Farmers and agricultural workers are being told “look out, look up” for overhead electricity lines during harvest.
The message from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) comes as combines roll across the fields.
SSEN director of customer operations Dale Cargill said: “As farmers work long hours they need to stay safe near overhead power lines that may run across their land.
“Always take the opportunity to risk assess before any work begins. Look out, look up and pay attention to your surroundings and if you come into contact with an overhead line or cable stay in your cab and call 105 immediately.”
SSEN advice urges farmers and agricultural workers to assess whether any electricity lines are present in a field before starting work in it. They should then risk assess the situation and be aware of the height of machinery that will be in use near the lines, as electricity can jump if an object comes near enough. SSEN advice also states that you must not get out of your tractor or vehicle cab if any part of the machinery or equipment touches an overhead line – once outside, they will no longer have the protective shield of the machine around them. In instances where it is unsafe to stay in the machine, such as it being on fire, advice is to leap out of the vehicle as high and as far as possible.
