 Slurry spraying has been damaging power lines |
Slurry spraying has been causing power cuts in Northern Ireland as the liquid manure is rotting overhead lines, Northern Ireland Electricity has said. The company said the corrosive liquid damages the electricity network, and has caused some recent power cuts.
Roy Coulter, NIE Safety and Risk Manager, appealed for farmers to avoid accidentally spraying powerlines.
"We appreciate this is a busy time of year for farmers but would ask that they exercise vigilance," he said.
Mr Coulter warned that there was the potential for machinery coming into contact with the electricity posing a danger to farmers.
Liquid slurry can conduct electric currents and spraying devices could become live if the jets were to come in contact with overhead lines.
"We would also ask farmers to be aware of stay wires, which may be obscured by long grass as contact with these can damage machinery," he said.
"Any contact with the electricity network can have had potentially fatal consequences."
He said the high-density spray left lying on electricity lines leads to a breakdown of insulation, which in recent cases has damaged equipment and led to power cuts for customers.
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