barley or maize.
This potentially puts farmers at risk of coming into contact with live electricity cables.
Engaging with farming community
Northern Powergrid, a regular campaigner for farming safety, will be engaging with farm workers at the upcoming Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate, which takes place between 9th and 12th July.
The network’s safety engineers will be able to chat with the farming community, children, parents and customers on how to avoid the dangers of electricity and to stay away from its power network when farming their land.
Teams will be on hand to provide ‘Look Up It’s Live’ safety packs, as well as giving out their new ‘Working together with agriculture to save lives’ booklet, endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Increase in accidents
Gareth Pearson, director of health, safety and training, said: “The launch of our summer safety campaign is targeted at farmers who are actively harvesting their crops and are out and about on countryside roads.
“The increase in farming activity can, sadly, lead to an increase in accidents.
“To engage with farmers, we are attending and sponsoring this year’s Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate and are also advertising directly to farmers how to stay safe and ‘Look Up It’s Live’ to keep away from our overhead power network.
“We’d encourage members of the farming and agriculture industry to read our free safety information and drop into our stand at the show to speak with our safety experts and get a free safety pack and ‘Working together with agriculture to save lives’ brochure.
“We are also sharing our campaign messages via our social media channels and information is freely available on our website at northernpowergrid.com/safety.”
Northern Powergrid’s ‘Look Up It’s Live’ campaign will run throughout July, with farmers encouraged to register to receive a free safety pack, which contains a safety advice leaflet, cab sticker and an air freshener with lifesaving emergency advice on what to do if you come into contact with or too close to power lines.
Pick up a pack at the Great Yorkshire Show or email: safety.information@northernpowergrid.com.
Agriculture colleges can also request free safety talks, delivered by Northern Powergrid’s safety team.
Staying safe near power lines
- Inform anyone working near power lines of the dangers and the action they should take in an emergency.
- Remember, you don’t need to make contact with a power line to be in danger. Electricity can jump to an object or person – so stay well clear.
- Ground levels may have changed since your last visit, reducing clearance. Risk assess every situation, on every occasion.
- Always carry a mobile phone and store 105, the number to call in an emergency.
What to do in an emergency
- Drive well clear if safe to do so and call 105.
- If unsafe to drive clear – stay in the cab, call 105, and warn others to stay clear.
- If unsafe to stay in cab – jump well clear. Do not step down or make contact with the vehicle and the ground at the same time.
- Leaping strides – land with both feet together and make leaping strides away, so that one foot is always off the ground.
- Warn others to stay clear. Damaged power lines can stay live or become live at any time without warning.
Read more farm safety news.
