Trim trees with care - NIE

‘Grow your safety knowledge this year’ is the message from NIE as it launches a new safety campaign this week to raise awareness of the dangers of felling trees and cutting hedges close to the electricity network.
By The Newsroom
Published 3rd Feb 2014, 10:56 BST
Don't cut back on safety when cutting or trimming.Don't cut back on safety when cutting or trimming.
Don't cut back on safety when cutting or trimming.

The winter months provide a great opportunity for farmers and landowners to cut back trees and hedges before the nesting season begins at the start of March. However, there have been a number of recent incidents where lives have been put at risk and the electricity network seriously damaged when vegetation was being cut back.

Kevin McDowell, NIE Head of Health, Safety and Environment, hopes the campaign will encourage everyone planning tree or hedge cutting work to follow some simple safety precautions. He says: “We continually highlight the risks involved when working in the vicinity of the electricity network as any contact with live electricity equipment may result in

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injury, or even death. We encourage anyone considering this type of work to consult with NIE before starting work. Our tree cutting services are provided at no cost, so please don’t endanger yourself or others by attempting to prune or remove trees near

“This type of damage to the electricity network may also cause local communities to lose their electricity supplies, inconveniencing homes and businesses in the area.”

If you are planning to carry out any tree or hedge cutting, please follow these safety

• Do not cut trees or hedges which are directly below live overhead power lines if they are within 5 metres (16ft 4inches) of lines unless you have informed NIE.

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• Plan ahead. If you are unsure about how close your tree or hedge cutting work will come to overhead power lines, contact NIE for advice.

• If you are informed of a planned interruption of supply, do not assume that all overhead power lines in the area will be off. Call NIE on 08457 643 643 for more information.

• If you are hedge cutting using a tractor mounted flail cutter or other mechanical means remember to look out for and avoid NIE poles or stay wires which may be positioned in close proximity to the hedge.

• If you plant a new tree, or replace an existing tree, please ensure you chose a location well away from the electricity network to allow the tree to grow to its full potential. Correct planting will reduce the likelihood of power outages.

If you are planning work in the vicinity of the electricity network contact NIE on 08457 643 643. For more safety advice visit nie.co.uk.