Storn Éowyn – clear up

Storm Éowyn has come and gone and left a lot of damage. Clearing wind blown trees can be very hazardous and should only be undertaken by fully trained and competent people with the appropriate equipment. Mechanisation must be considered first.

There are many hazards when working with blown timber but please consider the aftermath, where someone else may have cleared downed powerlines sufficiently only to restore the supply.

Where you are tasked with tidying up near powerlines, refresh yourselves with the safe working distances given in FISA Safety Guide 804 – Electricity at work: Forestry. If in doubt please contact the Network Operator.

Similarly, there may be cut timber left at the side of the public highway having been cleared for access. When planning to tidy up the cut timber please ensure your risk assessment addresses the public highway and the need for traffic management.