Safe Harvest Ideas
Yielding Fewer Electrical Accidents at Harvest
Harvest season can yield higher numbers of electrocution, shock and burn injuries. Nationwide, an average of 64 agricultural workers are electrocuted and hundreds more injured in electrical accidents each year. Access Energy Cooperative and Safe Electricity urge farm workers to avoid tragic accidents by taking note of farm activities that take place around power lines.
Be sure to look up as many types of farm equipment used in Iowa can come in contact with overhead power lines, creating a direct path for electricity. Tractors with front-end loaders, portable grain augers, fold-up cultivators and equipment with antennas can easily become electrical hazards and must be operated with care.
“Everyone who works on the farm should know the location of power lines and keep farm equipment at least 10 feet away from them – below, to the side and above," says Don Roach, Director of Operations at Access Energy Cooperative. “Ensuring proper clearance can save lives.”
Safety Considerations
- Always lower portable augers or elevators to their lowest possible level –under 14 feet– before moving or transporting, and use care when raising them.
- Be aware of increased height when loading and transporting larger modern tractors with higher antennas.
- Always use a spotter or someone to help make certain that contact is not made with a line when moving large equipment or high loads.
- Do not use metal poles when breaking up bridged grain inside and around bins.
- As in any outdoor work, be careful not to raise any equipment such as ladders, poles or rods into power lines. Remember, non-metallic materials such as lumber, tree limbs, tires, ropes and hay also may conduct electricity under certain conditions.
- Use qualified electricians for work on drying equipment and other farm electrical systems.
- Inspect farm equipment for transport height and determine clearance with any power lines under which the equipment must pass. Apply decals to all equipment that may pose electrical hazards and explain decals to workers who use the equipment.
- Review the possibility of underground utility supplies for new or replacement power lines.
- If you have a standby power system, review its location, operation and importance with all workers.
- Train seasonal employees to be aware of risks for potential electrical shock on the farm even if they only work temporarily.
- Never attempt to raise or move a power line to clear a path.
“It's also important for operators of farm equipment or vehicles to know what to do if the vehicle comes in contact with a power line,” says Roach. “It's 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 there is fire or imminent risk of fire, 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 hop or shuffle to safety, keeping both feet together while leaving the area. Once you get away from the equipment, never attempt to get back on or even touch the equipment.