Farmers and agricultural workers are being reminded to 'Look out, Look up!' and stay safe as they work near the electricity network.
As harvest season is well underway, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is sharing practical advice with farming communities in the north of Scotland in a bid to help them avoid potential incidents.
- 'Look out, Look up!' before you start work in any areas where electricity lines are present.
- Risk assess and 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 immediately - 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, it's advised that you leap out of the vehicle as high and as far as you can to avoid touching any part of the machinery or electricity network.
Dale Cargill, Director of Customer Operations at SSEN, said:
"As farmers and their teams work long hours to complete this year's harvest, we want to ensure they're armed with the knowledge 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."
For more information on staying safe when working near power lines, please visit www.ssen.co.uk/safety/.