Don’t ‘haunt’ dangerous sites in the hunt for Halloween thrills, is the message NI Water is delivering to young people this Halloween.
As the fiendish fun starts this midterm, NI Water is urging children and young people to stay out of sites that are closed to protect the public from harm.
NI Water’s Facilities Manager Patricia McKee said: “Halloween can encourage some children and young people to seek out extra scares by entering areas they know they should avoid. We are reminding everyone that NI Water sites can be dangerous places and should never be used for play or recreation. We have seen an increase in young people taking risks for ‘likes’ on social media; what may seem like harmless fun can lead to real life horror if they have an accident on a site.
“We are also asking the public to remain vigilant and report vandalism or antisocial behaviour at our sites. Damage, trespassing, scrambler use, dog fouling and dogs being off leads can all impact our operations and divert valuable resources away from delivering essential services.
“This Halloween, make safe choices, stay away from NI Water sites and leave the scares to the trick and treaters.”
NI Water has some simple steps on how to stay safe:
1. Barriers and fences are there to protect you from serious injury and accident when NI Water construction work is going on – do not climb on them.
2. Trenches and open manholes are dirty, deep and dangerous. They may also contain hazardous gases.
3. Be careful near roads – never run out from behind parked vans or lorries as you could be knocked down and injured.
4. Keep clear of equipment – you may see diggers, lorries, pipes and other equipment, but don’t be tempted – steer clear and don’t touch.
5. Obey ‘Danger’ signs – reservoirs and treatment works can be very dangerous places, so stay well away and always obey the warning signs.
1. Remember that many sites are isolated and may not have coverage on mobile phone networks, making calls for help unavailable.
ENDS
Photo caption: NI Water is urging young people to stay out of construction sites, reservoirs and other NI Water operations this Halloween midterm
Media enquiries to the NI Water Press Office via email to press.office@niwater.com