12 March 2009 09:54 Take care near overhead lines, warns Central Networks after safety incidents across Lincs and Northants
Central Networks is urging people working near electricity lines to work more safely after three incidents in Northamptonshire and Lincolnshire left thousands of customers without power.
Almost 4,000 customers in Corby and surrounding villages in Northamptonshire lost power when a truck mounted crane came into contact with overhead power lines last Thursday morning (5th March).
And the following morning (Friday, 6th March), more than 400 customers were without power in Uffington, near Stamford, Lincolnshire, when a similar style vehicle came into contact with 11,000 volt power lines.
Engineers investigating a power cut in Pinchbeck, near Spalding, last month found an 11,000 volt overhead line had been brought down by a sugar beet loading machine, knocking out power to 2,054 customers.
Phil Wilson, Customer Operations Manager at Central Networks, said: "Thankfully, nobody was hurt in any of these incidents but thousands of our customers were without power as our engineers worked to restore supplies.
"Large machinery, tall farm equipment and overhead power lines are a potentially lethal combination which is why we do our bit to make sure as many people as possible are aware of the dangers.
"Our Network and Public Safety team are available to offer help and advice regarding the electricity distribution system to anyone."
The CableSafe service is provided free by Central Networks to anyone working near our cables or lines and is available by ringing 0800 0150927. The company offers advice and support on locating our equipment and safe working around it.
Central Networks also publishes safety advice online in seven languages widely spoken by farm workers in central England; English, Lithuanian, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish and Czech.
Leaflets are available to download from http://www.central-networks.co.uk/
Advice to people working near power lines includes:
- Avoid operating plant or using equipment where any part is likely to approach close to, or touch, overhead power lines;
- Be particularly careful when moving plant or equipment from one place to another, especially if the machinery has long booms; and
- Stay wires are attached to some poles to provide stability for the overhead power lines - check if there are any near your work. If you do damage a stay wire, contact Central Networks immediately.
Ends
Notes to editors:
- Central Networks brings power to 5 million customers across central England through 133,000km of underground and overhead cables and via almost 97,000 substations;
- Central Networks covers an area from the Peak District in the north to parts of Bristol in the south, and from the Welsh Borders to the Lincolnshire Coast.
For further information contact:
Andrew Barrow on 024 7618 3677
A selection of Central Networks images are available free of charge to the media by registering at http://www.newscast.co.uk/ and looking under Distribution.