Northern Powergrid spreads life-saving message to Calderdale farmers

The electricity distributor is asking farmers and farm workers to stay safe by staying away from power lines when working and making sure they know what to do in an emergency.

Andrew Dudman, Northern Powergrid’s safety engineer, said: “Every year there are numerous incidents across the UK where tractors and other farm machinery make contact, or come too close, to power lines risking serious life-changing injuries or even death.

"Our power lines, on wooden poles, carry voltages of up 132,000 volts, so it extremely important that people working on farm land are aware of where power lines are and that they fully risk access on each and every occasion when working.

"It’s vital that anyone working on land near our network knows that they don’t have to make contact with our equipment to receive a shock, getting too close is enough.”

“Our campaign is about making sure farmers not only know to look up and stay away, but they also know what to do in an emergency if the worst happens. We’re encouraging farmers to get our free safety pack, which contains an air-freshener and cab stickers for inside vehicles with potentially life-saving advice about what to do if you come too close to or hit power lines, by visiting northernpowergrid.com/safety or by emailing [email protected].”

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