Castleford pupils get the gas safety message

Gas workers went back to school to give Castleford youngsters a lesson in road works safety.

More than 350 pupils at Smawthorne Henry Moore Primary School, in Ashton Road, got to grips with pipes, barriers and road signs after a visit by gas firm United Utilities.

Engineers are due to start a major project on one of the town’s most important gas mains in nearby Leeds Road, and wanted to make sure youngsters knew how to stay safe.

The £312,000 scheme, which starts on June 18, is part of a £60m programme of gas mains investment by the region’s gas distribution firm Northern Gas Networks. The work is managed by United Utilities.

Northern Gas Networks’ Communications Director John O’Grady said:

“This gas main in Leeds Road is 500mm in diameter and feeds 25,000 homes and businesses in south Castleford. Replacing it with modern, plastic pipe is vital for us to be able to guarantee the safety and reliability of those gas supplies.

“Because a lot of our work will take place in the school holidays, it’s also important that children know how to keep themselves safe.”

“We want to make sure children understand that road works are just like building sites and need to be treated with respect. Playing near them or tinkering with equipment like barriers, pipes and signs can put them and other people at risk and we want to make sure no-one gets hurt.”

The gas mains replacement project starts on June 18 with the temporary closure of Aketon Road, just south of Cutsyke cross roads, for up to four weeks. Once work in Aketon Road is complete the road will re-open. Engineers will then need to close Leeds Road at Cutsyke level crossing for up to nine weeks. Diversions will be fully signposted for both road closures.

United Utilities has liaised with local people, businesses, rail and highways officials and bus companies to try to keep the disruption of its work to a minimum.

United Utilities customer liaison officer Amanda White with (from left) Kyle Sutton, aged 9, Rhea Crossley, aged 11, and James Appleyard, aged 7.