Progress Made, But Awareness Remains Critical
Every year, the UKOPA Infringement Working Group (IWG) analyses infringement data from across the UK’s onshore pipeline network to identify trends, share learnings and help improve safety across the industry. The newly published 2025 Infringement Database Report highlights encouraging progress, while also reinforcing the need for continued vigilance from landowners, contractors, utilities and anyone working near buried pipelines.
Overall Infringements Continue to Fall
The headline finding from this year’s report is positive: total recorded infringements decreased by 8.5% in 2025, falling from 880 incidents in 2024 to 805 incidents in 2025. This continues the longer-term trend of maintaining infringement levels below historic averages and demonstrates the value of ongoing awareness campaigns, engagement activities and industry collaboration.
However, while overall numbers have reduced, the industry cannot afford complacency.
Actual Damage Incidents Increased
Five Category A1 infringements (actual damage to pipelines) were recorded during 2025, compared with three in 2024 and none in 2023. While these incidents represented only 0.6% of all recorded infringements, they serve as a reminder that even a small number of failures can have significant consequences.
The incidents involved activities including agricultural drainage works, excavation near high-pressure pipelines, and contractor-led groundworks. Several cases highlighted the importance of thorough asset identification, effective communication and adherence to safe digging practices, including HSG47 guidance.
To ensure lessons are shared across the industry, all Category A incidents will be converted into Learning Briefs and distributed to UKOPA members (A full range of Learning Briefs are available in the members section of the website).
Excavation Activities Remain the Highest Risk
Analysis of infringement activity types shows excavation-related works remain the most common cause of infringements.
Excavation activities accounted for 27.1% of all infringements in 2025, increasing from 22.5% in the previous year. Fencing activities represented 17.1% of infringements, while ditching and drainage work accounted for 13.2%.
The continued prominence of excavation-related incidents underlines the importance of checking asset information, contacting pipeline operators before work begins, and following established safe working procedures.
Encouragingly, fencing-related infringements have continued to decline following targeted awareness campaigns and the publication of UKOPA guidance on installing fencing near high-pressure pipelines.
Farmland Remains the Primary Area of Risk
As in previous years, farmland and private land accounted for around 70% of all recorded infringements. This finding reinforces the importance of engaging with landowners, tenants and agricultural contractors, many of whom routinely undertake groundworks that can affect buried infrastructure.
UKOPA continues to support initiatives such as Farm Safety Week and provides a range of resources, including its Working Safely course, to help those operating in rural environments better understand the risks associated with pipelines.
Landowners and Contractors Continue to Feature Prominently
The report found that landowners remained the largest single infringing group, accounting for 49.9% of all recorded infringements. Contractors represented 28.4%, an increase from previous years and an area that the IWG has identified as requiring additional focus.
Recognising this trend, UKOPA has updated its Working Safely Guide for Contractors (UKOPA Leaflet Wales – CON) and plans further engagement with the contracting community throughout 2026 to help reduce contractor-related infringements.
Targeted Awareness Campaigns Continue
The report highlights several ongoing initiatives designed to improve awareness and reduce risk, including:
- Continued support for the Farm Safety Foundation’s Yellow Wellies campaign.
- Development of additional “working safely” videos.
- Engagement with Linewatch and industry stakeholders
- Publication of updated contractor and agricultural safety materials.
- Planned updates to UKOPA’s Working Safely training course.
A key priority for 2026/27 will be measuring the effectiveness of these campaigns and identifying where targeted engagement can deliver the greatest reduction in infringement rates.
Looking Ahead
The reduction in overall infringements is a welcome achievement and reflects the collective efforts of pipeline operators, landowners, contractors and industry partners.
Yet the increase in actual damage incidents demonstrates why continuous improvement remains essential.
Through data sharing, learning from incidents and targeted awareness campaigns, UKOPA and its members remain committed to reducing infringements and protecting the people, communities and infrastructure that rely on the UK’s pipeline network every day.
To learn more about working safely near pipelines, explore UKOPA’s guidance and training resources, and help us continue reducing infringements across the UK.