In the United States, electrical accidents result in nearly 300 deaths and over 3,500 injuries each year, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI).
ESFI reports that 69% of electricity deaths that occurred outside the workplace between 2011 and 2021 were in non-electrical occupations. Of these deaths, most, 582, were due to contact with overhead power lines. In the workplace, 40% of all electricity deaths are caused by overhead power lines. When working on a farm, it is important to be aware of your surroundings.
Studies have shown that most of these incidents are due to a lack of or no training in electrical safety. Power lines can be a safety hazard that is easily overlooked. However, you don’t have to touch a power line to be in high voltage danger. Electricity can jump to anyone who gets too close, so it’s important to stay at least 10 feet away from power lines and their connections. If digging is necessary in a location, make sure there are no underground power lines in that area by contacting the power company before digging.
According to the NASD (National Ag Safety Database), the most common causes of electrocution from overhead power lines are portable grain augers, oversized wagons, large combines, irrigation pipes, and other tall equipment that come into contact with power lines. Agricultural equipment involved in these incidents includes tractors with front-end loaders and folding cultivators.
To avoid possible electric shock:
1. Pay attention to the location of overhead power lines in your work area.
2. Always look in all directions to know where nearby power lines are.
3. If possible, operate in areas free of overhead power lines. If that is not possible, always lower a portable grain conveyor before moving it even a few feet.
4. Store irrigation pipes at least 30 meters away from overhead power lines.
5. Never rotate an irrigation pipe vertically or upright when it is within 30 meters of overhead power lines.
6. Keep all irrigation equipment and water courses at least 10 feet away from power lines.
7. Always treat overhead power lines as if your life were in danger.
Additional safety tips for working near power lines:
- Locate all overhead power lines in the work area.
- Keep your equipment 10 feet away from all overhead power lines in all directions.
- Carry ladders and other equipment horizontally to avoid accidental contact.
- Lower the device before driving/moving it.
- Be careful of fences near power lines.
- Never spray water near power lines.
- Stay at least 10 meters away from downed power lines. Even more distance is required in wet conditions.
When working near overhead power lines, Ohio State University (OSU) Extension recommends following these guidelines:
- Use a guide when operating large machinery near power lines.
- Use caution when moving equipment, such as extending augers or raising the bed of grain trucks, near power lines or poles.
- Check the height of the farm equipment to determine the clearance height.
- Ask your energy supplier to arrange for the transport and clearance of power lines if work needs to be carried out near them.
If a vehicle or appliance comes into contact with a power line, take these steps to
Stay safe:
- Stay calm, carefully disengage, step back if possible, and call 911 immediately.
- Have someone contact your local power company immediately to turn off the power.
- Stay in/on the vehicle unless a fire breaks out.
- If an emergency occurs, such as an electrical fire, and you need to exit the vehicle/equipment, jump as far away from it as possible.
- Make sure that no part of your body touches the device and the floor at the same time.
DO NOT get out of the vehicle/device.
- Never allow an electrically powered vehicle or device to contact the ground.
- Shuffle away from where you jumped. Do not lift either foot completely off the ground. Keep both feet in contact with the ground the entire time. Shuffling reduces the flow of electricity from the ground through your body. Slowly shuffle away from the device until you are at least 100 feet away.
- Please note that electrical current from high voltage power lines can flow through vehicles/equipment and energize the surrounding area within a radius of up to 30 meters.
- Once you have left the vehicle/equipment, never try to climb back on it or even touch it. It is better to assume it is live than to lose your life.
Make sure that all persons who could be exposed to electric shock while working on the system
Farm is aware of the dangers and knows how to stay safe. All seasonal workers should be well-
be trained by supervisors about the hazards associated with a particular task/site. Safety labels should
be attached to all equipment that may pose electrical hazards. Explain the labels to all employees
who use the devices.
Remember that, as the NASD notes, “electric shock is rapid and fatal and is one of the most overlooked hazards in farm work.”
Sources are: Texas Cooperative Extension, National Institute of Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Illinois Cooperative Extension.
Funding for this educational article was provided by the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
