6 October 2004 - HSE to Supply Maps of Overhead Cables to Farmers to Lessen Farmland Electrocutions
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and
electricity suppliers Central Networks will be visiting farms in the
Lincolnshire area, where paper maps and CD ROMs will be supplied to farmers
to help in the prevention of deaths by electrocution. Each year,
nationally, 6 people on average die on farmland through electrocution whilst
using farm equipment.
The maps will show a plan of where overhead electric cables are routed
within the farmers land.
It is hoped, that by providing the farmers and their workers with the maps,
that deaths caused by farm irrigation or hedge flail equipment can lessen
the number of deaths within the farming industry.
There is new legislation, which states that electricity suppliers also have
the responsibility for the safety of their electric lines.
Mr. Stephen Hennell, Network and Public Safety Manager for Central Networks commented:
"We regularly experience incidents where during agriculture work contact is made with overhead lines or the supporting poles. On some occasions these incidents result in injury to a farm or agricultural worker, and regrettably in some instances these injuries prove to be fatal. Nearly all the incidents result in damage to our overhead lines and loss of electricity supplies to our customers.
What makes it all so sad is that these incidents are preventable with some pre-planning, with vital information being recorded and passed on to those doing the work. I've been involved in investigating several fatal accidents involving contact with overhead lines during agricultural work. The common factors that come out in all incidents are a lack of thought in planning what is to be done; and a lack of care during carrying out the work.
This initiative by the HSE gives us the opportunity to work with their staff to raise awareness of the simple steps that can be taken to prevent contact with overhead lines.
Farmers who aren't being visited in this initiative can obtain copies of our plans free of charge by contacting our records service on 0115 901 4711".
Ian Ellison, HSE Inspector also commented:
"Farmers are increasingly using specialist contractors for particular jobs who often don't know the lie of the land, so it's easy for them to miss overhead cables or not realise the kind of power they're carrying.
The maps sound like a really basic measure, but the regular death toll tells its own story. A few years ago a study showed that 40% of farmers weren't taking even basic commonsense safety measures around power lines and we want to change that.
Where farmers have put preventative measures in place to reduce the risk of contact with overhead lines on their farm then there is nothing to fear from our visits. If it turns out when HSE calls that they have done little or nothing, then they can expect to be served with an enforcement notice.Where a farmer has pro-actively approached the electricity company, HSE would likewise expect the company to investigate and use their expertise to make sure the line was safe".
Further information can be found on the HSE Agriculture Information pages: Free Leaflets -Agriculture
Article by Alexandra Johnston
