Pacific Power wants farmers and ranchers to be aware of these safety guidelines because the nature of their work brings them near electric utility equipment almost every day.
The company urges the following precautions to keep farmers, ranchers and others working around electricity safe:
Look up. Always look up for overhead power lines before beginning any outdoor activity.
Follow the 10-foot rule. Most overhead power lines are not insulated. Keep everything €“ yourself, the tools and materials you are handling and the equipment you are operating €“ at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines. Any contact with wires by branches, pipe or equipment can be fatal.
Call before you dig. Call 811 to have your local underground utility locator service mark all utility lines for free before you dig.
Never stack or store irrigation pipe, hay and hay bales, or other materials directly underneath or adjacent to power lines. Never stand an irrigation pipe on end near a power line.
Call 911 if someone makes contact with electricity and needs medical attention. Never touch a person or object in contact with electricity, since you could also become part of the electrical current’s path to the ground and be seriously injured or killed.