Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that (a) children and young people and (b) the general public are aware of the danger of power lines.

Under an Agency Agreement with DECC, HSE leads on the regulation of the public safety aspects of DECC-owned legislation associated with the generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity - the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations 2002 (ESQCR). ESQCR 2002 apply only to Great Britain. There is a separate legislative framework in Northern Ireland, the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012, that are enforced by HSENI.

These regulations place duties on companies involved in electricity generation and distribution to take proactive measures to advise the general public, including children and young people, of the hazards associated with power lines, and to educate them on how to avoid danger. There are no regulations in this area specifically targeted at children and young people.

HSE holds regular meetings with the Energy Networks Association (ENA) that represent the distribution network operators (DNOs) for electricity and gas in the UK. These meetings are to encourage and support the industry’s health and safety management including compliance with ESQCR. HSE also has on-going regulatory contact with the individual DNOs to the same affect.

Through such meetings HSE supports the ENA’s Public Safety Committee which concentrates on getting the safety message to all people that may get close to power lines. Further information and free public safety leaflets can be found at the following website:

http://www.energynetworks.org/electricity/she/safety/safety-advice/public-safety-leaflets.html

HSE also supports individual DNO companies’ production and promotion of guidance on these matters, much of which is specifically aimed at school age children.