There has been a concerning rise in the number of electrical accidents involving cane harvesters in north Queensland, as one of the regions’ major agricultural industries enters its most active phase.

New stats show there were about 30 incidents recorded across north Queensland in 2013, an increase on the previous year and double the 15 recorded in 2011.

The increase follows a few years of decline in the early 2000s, and has prompted Queensland’s central energy provider Ergon to revive its ‘Look up and Live’ campaign.

Ergon says there must be a way for its warnings to be heard, as its workers are averaging about forty contacts a month, about fifty per cent of which involve overhead conductors.

This is despite safety laws making it illegal to operate cane harvesters within three metres of power lines.

Long working hours and a reduction in the overall skill level within the workforce could explain some accidents too, safety experts say.

Farmsafe Queensland, an agricultural OHS group, says the mid- to end part of the season is usually worse for a number of reasons.

The company says the skills base can drop when people leave the agricultural industries for work in mining and other sectors as harvest periods end.