News Detail

That’s the potentially life-saving message from electricity bosses as children gear up for a fortnight of Easter holidays.

As part of a major safety drive, CE Electric UK, the region’s electricity distributor, is urging parents and guardians to remind their children not to put their lives on the line by entering substations or flying kites or fishing near overhead power lines.

Company spokesperson, Ann Walker, said: “We’re asking parents to remind children of this simple but potentially life-saving message, which we deliver to children through our extensive programme of interactive school presentations.

“Overhead power lines carry thousands of volts of electricity and are not to be toyed with. You do not actually need to touch a wire to be affected. If a child flies a kite too close to them, the electricity can travel down the strings and through the child’s body, creating serious internal or external burns. The same applies if a fishing rod gets too close.”

“One life lost is one too many and that’s why our work in promoting awareness of electric safety among children will never be complete.”

“In the ten years between 1999 and 2008, 125 people in the UK were killed and 3,329 injured through accidents or by deliberate interference with electricity supplies: an average of 13 fatalities and 333 injuries a year.

Last year, safety presenters from CE Electric UK talked to over 45,000 children at schools in their network area of the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire as part of their Stay Away, Stay Alive campaign. 

Aided by CE Electric UK’s safety mascot, Vic Voltage, school children partake in a series of activities that aim to teach them how to identify electrical hazards and how to avoid them.

Since the start of the new school year in September 2008, today’s generation of computer whizz kids have been educated using a new interactive “Who wants to be A Millionaire” style safety quiz.

“We are always looking for new ways to promote our safety messages to children and will soon be launching a free to download safety game to be played on mobile phones,” said Ann.

Vic Voltage’s top five safety tips

·        Take notice of danger of death signs on power substations, pylons and wooden poles – they mean what they say

·        Don’t climb pylons as electricity can jump gaps and kill you

·        Take fishing rods to pieces before moving from one place to another

·        If a kite is heading towards overhead power lines, don’t wait for the kite to touch the wires – let go straight away. Find us under E for electricity in the phone book and we will get it down safely for you.

·        Never enter an electricity substation, not even to retrieve a football. Again, call us and we will retrieve it safely for you.

For further safety information, please call the following numbers:

If you live in the North East or North Yorkshire, please call 0800 668877

If you live in West, South or East Yorkshire or northern Lincolnshire, please call 0800 375675.

For further information or to arrange an interview, please call 0845 402 0692.