Farmers, there is no question about it, 2019 has been a challenging year already. Wet conditions have lingered with ongoing snow and rain and the planting season has been continuously delayed.
You are likely feeling rushed, and that is understandable. But where electric safety is concerned, it is well worth your time to take a few moments to assess your surroundings, every time you enter your field. LOOK UP, LOOK OUT, and LIVE.
Please take a few moments to review the safety tips listed here, and share them with anyone who is working in your fields. To ingrain these tips in your mind, just keep the words “Look Up, Look Out, and LIVE” at the top of your mind. Have a safe and prosperous farming season!
- Keep cultivators, sprayers and planters AT LEAST 10 FEET from power lines and electrical facilities.
- Use a spotter when maneuvering large equipment.
- Inspect entrances into fields to ensure adequate clearance for equipment.
- Use a spotter from a good vantage point to verify that entry points offer sufficient clearance.
- Never attempt to move a power line out of the way or raise it for clearance.
- If you’re equipment contacts a power line, remain inside the vehicle until linemen from SPPD arrive to de-energize the line. Stepping out of the equipment creates a path from the equipment to the ground, and electricity will use YOU as a path.
