Power-related incidents on local farms reach four-year high

News from our partner SP Energy Networks 

The number of power-related incidents in the farming community in North Wales, Cheshire and Merseyside* has increased to a four-year high, new data has revealed.

Electricity provider SP Energy Networks has confirmed there were 206 power-related incidents on farms and farmland in the region in 2016 – a rate of four a week and an increase of 5% on 2015.

This included 36 incidents where tipper trucks, cranes or machinery came into contact with overhead power lines. Such collisions can have devastating consequences, resulting in life-changing or even fatal injuries.

In total, more than a third (37%) of all the power-related incidents reported in SP Energy Networks’ Welsh region in 2016 were on farms and farmland.

SP Energy Networks is working hard to prevent such incidents by raising awareness amongst the agricultural community. If an emergency situation occurs, farmers are advised to keep people and livestock away from the power lines and to contact SP Energy Networks’ 24-hour hotline number by calling 105 or 0800 001 5400 to report the emergency.

Gary Evans, Health & Safety Manager at SP Energy Networks, said:

“We have collected evidence from across the Cheshire, Merseyside and North Wales area and discovered that amongst the agricultural community, the number of power-related incidents is at a four-year high. We hope we can help workers to be more informed of the risks and help them to stay safe.”

*including Shropshire.