As the sun comes out and National Gardening Week begins, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is teaming up with Energy Networks Association (ENA) to encourage gardeners across central southern England and the north of Scotland to stay safe.

Gardening is great for mental health and well-being, with a recent Royal Horticultural Society poll showing that more than half of all adults enjoy being surrounded by greenery and a further 53% saying it boosts their mood. As green-fingered enthusiasts head outdoors through National Gardening Week and over the May Bank Holiday, it is vital they stay safe, especially around the electricity infrastructure.

While horticultural and home projects increased last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, so too did safety incidents where underground cables were struck by members of the public working on their gardens and homes, with 408 incidents recorded across SSEN's regions in central southern England and the north of Scotland.Fortunately, not all of these incidents resulted in an injury, but each of them had the potential for a more serious, if not fatal, outcome. This is why it is so important that people stay safe by making sure they are aware of any potential underground cables before they carry out any work that involves breaking ground.

SSEN and ENA also has this advice for gardeners, to help them work safely through spring, summer and beyond:

  • Be aware of the location of underground electricity before digging or excavating.
  • Request location details and plans from energy network companies well in advance of work starting. Remember that these are a guide only and you are responsible for confirming the exact location of all equipment and avoiding damage.
  • For bigger projects, use a cable avoidance tool to identify the presence of buried cables before you start to dig and rescan the area as your work progresses.
  • Hand dig - use safe digging techniques to dig trial holes to establish the line and depth of underground electricity.
  • Always assume underground cables are live. If they appear to be damaged, do not approach them and contact your local electricity network operator using the free-to-call 105 emergency number.
  • Take care when lowering the ground levels as there may be underground cables in the area.
  • If you damage an underground electricity cable, vacate the excavation immediately, phone 105 and keep everybody clear.

Ian Crawley, SSEN's Head of Operational Safety said:

"We're delighted to be working with ENA this National Gardening Week to help keep our green-fingered friends safe as they enjoy the outdoors. We're also approaching the May Bank Holiday and want to give any of our customers undertaking outdoor projects all the information they need to do that without harm. Our recently revamped safety website is a great place to start gathering the information you need before you start a gardening or DIY project.

David Spillett, Head of Safety, Health and Environment at Energy Networks Association which represents the UK and Ireland's energy networks businesses, said:

"The last year has been so difficult for people across the UK but National Gardening Week is a fantastic opportunity to take some time to spend some time outdoors and reap the benefits to our health and wellbeing.

"The energy networks include thousands of miles of underground gas pipes and power cables which is why it's so important for gardeners to follow our simple tips and know what utilities are underground before they break ground."

Customers can call for guidance on any works they are undertaking on 0800 072 7282.