COLUMBUS – Farmers are getting back in the field for spring planting season and Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) is asking equipment operators to look up and look out for powerlines.
Powerlines located along fields can pose a potential safety hazard for equipment operators who are not aware of their surroundings. If a large piece of equipment gets too close to a powerline, it can cause electricity to arc to the equipment, resulting in a potentially serious or fatal injury.
“Farmers are hard at work starting another planting season and we want to encourage them to keep safety around powerlines top of mind. Just like with our own team, it’s important that everybody can do their job and come home safely at the end of the day,” says NPPD Transmission and Distribution Construction and Maintenance Manager Scott Walz.
If a vehicle or piece of equipment is in contact with a powerline, call 911 or your local power provider and remain inside the vehicle until help can arrive and de-energize the powerline. When a powerline is touching a vehicle, it can electrify both the vehicle and the ground in the surrounding area. If a fire forces you to exit the vehicle, then do so by jumping away from the vehicle, landing on two feet, and shuffling as far away from the area as possible.
NPPD encourages farmers to review the following safety precautions before entering the fields to begin harvest operations: each day, review all farm activities and work practices that will take place around powerlines and remind all workers of precautions; know the locations of powerlines, remain at least 20 feet away when setting up farm equipment and contacting the local power provider if this distance cannot be achieved.
Agricultural producers should also use caution when raising augers or grain truck beds, and use a spotter to ensure large equipment stays at a safe distance, and always adjust portable augers and elevators to their lowest possible level before transporting them.
More farm safety information can be found on NPPD’s website.
