There are a lot of situations in life that you can just eyeball. Adding vanilla to a recipe. Backing up a trailer. Positioning the auger. The consequences are either minor or easily fixed. Power lines are not something to eyeball.
Don’t play limbo with power lines! While you may get lucky, you may also end up with severe or deadly injuries. Hitting a line or knocking over a pole can have deadly consequences.
This harvest, take extra precautions to make sure your large equipment can easily pass beneath power lines before attempting it. If you don’t know the height of a power line, contact Northern Electric Cooperative to clear up any uncertainty before proceeding. Pay particular attention to the power lines and poles while backing up or towing equipment. Even if the equipment will fit with a little room to spare, remember that uneven ground can make equipment bounce. There might be less safety cushion than you expected.
What to do if you hit a power line
If your equipment does make contact with a power line, remain calm and follow these important safety instructions.
1. Stay Put & Call 911
DO NOT EXIT the cab of your vehicle! It might be tempting to get out and assess the situation, but you must remain in the cab and call 911. Explain what has happened and share your location with the emergency response dispatcher. You should also contact Northern Electric Cooperative at 605-225-0310 to inform us of the situation. Stay where you are until local authorities have declared the situation safe and provided you with clearance.
2. Don’t Climb — Jump!
If you must leave the cab due to fire or other safety concerns, keep your arms close to your body and jump as far away from the equipment as possible (always scan the entire area below for downed power lines, debris and flames before jumping). It is critical that you do not make simultaneous contact with the ground and your equipment in a circumstance such as this.
3. Hop Away to Safety
You probably haven’t hopped from point A to point B since grade school, but this is an additional safety instruction you must follow when your equipment has made contact with a power line. Hop with both feet together — this prevents one foot from entering a higher-voltage zone before the other and reduces your risk of electrocution — until you are at least 40 feet away from the equipment in question. If you haven’t done so already, call 911 and keep others from approaching the equipment.