Tips

Harvest safety: Keep an eye on power lines

Harvest time is almost here, and soon farmers will climb into combines, grain carts and trucks to reap the yield of a season’s work.

Which is why now is a good time to share an important harvest safety reminder: Driving those big, heavy, awkward machines requires extra caution and awareness around power lines and electrical equipment. A few other tips can help as well.

“If you’re in a hurry, mistakes can happen,” says Dave Tonjes, a working OPPD line crew leader and lifelong farmer near Hooper. “If you’re in a hurry doing linework, the consequences can be deadly. But they can also be deadly on the farm.”

Nearly every year, OPPD crews respond to incidents where farm equipment has bumped into power poles or snagged lines.

Those situations can turn dangerous very quickly for both farm equipment operators and others nearby. Equipment operators should remain inside their vehicle unless there’s an immediate danger, such as a fire.

“Stay in the cab, call 911 and wait,” says Steve Neuverth, an OPPD working line crew leader who farms near Bennington. “Be less concerned about what you’ve done and more concerned about getting yourself out of that situation safely.”

Neuverth says emergency dispatchers will relay the situation to OPPD, and a troubleshooter or line crew will respond as quickly as possible to remove any electrical hazards.

In an emergency

If a fire or some other emergency forces you to leave the farm vehicle, here’s what to do:

• Never touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time. Doing so could give electricity a pathway through your body, delivering a potentially fatal shock.
• When you’re ready to exit, climb down the vehicle to a low point without touching the ground. Then, jump as far from vehicle as you safely can.
• Land with your feet together. Depending on soil conditions and other factors, high-voltage electricity from OPPD’s lines can travel through the ground up to 40 feet away from the contact point. If you’re standing on electrified ground with your feet apart, the current may find a pathway through your body.
• Once you’ve touched the ground, do not run from the vehicle. Shuffle or hop away, keeping your feet as close together as possible.
• People who were not in the farm vehicle when the accident happened should stay at least 40 feet away and not approach until OPPD workers give the all-clear.

Safety year-round

Of course, avoiding accidents altogether is a much better approach. These harvest safety tips apply year-round but are especially important this time of year.

• Look up, look out and look around. Be aware of overhead power lines at all times. Clean all your windows ahead of time.
• Don’t assume you’ll clear lines just because you did previously. Occasionally, OPPD has to reinstall lines and poles. The new lines may not be at the same height. Or maybe you forgot that your new combine is taller and wider than the last one. Know the loaded height of your equipment.

• Don’t stack hay or round bales near electrical lines. This helps avoid unintentional contact with hay loaders or other moving equipment.
• Always lower grain augers when moving from bin to bin.
• Be aware of the location of guy wires and anchors that help secure overhead power lines.
• Know the loaded height of trucks and equipment.

As with any job, minimizing distractions can help prevent mistakes, and that’s particularly important with farming.

“There’s inherent risks and dangers you have to deal with daily,” Neuverth said. “It’s to be respected.”