Here are some helpful farm safety tips that can save your life. Please share with your family and your seasonal farm workers.
– To prevent electrocution, make sure farm equipment (including planter arms and sprayers) safely clear overhead power lines. This tall equipment can easily become entangled in power lines. Keep a minimum of 10-foot distance from power lines in all directions.
– Consult with your electric cooperative and electrician about moving or burying overhead lines around buildings or busy pathways. If building a new farm structure or grain bin, consult with your cooperative for information on minimum clearances and the location of overhead lines.
– Keep a safe distance from power poles and guy wires when working the land or planting crops. Contact 911 immediately if your equipment comes in contact with a power line. Keep others away and remain calm. DO NOT try to exit the machinery or touch someone who has had electrical contact. You NEVER want to make touch the ground and energized machinery at the same time! If you must exist your equipment for life-threatening reasons – jump out and away from the machinery, making sure to land with your feet together and touching. Then shuffle at least three tractor lengths away with your feet touching. NEVER attempt to get back into or touch machinery that is in contact with a power line.
– If you come into contact with a guy wire or power pole (even if there are no power lines that have come down), contact the Co-op right away. Don’t try to fix it yourself. Leave that to the experts.
– Water, dust and farming often go hand-in-hand. Install waterproof and dustproof electrical boxes and outlets at the farm.
– Make sure your family members and seasonal workers are all educated to stay safe on the farm. Each worker should be aware of the dangers and proper safety procedures.
– If a standby generator is used on a single-phase system, it must be connected to the farm’s wiring system through a double-pole, double-throw switch. The switch disconnects the farm’s electrical system from the cooperative’s lines during an outage and prevents the backfeed of power – keeping linemen safe from the risk of electrocution.