Safety advice for anglers

Safety advice for anglers

Please remember:

• Many rods and fishing poles will conduct electricity.
• At higher voltages electricity may jump short distances through the air.
• Power lines normally have yellow 'danger of death' notices fitted to the poles or metal towers.
• Wooden poles can often be dangerously mistaken for telephone wires.
• Treat all lines as electric power lines and consider dangerous.

 

Fishing precautions

When fishing, take precautions and remember the following:

• Always look out and look up for overhead lines before rods are assembled.
• Do not estimate the heights and distances of overhead lines from the ground.
• Fish at least 30 metres (100ft) horizontally away from all overhead lines.
• Ensure visible safety signs have been erected if you own or lease fishing waters available where overhead lines are present.
• Tell children never to fish near overhead lines as they may not be able to calculate the distance required.

 

Emergency procedure

Although inadvertent contact of fishing equipment with overhead electric power lines is rare, it's important that when an incident occurs that the appropriate action is taken.

• Any contact with overhead powerlines and associated equipment can be fatal to the person holding the fishing equipment and there is a serious risk that any person trying to rescue, or attend to, the injured person could also receive a fatal electric shock.
• Do not attempt to move the fishing equipment or person if still in contact with or close to the overhead electric power line.
• Stop third parties from entering the incident area.
• Contact the emergency services on 999 and ask for an ambulance and Electricity North West.
• Maintain a five-metre clearance.

If you spot damage to an electricity power line or a substation that could put someone in danger, please contact us on 105 or 0161 228 2628 and call the emergency services.