'Down Means Danger' Public Safety Campaign

At WEL Networks, the safety of our staff and our communities is our highest priority.

Our latest public safety campaign Down means danger highlights the potentially deadly outcome of not treating all fallen power lines as live.

The correct action to take in the event of a fallen power line – particularly as a result of a car accident is:

• Stay put – If the lines come down on or near your vehicle, stay inside until you are rescued or it could be fatal. If you must leave the vehicle because of fire or other danger, jump away from the vehicle keeping your feet together when you land.
• Stay clear – If you come across a vehicle involved in an accident where power lines have fallen, do not touch the vehicle, the lines or drive over the fallen lines, call 111.
• Stay alive - ALWAYS treat fallen power lines as live.

"All fallen lines need to be treated as live as electricity is likely still flowing through those cables," WEL's First Response Faults and LV Lines Supervisor Hamish Thomson says.

"In recent weeks, we have had some instances of people trying to go into the car/leave the car before it is safe to do so – we want to stress that the consequence of this can be deadly."

WEL Networks provides specialised training to emergency services on what to do when the lines are down.