Farmers in Dorset are being urged to watch out when working near electricity lines or poles this summer. 

‘Look up, Look out’ is the message to farmers from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), as it teams up with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) to issue advice and raise awareness of the possible dangers of working near poles and overhead power lines.

The campaign is launched as part of Farm Safety Week, which runs from Monday, July 24 until Friday, July 28. SSEN and NFU are aiming to spread the message in the hope that farmers and their teams will be armed with the knowledge they need to stay safe in the field. 

Last year, SSEN recorded over 100 incidents in central southern England where farm machinery came into contact with poles, overhead lines and cables, cutting off local electricity supplies.

An SSEN spokesman said: “Thankfully none of these incidents led to injury.”

A list of guidelines has been issued to farmers: 

  •  ‘Look up, look out’ before you start work in any areas where electricity lines are present.
  •  Be aware of the height of machinery that will be in use near lines and ensure there’s plenty of clearance, remember that electricity can ‘jump’ if an object comes near enough.
  • If you do come in to contact with an overhead line or cable, stay in your cab or vehicle and try to avoid touching anything metal within it
  • Call 105 – this is the UK-wide single emergency number for power companies and is the quickest way to put you through to the correct network operator.
  • If the situation is too dangerous to stay put, for example, if the machinery is affected by fire, then it’s advised that you leap out of the vehicle as high and as far as you can to avoid touching any part of it.

Craig Gilroy, SSEN’s director of customer operations in England, said: “Our rural landscape changes all the time and the ‘Look up, Look out’ message encourages anyone working in the field to take stock of their surroundings and the overhead lines that may run across or into the land. 

“Trees and hedgerows may have grown since the last time you checked and now obscure the nearby lines, intense heat in the summer can cause lines to sag slightly and working with different styles or heights of machinery may bring you closer to the lines than in previous years.”

Hampshire NFU chairman Matt Culley, an arable farmer and contractor, said: “We work in a high-risk industry, but there are simple steps we can all take to help avoid accidents around electrical equipment, especially during harvesting.”