SSEN and NFU summer sessions helping keep farming communities safe during the harvest season and beyond

Members of SSEN's Safety Team attending an NFU event this summer to highlight the 'Look out, look up, look after yourself' campaign - John Fleet, Jason Black, Melissa Rowell, Darren Hall and Jason Merryweather.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) and National Farmers Union (NFU) have been reminding hundreds of farmers, contractors and landowners of the importance of staying safe throughout the summer months and busy harvest season, with a series of safety talks and events held across central southern England.

Earlier this year, SSEN kicked off its annual farm safety campaign - ‘Look out, look up, look after yourself’ - which has been developed over the years through ongoing, direct engagement with farming communities and organisations, such as the NFU.

This close connection has not only helped build the campaign over the past few years, but has also provided SSEN’s Safety Team with a vital platform to engage and speak face-to-face with the farmers and contractors attending NFU’s series of summer safety talks.

Held across SSEN’s central southern England distribution area, the local events draw in hundreds of members of the farming community and enable SSEN to reinforce its vital messaging on staying safe while working near its electricity infrastructure. This summer saw SSEN’s Safety Team attending more events than ever before, speaking to farming communities in Buckinghamshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight and West Sussex.

The Distribution Network Operator’s campaign messaging is further supported throughout the summer months with radio, trade press, digital and social media advertising; all aimed at keeping farmers and farm workers safe during one of the busiest times in the agricultural calendar.

Jason Black, SSEN’s Operational Safety Manager for Distribution said:

“Each year, our 'Look out, look up, look after yourself,' campaign and safety messaging grows and changes to accommodate the changes in farming and the different machinery used in agriculture throughout the year.

“We’re delighted to have been part of more NFU safety events this year than ever before, directly bringing our safety messages to nearly 400 farmers and contractors throughout the summer sessions. It’s through these conversations that we are keeping that vital safety messaging in mind – from planning an initial risk assessment to returning home safely at the end of the working day.”

Jason continued:

“While we’re continuing to see a reduction in non-injury incidents across farms and fields in central southern England distribution areas, we want to keep bringing that number down, so we’ll keep asking  farmers, landowners and their contractors to be aware of their surroundings and potential hazards, and to prioritise their own wellbeing – not just for this harvest season, but for the whole of the year.”

Nathan Boyd, NFU’s County Adviser for Berkshire, Buckingham and Oxfordshire added:

“Safety events such as the series, led by the NFU and held across the south, play a vital role in keeping farmers up to date on rules, especially as we come into harvest. Having SSEN involved is a vital component for us and our members.

“Each year we hear from farmers and operators who have had near misses or been trapped in machinery due to incidents with overhead lines, and the advice and information that SSEN’s Safety Team gives can literally save your life.” 

SSEN and NFU want to remind those working on the land to continue to be mindful of their safety and well-being - especially when they are operating machinery near overhead lines - with a video and accompanying safety information leaflet.

SSEN has also produced the following advice to help famers stay safe when working near the electricity network: 

• Before you head out on the farm, always check for power lines above you – ‘Look out, look up, look after yourself’.
• If your farm machinery hits a power line: stay in the cab if safe, call 105 and wait for help.
• Never touch an overhead line and don’t assume it’s dead – always assume it’s live unless, or until, the owner of the line has confirmed that it’s dead.
• When machinery is in contact with an overhead line, anyone who touches both the machinery and the ground can be electrocuted. Stay in the machinery and lower raised parts in contact with the line or drive the machinery out of the line if you can.
• If you need to get out, to call for help or because of fire, don’t climb out in the usual way – jump out as far as possible, without touching the line or the machinery, and don’t touch any part of the machinery when on the ground; you must jump clear making leaping strides, so that one foot is off the ground at all times until you are at least five metres away.
• Call 105 and ask us to disconnect the supply. Even if the line appears dead, don’t touch it as automatic switching may reconnect the power.

To find out more about safety around the electricity network and the steps you can take to stay safe when working outdoors, please go to: www.ssen.co.uk/farmsafety.