Safety First
At McLeod Cooperative Power, we have a strong commitment and desire to make sure that everyone understands the awesome power of electricity and common safety precautions. Electricity will seek the shortest path to the ground, and will always look for a good conductor to do so, including the human body. It is important to exercise care and caution whenever you are working around electric equipment, appliances and power lines.
Safety Education for Youth
Safety programs in schools:
McLeod Cooperative Power presents safety education classes in schools, located within the bounds of our service territory. Classroom safety education is best-suited for 4th to7th graders; however, the Cooperative can tailor safety education to any grade level. Safety education is offered at no charge to schools.
Call the Member Service Dept. at 1-800-494-6272 to schedule a school safety program at your facility.
Safety Video Loaned to Groups:
A 20 minute safety video and materials on teaching groups about electricity are available for loan to Boy Scout or Girl Scout troupes, 4-H groups, etc.
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Farm Safety
Farming accidents happen. . . but they do not have to be life-threatening if you follow the safety rules.
Electricity does great things for us every day. It makes our lives better and easier. However, when farm equipment comes in contact with energized conductors, the result can be life-threatening if you don’t follow the safety rules.
To prevent farm equipment from coming in contact with electric power lines, take these precautions:
- Stop the tractor or combine when swatting flies in the cab, taking a drink out of your water jug, talking on your cell phone, dealing with a coughing spell, etc. Only a few seconds of distraction can have you driving up a power pole.
- Be observant of overhead power lines when moving augers or tall equipment near power lines.
- Check height clearances of combines and large equipment when driving near or under power lines.
- Be alert for guy wires, power poles, and ground level transformer boxes.
- Train all drivers of your farm machinery these safety rules.
If your farm machinery does hit a power pole or come in contact with electrical wires, follow these rules to stay alive:
- DO NOT GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE unless it is on fire, and even then exit using careful safety procedures out-lined below. Your safest place is to stay in the equipment and call for help using a cell phone or radio or to wave at someone passing by. Request someone to call the electric company. Only after they arrive and clear your vehicle of energized lines, will it be safe to get out.
- Always assume a power line is HOT! Do not let others get close to the farm equipment until electric company personnel have arrived and cleared the vehicle.
- Do not attempt to move a downed line with anything.
- If your vehicle is making contact with energized wires, the tires or other grounded parts may start to melt and burn. If your vehicle is on fire, jump out and away from the vehicle so that no part of your body touches the equipment and the ground at the same time. Continue jumping away from the vehicle with your feet together, downhill if possible, until you are well away from the vehicle. Be sure to visually check for any wires on the ground or in your path away from the equipment before jumping.
The same thing applies for the driver of any car or truck that hits a power pole. STAY IN THE VEHICLE. It is the safest place. Most people who are killed or injured in this type of accident are either electrocuted when they step out and become the electricity’s path to ground or when they walk into or step on downed power lines.
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