A leading East Anglian farmer is urging staff and contractors to heed warnings about overhead cables as harvest begins.

Andrew Francis - managing director of Home Farm, Nacton, near Ipswich - has backed a safety message from electricity infrastructure company UK Power Networks.

It pointed out that the agriculture and road haulage industries accounted for a quarter of all contact with overhead cables and poles last year.

“The most important thing is that everybody that comes to work safely in the morning should go home safely at the end of the day as well," said Andrew.

"We do work in a high pressurised system at times of the year when there's a lot on and we're under weather window pressures."

A UK Power Networks safety sticker in a tractor cab (Image: UK Power Networks)

Andrew - who previously headed up farm operations at Elveden Farms near Thetford - is a director of East Suffolk Produce and Breckland Farmers Wildlife Network.

"It's really important that we don't forget the safety angle and that that's at the forefront of our thoughts,” he said.

UK Power Networks- which distributes electricity to 8.5m homes and businesses in the South East, East of England and London - has sent out more than 4,000 stickers for farm vehicle cabs reminding drivers to avoid contact with overhead high voltage electricity cables.

The company's safety team is also attending agricultural events to promote the message.

It said farms should plan ahead and mark overhead and underground power cables on farm maps and inform all staff, contractors and visitors.

They should also find out the maximum reach of machinery to ensure it is used safely, and look around before loading or unloading, using tipper trailers in fields and when stacking.

Farmers should always assume power lines are live even if damaged. They should be vigilant when using GPS to steer.

They should stay at least 10m away from fallen power lines and take care in poor light.

Safety adviser Ros Forbes said: “Harvest is an incredibly busy time, when people work very long hours, so our advice is always to stay vigilant.

"To avoid accidents farm workers need to look up and around to see what electrical equipment is nearby.

"Knowing the reach of your machinery and highlighting the position of overhead lines and underground cables on your farm maps is such a simple way to save lives if you communicate where the electricity network is to staff, third parties and visitors before they start work.”