Summertime Tip: Stay safe near overhead powerlines

Monday, 19 December 2022

We’ve got you covered during the warmer months with our new Summertime Tip series. Here, we give some simple steps to help you stay safe around overhead powerlines this summer.

With the festive season upon us, many people might be waking up to new toys under the Christmas tree later this week. If your present haul includes a shiny new drone or a high-flying kite, then it’s important you take care and never fly them near overhead powerlines.

We know that people can be complacent around powerlines because they are something they see every day. But at any given time, enough electricity to power homes and businesses across whole suburbs is running through them, which means making contact with powerlines could have life-threatening consequences. You don’t have to make contact with a powerline for it to be fatal either. Electricity can jump if equipment or machinery gets too close to powerlines.

If you are in a situation where something of yours gets stuck in a powerline, or you lose something near a powerline, here’s what to do:

• Do not, under any circumstances, try to retrieve it.
• If it’s something important to you or your work, or you think it might have an impact on the electricity network, please contact your energy distribution network or emergency services.