The new free guide Agriculture - Look Out, Look Up! provides clear practical advice and illustration covering how to avoid the hazards involved in spraying, harvesting, hedge cutting, undertaking loading operations and performing other farm tasks near overhead power lines. The guidance covers topics including the latest emergency procedures, clarity on statutory clearances and how to correctly use technology like GPS and height measuring tools to help ensure everyone can plan and work safely. The guidance will be circulated widely across the agricultural sector via the NFU, NAAC and their partners.
Jamie Reeve, Deputy Director, Safety, Health and Environment at ENA said:
"Nothing is more important to network operators than the safety of people living and working near the UK’s energy infrastructure. The UK’s grid is one of the safest and most reliable globally, but we never stop working with our partners, like the NFU and NAAC, to make sure people are aware of the risks and can avoid them. We hope that this practical guide will help keep people safe and prevent the avoidable tragedies that can happen if equipment is accidentally damaged.”
David Exwood, NFU Deputy President, said:
“Overhead power lines are a familiar feature across our farms, but familiarity must not lead to complacency. Every year, lives are lost or changed forever because of accidental contact with power lines – often during busy and pressured times like harvest. This new guidance is a practical tool to support safer working practices on farm, keeping farmers, their families and their businesses safe. I urge every farmer to read it, share it and take time to consider how they are managing these risks.”
Jill Hewitt, Chair of the NAAC, said:
“It is vital that contractors and farmers work in partnership to make certain that everyone is aware of the location of powerlines, so that contact can be avoided keeping everyone safe”.
Notes to editor
- You can find the new Agricultural - Look Out, Look Up! guidance below or visit our website: www.energynetworks.org/campaigns/look-out-look-up-agricultural
About us
Energy Networks Association (ENA) is the industry body representing the energy networks. Our members include every major electricity network operator in the UK. The electricity networks are at the heart of the energy transition. They directly employ more than 26,000 people in the UK, including 1,500 apprentices. They are spending and investing £33bn in our electricity grids over the coming years, to ensure safe, reliable and secure energy supplies for the millions of homes and businesses reliant on power every day.
Press office contact
Our press office can assist with enquiries from journalists and content creators only. You can email press@energynetworks.org. Please note, if your enquiry is urgent or requires a response out of normal working hours you should call us on 0204 599 7691.