The farming industry was the biggest risk to UK pipelines in 2023 for the seventh year running, according to an awareness group.
More than a third (35%) of incidents of workers digging too close to underground high-pressure oil, gas, and chemical pipes occurred on farmland.
Linewatch, a pipeline safety awareness group, says that data from its 2023 infringement report shows a total of 268 incidents were recorded.
Of this, landowners were responsible for 38%, whilst contractors were also a concern, causing 30% of all infringements.
In comparison, local authorities were responsible for just 4% of incidents with the UK’s highways agencies making up a mere 0.5%.
An infringement ranges from someone working near an oil, gas, or chemical pipeline without the operator's permission, through to a worker hitting and damaging it with no prior awareness.
Not only does this put workers at risk of serious injury, but it can cause damage to the environment and carry a financial burden of up to £15m, Linewatch explains.
In 2023, fencing was the second biggest cause of pipeline infringements across the UK, accounting for 22% of all reports.
But fencing isn’t the only danger activity taking place on farmland, with ditching (7%), tree planting (5%), and drainage (3%) also posing a threat to landowners, farmers, farm workers, and contractors.
When it comes to the timings of infringements, Linewatch's report notes there is a clear pattern, with incidents much higher in January-March and July-September.
This directly correlates with increased seasonal work such as fencing and ditching, the infringement report says.
More than half (52%) of infringements occurred even though the person responsible for digging was aware of the pipeline’s existence.
This is a 7% increase on 2023, which also saw a 15% increase on the previous year. Linewatch says this highlights a distinct casualness about the dangers of working near pipelines.
Murray Peat, manager at the awareness group, said: “Whilst land maintenance is integral to the UK’s agricultural land, it’s concerning that it persists as the biggest risk to pipeline integrity for the seventh year in a row.
“We know how critical our farmers are and the vital role they play in the UK’s food chain, so we want to protect them as much as possible."
