And make it a sticky.....
Man electrocuted on on a tractor
- Thread starter Netherfield
- Start date
And make it a sticky.....
Pheasant Surprise
Member
- Location
- Woodbridge, Suffolk
Subsoiling or ploughing through a big multiphase cable probably presents a different set of electrical circumstances (shorting path, energies etc) than if you strike one phase of an overhead cable.
UKPN or similar DNOs should have some expertise from their "hot crew" trainers on how to handle an overhead and underground line strike I would've thought.
Edit: I think the basic advice is don't touch anything and get your phone out of your pocket and call for help. Don't get out (or attempt to get out) of the cab.
Last edited:
llamedos
New Member
Working safely near overhead electricity power lines. http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais8.pdf
Energy Networks Association Safety Information for Farmers & Agricultural Contractors http://www.energynetworks.org/asset...flets/Updated Feb 2014/ena_Agriculture_DL.pdf
Emergency contact numbers
NB please check the numbers before writing them down, contact details do change.
Northern Powergrid
North East England 0800 668 877
Yorkshire 0800 375 675
Electricity North West Ltd
North West England 0800 195 4141
SP Energy Networks
Central & Southern Scotland 0845 272 7999
North Wales, Merseyside & Cheshire 0845 272 2424
SSE North Scotland 0800 300 999
Southern England 0800 072 7282
UK Power Networks East Anglia 0800 783 8838
London 0800 028 0247
South East 0800 783 8866
Western Power Distribution
East Midlands 0800 056 8090
West Midlands 0800 328 1111
South Wales 0800 052 0400
South West England 0800 365 900
National Grid National Transmission System 0800 404 090
Northern Ireland Electricity Ltd Northern Ireland 0800 616 817
Energy Networks Association Safety Information for Farmers & Agricultural Contractors http://www.energynetworks.org/asset...flets/Updated Feb 2014/ena_Agriculture_DL.pdf
Emergency contact numbers
NB please check the numbers before writing them down, contact details do change.
Northern Powergrid
North East England 0800 668 877
Yorkshire 0800 375 675
Electricity North West Ltd
North West England 0800 195 4141
SP Energy Networks
Central & Southern Scotland 0845 272 7999
North Wales, Merseyside & Cheshire 0845 272 2424
SSE North Scotland 0800 300 999
Southern England 0800 072 7282
UK Power Networks East Anglia 0800 783 8838
London 0800 028 0247
South East 0800 783 8866
Western Power Distribution
East Midlands 0800 056 8090
West Midlands 0800 328 1111
South Wales 0800 052 0400
South West England 0800 365 900
National Grid National Transmission System 0800 404 090
Northern Ireland Electricity Ltd Northern Ireland 0800 616 817
Netherfield
Member
- Location
- West Yorkshire
No doubt there will need to be an inquest, which may or may not need information from HSE, until this happens I don't think we'll get to know anymore.
I've looked around the area with Google maps and can't spot any overhead lines in the area.
I've looked around the area with Google maps and can't spot any overhead lines in the area.
- Location
- Gods country (England)
Very sad news, thoughts with his family and friends.
Cowcalf
Member
- Location
- North of Scotland
believe if you strike electric its best to stay still for 5 mins or so as the electric will trip but then after so long will try to reconnect and thats when it could get you, but do not know how much of that is fact or fiction.
Zebbedee
Member
- Location
- Scotland in the best bit
Yes I,m pretty sure you are correct it will I think try and reconnect 3 times automatically
- Location
- Breconshire
Can't help thinking of Nigel Fox, Heygates driver. He'd been delivering to us a short time before. These things happen so simple.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-20254704
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-20254704
caveman
Member
- Location
- East Sussex.
- Location
- Breconshire
Same here.
Ploughed through an underground cable last year.
Wondered what was causing the slight tug and turned round to see a big blue flash as it snapped through it.
Feeling very lucky now having read of this tragedy.
Av Gorritt
Member
- Location
- NE Ches / SE Lancs
33,000 volt OH cables across our land . Just before we came here there was a machine with a long jib going under the line, up to our neighbour , a working quarry . For some reason he had the jib extended and got a flashover . His banksman , who was walking alongside was completely fried , and the driver , who jumped clear , but grabbed the banksman to pull him away , was frazzled waist down . The electric authority send someone out even now so long afterwards with a warning , if they think we have something parked in a vulnerable position . They've recently put a length of it underground .
Komatsu
Member
- Location
- Thurso caithness
We had to go on an electricity awareness course last year, may not have all this 100% correct but some points were in event of line strike "do not leave the machine unless it's at risk of fire"
the line will automatically try to reconect 3? times.
Next bit !! (Not sure if this applies to all lines or just higher kva) control room somewhere will know there is a break in transmission so will contact emergency service/local engineers for reports of incident and if they find nothing after 10mins are authorised to hold the button down and force connect the line, idea being that it burns off bird strikes etc. This is the reason they say you must stay in vehicles until help arrives.
Any rubber tyred vehicles would normally be quarantined for 24 hours after a strike as apparently tyres have a habit of exploding as well!
They used some badly acted American vids from u tube which gave a good idea of do's and dont's.
davidroberts30
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
gosh ,sounds like he jumped out
ollie989898
Member
The advice if at all possible is to simply drive or let the machine roll away from the cable or similar you have caught up with. Stay in the machine if at all possible unless you are in danger due to fire etc.
Do not jump out or step off, you arent safe even if you are on the ground away from the machine because the electricity radiates around in all directions in concentric circles with a potential difference between them. Cross them and your legs and pelvis become a conductor.
Do not jump out or step off, you arent safe even if you are on the ground away from the machine because the electricity radiates around in all directions in concentric circles with a potential difference between them. Cross them and your legs and pelvis become a conductor.
Pheasant Surprise
Member
- Location
- Woodbridge, Suffolk
From HSE advice posted above from llamedos...
If you come into contact with an OHPL
If you come into contact with an OHPL
- Stay in the cab of the machine and lower any raised parts in contact with the line or try to drive the machine clear, if you can.
- Inform the DNO immediately (display the telephone number in the cab or keep it on your mobile phone).
- Electrocution is possible if anyone touches both the machine and the ground at the same time. If you need to get out jump well clear so that no simultaneous contact is made between you, the vehicle and the ground. Do not touch any wires. Stay clear and warn others not to approach.
- Get the DNO to disconnect the supply. Even if the line appears dead, do not touch it, or any part of the machine. Contact with the line may cause the power supply to trip out temporarily and it may be reconnected and re-energised automatically, without warning.
- Never touch an overhead line that has been brought down by machinery, or has fallen, eg in a storm. Do not try to disentangle equipment, until you have received confirmation that the line has been de-energised and made safe.
Pheasant Surprise
Member
- Location
- Woodbridge, Suffolk
This should really be mandatory reading (say induction pack for new employees etc) for anyone with HV lines near or crossing their land or for contractors working on such land...
HSE Info Sheet - Working Safely Near Overhead Electricity Power Lines
Also warning sticker displayed in all machine cabs, together with local DNO emergency number.
HSE Info Sheet - Working Safely Near Overhead Electricity Power Lines
Also warning sticker displayed in all machine cabs, together with local DNO emergency number.
The electricity companies need to take a little more responsibility.
When they survey the lines for trees talking to landowners their representatives should actively provide stickers with contact numbers for the company.
They should ensure they are placed in tractor cabs.
These tree surveys are generally about every three years so would be perfect.
I checked the response time for the Scottish Power emergency phone line, and by the time you go through menus and choose SP over Manweb, choose the option for reporting a fault, confirm you're the account holder, that the "fault" is at your address and get through to a human it took a little over two and a half minutes.
I explained to the operator that as part of the farms health and safety risk assessment I was testing our and their methods of dealing with a serious incident, and that 2 minutes 30 seconds of recorded messages was utterly woeful. She replied that I could have reported it by dialling '105' in an emergency. I then tried that, and surprise surprise, it took me back to the same emergency line with the same recorded bolloxs
You might want to test what actually happens when you dial 105 in your area...