Consider Electrical Hazards During Spring Planting Season
Many farm workers are killed each year when their farm equipment makes contact with overhead power lines. These tragic accidents are preventable. Before heading back into the fields, Safe Electricity urges farm workers to review farm activities and work practices that take place around power lines.
Make sure everyone who works on the farm knows the location of power lines and keeps farm equipment at least 10 feet away from them. The minimum 10 foot distance is a 360-degree rule – below, to the side and above lines.
It may take a little more time, but ensuring proper clearance can save lives.
Many farm electrical accidents that involve power line contact happen when loading or preparing to transport equipment to fields, or while performing maintenance or repairs on farm machinery near power lines. It can be difficult to estimate distance and sometimes a power line is closer than it looks. A spotter or someone with a broader view can help.
Today’s larger farms require transporting tractors and equipment to fields several miles away. Before transit, avoid raising the arms of planters, cultivators or truck beds near power lines.
Be aware of increased height when loading and transporting larger modern tractors. Also, many tractors are now equipped with radios and communications systems and have antennas extending from the cab to fifteen feet above the ground that could make contact with power lines.
Some other equipment safety considerations:
- Always lower portable augers or elevators to their lowest possible level - under 14 feet- before moving or transporting; use care when raising them.
- When moving large equipment or high loads near a power line, always use a spotter, or someone to help make certain that contact is not made with a line.
- Never attempt to raise or move a power line to clear a path!
As in any outdoor work, be careful not to raise any equipment such as ladders, poles or rods into power lines. Remember, nonmetalic materials such as lumber, tree limbs, tires, ropes and hay will conduct electricity depending on dampness and dust and dirt contamination. Do not try to clear storm-damage debris and limbs near or touching power lines or near fallen lines.
The overhead electric wires are not the only electrical contact that can result in a serious incident. Pole guy wires are grounded to the neutral; but, when one of the guy wires is broken, it can cause an electric current disruption. This can make those neutral wires anything but harmless. If you hit a guy wire and break it, call the utility to fix it. Do not do it yourself. When dealing with electrical poles and wires, always call the electric utility.
It is also important for operators of farm equipment or vehicles to know what to do if the vehicle comes in contact with a power line. It is almost always best to stay in the cab and call for help. Warn others who may be nearby to stay away and wait until the electric utility arrives to make sure power to the line is cut off.
If the power line is energized and you step outside, your body becomes the path and electrocution is the result. Even if a power line has landed on the ground, there is still the potential for the area nearby to be energized. Stay inside the vehicle unless there’s fire or imminent risk of fire. In that case, the proper action is to jump – not step – with both feet hitting the ground at the same time. Do not allow any part of your body to touch the equipment and the ground at the same time. Continue to shuffle or hop to safety, keeping both feet together as you leave the area.
Once you get away from the equipment, never attempt to get back on or even touch the equipment. Many electrocutions occur when the operator dismounts and, realizing nothing has happened, tries to get back on the equipment.
Farmers may want to consider moving or burying power lines around buildings or busy pathways where many farm activities take place. If planning a new out building or farm structure, contact your power supplier for information on minimum safe clearances from overhead and underground power lines.