0:00

My name's Sally Shatty and I'm a member

0:02

of CMO Electric Cooperative.

0:05

The best thing about my electric cooperative

0:07

is that they're a local cooperative that

0:10

manages a lot of small

0:12

rural areas, but they make a

0:14

huge difference. They always put their members

0:16

first, they help other cooperatives

0:18

when in need. They're very community

0:21

engaged, dependable, and

0:23

they're also friendly local faces

0:25

that I know.

0:45

All right , well, hello everybody and welcome to

0:47

the Power for Your Life podcast, where

0:49

we focus on energy efficiency, the

0:52

value of electric, cooperative membership, and

0:54

safety around electricity. I'm Harrison

0:57

Waters, your host, and today we

0:59

will be discussing farm planting

1:01

safety. You know, springtime makes

1:04

most people think of warmer weather

1:06

and flowers, but for farmers it's

1:08

planting season. They usually associate

1:11

spring with long work days and a busy

1:13

agenda. And when you're fatigued

1:15

and not paying attention to your surroundings, accidents

1:18

can occur. Accidents with electrical

1:21

lines unfortunately can be fatal and

1:23

sometimes don't give you the chance to recover

1:25

with me by phone. Today to talk about how

1:28

farmers can stay safe during planting season

1:30

is Melanie Edding . She's the manager

1:32

of administrative Services at Consolidated

1:35

Electric Cooperative in Mexico, Missouri. Melanie,

1:38

thank you so much for joining me today.

1:40

Hi, Harrison. Thank you for having me.

1:43

Absolutely. I'm excited about this

1:45

one. Um, I had to look some stuff

1:47

up, you know, for this podcast, and it

1:49

was really eye-opening for me , uh,

1:51

to see how many accidents occur on

1:53

the farm. If you're not being cautious. Uh,

1:56

in 2019, the Bureau of Labor

1:58

Statistics ranked farmers seventh in

2:01

the list of the most dangerous jobs. I

2:03

would've never guessed that the criteria

2:05

to determine this ranking is the number of

2:08

civilian jobs with the highest fatality

2:10

rates, and that's just a scary

2:12

number for farmers and their families. So

2:15

to avoid a potential dangerous situation,

2:18

safety should be obviously a top priority

2:21

in every farmer's daily routine. With

2:24

the hustle and bustle of spring planning season, though, what

2:27

are some of these ways that farmers can prepare

2:29

to stay safe from electrical dangers?

2:32

Harrison, you know, it's important to take a few

2:34

extra minutes every morning or

2:37

even throughout the day as

2:39

your plans change or problems

2:41

occur, and you're alternating ideas

2:44

of how your day was going to be. Take

2:46

that time to before heading to

2:48

the fields or moving equipment around the

2:50

farm, to talk with those working and

2:53

remind everyone of the dangers associated

2:55

when working near electricity. It's

2:57

everyone's responsibility to make, make staying

2:59

safe around electricity a priority. We

3:02

encourage planning routes and designating

3:05

paths where equipment can be moved safely to

3:07

avoid electric lines. In situations

3:09

where there are no alternate routes. To avoid

3:11

power lines, consider using a

3:14

spotter when moving equipment. Also,

3:16

we recommend inspecting the length and height

3:18

of the equipment that's being used,

3:21

and always remember to maintain a 10 foot

3:23

clearance from electric lines, poles

3:25

and G wires at all times. Another

3:28

important tip is to check electric equipment

3:31

in barns and shops to make sure it isn't malfunctioning

3:34

or it hasn't been damaged by age or

3:36

weather. Keep power tools, motors,

3:38

and cords organized and in good repair

3:41

and check them frequently for fraying scratching

3:44

or signs of scorching. Another

3:46

important thing to remember is keep those extension

3:48

cords away from animals, water and

3:50

damp areas. Make sure that you're

3:53

plugging them into a gfi ground

3:55

fault circuit interrupter outlet, especially

3:58

when you're working in a damp or a wet area. Most

4:01

importantly, always know where

4:03

and how to shut the electricity off if you

4:05

need to. If you do have to shut

4:07

it off, label the breaker so

4:09

no one turns it back on while you're working.

4:12

Wonderful, wonderful. Well, those are all

4:14

great tips. Thank you so much for that. Um,

4:16

you know, being informed, educated and

4:19

prepared can really decrease your chances

4:21

of injury or fatality even. And

4:23

we hope nobody ever encounters accidentally

4:26

hitting a power line or piece of electrical equipment.

4:29

However, we know it's vitally important to

4:31

know how to react. So what

4:33

should someone do if their equipment does come

4:35

in contact with a power line?

4:37

If someone's involved in an accident involving

4:39

a power line pole or a G wire,

4:42

the first thing to remember is stay in the

4:44

machinery or vehicle and call 9

4:46

1 1. If others come and attempt

4:48

to help warn them to stay away,

4:52

always assume the wire is still energized.

4:55

When the utility crew arrives, they will

4:57

let you know when it's safe to exit. The

4:59

only reason to leave the machinery or vehicle

5:02

that has come in contact with the power line

5:04

before the utility crew arrives is

5:06

if it's on fire and you're in danger. Now,

5:09

while it's rare for this to happen, if

5:12

it does, you will wanna jump as far

5:14

as you can from the machinery or vehicle landing

5:16

with both feet together, then

5:19

hop or shuffle your feet until you're

5:22

at least 50 feet away. Why?

5:25

Electricity is always looking for the easiest path

5:27

to ground when you exit the vehicle

5:29

or machinery and touch the ground, you

5:32

can be subjected to risk of injury, simply

5:34

trying to move away from the grounding point.

5:38

Great. Well, that's great information

5:40

that our listeners may not know.

5:43

Uh, I could see how someone's first in sync would

5:45

be to get away from the situation instead

5:48

of staying inside of the vehicle or

5:50

machinery. Uh, are there any general

5:52

rules of thumb during planting season specifically

5:55

for farmers about how they can avoid contacting

5:59

electrical equipment?

6:00

Yes. Always remember the

6:02

10 foot rule. This should be

6:04

observed as a 360 degree

6:07

rule. Always look below

6:09

to the sides and above the power

6:11

lines. You know, farming equipment has

6:13

become more massive over time . Taller

6:16

equipment and longer extensions can

6:18

bring added challenges to maneuvering around

6:20

our power lines. Always

6:22

lower extensions to the lowest setting when

6:25

moving equipment. And again, consider

6:27

using a spotter when you are near

6:29

power lines. Perfect.

6:31

All right , let's take a short break and when we come back,

6:34

Melanie will share more farm planting

6:36

safety tips .

6:53

Spring is a busy time on the farm. Don't

6:56

overlook safety in the rush. Dozens

6:59

of farm workers are killed by electrocution

7:01

each year. When farm machines make contact

7:03

with overhead power lines, take

7:05

note of electrical lines. When moving farm equipment,

7:08

make sure everyone who works on the farm

7:11

knows the location of power lines and keeps

7:13

farm equipment at least 10 feet away,

7:15

working to keep you safe. Discover

7:19

the value of your co-op membership.

7:22

Visit members first dot co-op today.

7:27

Even though covid 19 is still a threat,

7:29

your touchstone energy cooperative is

7:31

as committed as ever to keeping the power

7:34

on so you can do your job.

7:36

By staying home and staying safe, disinfect

7:40

high touch surfaces frequently and

7:42

check in on your neighbors and loved ones. Often

7:45

you've got the power to make a difference and

7:47

you can count on us to be here for

7:49

you every day .

7:52

Discover the value of your co-op membership.

7:55

Visit members first dot co-op today,

8:04

Energy efficiency tip number 27,

8:07

verify livestock Water tank heaters

8:09

are off when not needed, and

8:37

we're back with the Power for Your Life Podcast. Visiting

8:39

today with Melanie Edding from Consolidated

8:42

Electric Cooperative in Mexico, Missouri. Now,

8:45

Melanie, you've explained how farmers can educate

8:47

themselves about electrical safety on the

8:50

farm and what to do if

8:52

equipment encounters a power line. So

8:54

how does a member know who to contact

8:57

when there's an electrical issue or

8:59

accident?

9:00

Well, if there's an accident, it's important

9:02

to always call 9 1 1 first. If

9:05

you notice low hanging wires or

9:07

broken guy wires or poles or equipment

9:10

that needs attention, then you should call

9:12

your utility provider to report that

9:14

issue. If you have a general electric

9:17

problem such as no power in

9:19

a barn, you may need to call an electrician.

9:22

Always remember to call 8

9:24

1 1 before digging. If the problem

9:26

lies below ground , this is

9:28

a national number and they will send a professional

9:30

locator to Mark underground services,

9:33

which will allow you to work safely.

9:36

Great. Well, that's valuable information that

9:39

, uh, should be shared to all farmers and those

9:41

who work on farms. What do

9:43

you personally think is one of the best ways for

9:45

farmers to stay safe during spring planting

9:47

season?

9:48

I think one of the most important ways to

9:50

stay safe is to keep a clear mind. It's

9:53

easy to get caught up in the thoughts of what

9:55

needs to be done next in order to have

9:57

a successful planning season, but

10:00

try to stay focused on the tasks at hand.

10:02

Always keeping safety in mind by being aware

10:04

of your surroundings. Try to

10:06

take short breaks throughout the day, eat

10:09

regularly, pack nutritious snacks,

10:11

and drink plenty of fluids, and that

10:13

should help keep your body in mind in its best

10:15

shape to get your job done safely.

10:17

I agree with you. That is one of the best ways for

10:19

farmers to ensure safety this spring planting

10:22

season. Melanie, you have given

10:24

our listeners a lot of great information

10:26

to stay safe from all things electric

10:28

and power on the farm. Even though we

10:30

have focused primarily on spring

10:32

planting safety, many of these tips

10:35

can be applied anytime work is being

10:37

done around the farm. Where

10:39

can listeners go to find more information and

10:41

safety tips if they maybe want to dig a little bit deeper?

10:44

Well, they're always welcome to call their local electric

10:46

cooperative to speak with the member services

10:48

or an energy services representative if

10:51

they prefer online information. We have some

10:54

excellent resources available on

10:56

our members first website at

10:58

members first dot co-op and

11:01

the safe electricity [email protected].

11:05

Perfect. Thank you, Melanie, so much.

11:07

This has been wonderful, and thanks for

11:09

joining me today.

11:10

Well, you're welcome, Harrison. I really appreciate

11:12

the opportunity to talk with you and to

11:14

share some tips about farm planting safety.

11:17

Absolutely, and I hope all farmers and farm

11:19

workers can use these safety tips throughout

11:22

their spring planting season. And if you're

11:24

not a farmer, please share this with a farmer you

11:26

know, and thank them for their time and their sacrifice.

11:29

I know all electric cooperative staff have

11:31

gratitude and we are hoping for

11:34

a safe and prosperous spring planting season

11:36

for farmers and our co-op country.

11:39

Thanks for listening to the Power for Your

11:42

Life Podcast. To learn

11:44

more about this topic and other safety

11:46

efficiency and energy technology

11:49

information, contact your

11:51

local electric cooperative, or

11:54

visit us on the web at members

11:56

first dot co-op. You

11:59

can also follow us on social media at

12:02

facebook.com/members

12:05

first cooperatives pinterest.com/members

12:08

first or instagram.com/members.

12:12

First , if you have a question

12:15

or topic you would like us to consider for

12:17

an upcoming episode, email

12:20

us at members first , a

12:24

eci.org .