Power firm's plea to discuss danger of playing near electricity network with youngsters

Families are being urged to have a lifesaver of conversation with their youngsters as the half term gets under way.
Families have been asked to chat to their youngsters about the dangers of playing near the electricity network by Northern Powergrid.Families have been asked to chat to their youngsters about the dangers of playing near the electricity network by Northern Powergrid.
Families have been asked to chat to their youngsters about the dangers of playing near the electricity network by Northern Powergrid.

Northern Powergrid, the company responsible for the network which powers the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, is asking parents and guardians to talk to the young people in their lives about the dangers of playing near the region's electricity network.

The electricity distributor is recommending that parents spend just five minutes, this half term, reminding children to stay away and stay safe when playing outdoors.

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Geoff Earl, its director of safety, health and environment, said: “Thousands of school children will be spending time outdoors enjoying the break from school and we want to ensure they stay safe while having fun.

"This means it’s vital that young people are reminded of the dangers of power lines and substations and understand that interfering, accidentally or otherwise, with any part of our electricity network could potentially prove fatal.

“We’re asking all parents and guardians to spend just a few minutes chatting with their children about the potential hazards so they know what to do should they see anything hanging from our power lines or they accidentally kick a ball into one of our substations.

"Retrieving items themselves could ultimately prove fatal and young people need to know to stay away.

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“We want young people to know that if they spot anything potentially unsafe they can call 105, the easy-to-remember power cut number, which will connect them to our 24-hour emergency contact centre team who’ll send an emergency response team out to help.

"Doing the right thing and avoiding the extreme risks of live electricity will help ensure everyone remains safe and has fun during the half term.”

Parents can show their children a video about doing the right thing where 11-year-old Jack Dalton got his dad to phone Northern Powergrid’s contact centre when his kite got caught in a power line.

The company's dedicated school safety presenters educated more than 30,000 school children during the last academic year, making them aware of the dangers of electricity, and are set to significantly increase the number of visits this year.

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Any schools who would like to arrange a free presentation on the potential dangers around overhead lines, pylons and substations can click here.

Northern Powergrid has launched a new suite of education resources to help teachers deliver science, technology, engineering, maths, (STEM) and citizenship lessons to seven to 14-year-olds.

The free resource materials, available on northernpowergrid.com, have been designed to get pupils engaged in hand-on activities from budgeting household energy costs and renewable energy to exploring social and environmental considerations for the future and power network planning.

The resources bring STEM subjects to life, encouraging pupils to engage in learning and inspiring them to consider careers in the energy sector.

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Northern Powergrid delivers power safely and reliably to the 3.9 million homes and businesses.

Its network consists of more than 63,000 substations and 59,000 miles of overhead power lines and underground cables, spanning some 10,000 square miles.