MLEC shares farm safety tips

Agriculture is the backbone of our country, and our livelihood greatly depends on the crops provided by American farmers. The hard work and exhaustive labor are tough but rushing the job to save time can be extremely dangerous––even deadly––when farming near electrical equipment.

Every year, we see collisions where tractors and other farming equipment accidentally collide with utility poles and power lines, causing injuries and power outages. These dangerous accidents can be avoided by looking up and around your surroundings when operating large farm machinery.

• Maintain a 10-foot clearance around all utility equipment in all directions.

• Use a spotter and deployed flags to maintain safe distances from power lines and other electrical equipment when working in the field.

• If equipment contacts an energized or downed power line, contact 9-1-1 immediately and remain inside the vehicle until the power line is de-energized. In case of fire, exit by making a solid jump out of the cab (without touching it), and hop away to safety.

• Consider equipment and cargo extensions of your vehicle. Lumber, hay, tree limbs, irrigation pipes and even bulk materials can conduct electricity, so keep them out of contact with electrical equipment.

“We hope you never find yourself in a situation where farming equipment contacts power lines or poles, but if you do, we hope you’ll remember these safety tips,” says MLEC President and CEO Keith Carnahan.

MLEC is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility that serves more than 35,000 meters in Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lewis and Perry counties. Learn more about MLEC and MLConnect broadband internet at http://www.mlec.com.