Rural electrical safety awareness essential is message of campaign

13 April, 2022

Federated Farmers Northland are backing calls from Northpower and Top Energy for farmers, rural contractors, horticulturalists and lifestylers to be much more cautious when working around electrical assets.

President Colin Hannah believes there are far too many (unreported) near misses with electricity which could badly injure or kill rural landowners if they were to contact overhead powerlines or underground electricity cables.

Federated Farmers Northland is teaming up with Northpower and Top Energy to help keep rural Northlanders safe around electricity.

“Accidents can happen so quickly and easily due to a moment of inattention or the old ‘she’ll be right attitude’ so we are encouraging Northlanders to do exactly what Northpower and Top Energy have been saying for years now – look, up, look down, look around and keep yourself and your mates safe,” says Mr Hannah.

So many rural properties have electricity service lines (which are the responsibility of the landowner for upkeep), to power sheds and buildings, and water pumps so there can be a number of potential electrical dangers on a property.

As part of the Northland Rural Support Trust, Mr Hannah says he has additional drive to help with the wellbeing of rural Northlanders and he believes the Northpower/Top Energy ‘Just think – Does it look right?’ electricity safety campaign is timely.

Northpower Customer Experience Manager Rachel Wansbone is pleased to be partnering with Federated Farmers and Top Energy on the campaign.

“A large part of our electricity network in Kaipara and Whangarei is rural and it is important for us to be talking to people on the land about electrical safety. Our electrical safety campaign underway with local newspapers, radio stations and on social media aims to raise awareness of the dangers of working around electrical assets, with the ultimate aim of reducing accidents.”

Top Energy Network Operations Manager Tony Smallman says “it is important for rural Northlanders to understand the right and wrong things to do around electricity and electricity assets.

“For example, if you are working around electricity, if you think something is too close it most likely is. Equally there is danger with underground cables, and too often people are hitting cables with machinery through inattention or poor

planning. We want to lessen the risk of people being hurt or killed by electricity, and encourage people to keep an eye out for others too.”

The companies have guidance material on their websites about the legal requirements for working around electricity assets and encourage anyone with questions to contact them.

For those wanting to excavate or dig, it is always recommended to get free copies of utility plans to make sure there are no underground services in the area.

“… if you are working around electricity, if you think something is too close it most likely is.”