• Farm equipment and powerlines on farms

• The FREE Lookup and Live app is an important tool to safely plan and perform work

• What to do if I contact a powerline

• Helpful documents

Farm equipment and powerlines on farms

Farm machines like trucks, tractors, and harvesters can be dangerous near powerlines. Every year, about 20 people in South Australia have accidents with farm machines hitting powerlines or Stobie poles.

Things like using GPS, dusty weather, and rushing to harvest or plant crops can make these accidents happen.

If there are any powerlines on your property, visit Look up and Live and plan for safety. You can find overhead powerlines on an interactive map that shows their exact locations.

Take extra care if your work involves:

• Using high vehicles or tall machinery, such as cranes or augers
• Relying on GPS to steer your vehicle
• Raising the tipper tray of trucks
• Raising farm equipment such as irrigation pipes overhead
• Climbing on top of machinery or storage silos
• Farm workers and contractors who are not familiar with your property and the location of powerlines

The free Look up and Live powerline map app is an important tool to safely plan and/or perform work.

The use of the app may help minimise contact and reduce the risk of injury or death from electrocution and damage to equipment and the electricity network.

Visit: www.lookupandlive.com.au

Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play store on your mobile device and search for Look up and Live.

Here are some practical tips to minimise the risk of electrocution or electric shock on your property:

• Water is a conductor of electricity so be careful when using water irrigation or water jets near powerlines

• Regularly remind everyone who lives or works on your farm of the location of power lines and the risk they pose. 

• Never raise truck trays, augers or spray booms underneath powerlines and store all bulk deliveries well away from them.

• If you are using GPS-guided equipment, make sure the location of electricity infrastructure on your property is accurately programmed into the system.

• Vehicle access to sheds, haystacks and silos should be located away from overhead power line connections to minimise the risk of injury.

• Make it a habit to always check for power lines whenever you move or use farm machinery like seeders, grain augers and harvesters, or when moving long or tall loads such as irrigation pipes.

• If you're crop dusting, make sure you (or your contractor) identify where the power lines are located before commencing the job.

• Never park machinery or other equipment under powerlines.

When an object or vehicle comes into contact with powerlines there is a high risk of electric shock. If this happens, you should immediately contact SA Power Networks on 13 13 66 and preferably stay in your vehicle until the power is switched off. If there is an immediate danger to life, use the below steps to evacuate your vehicle and then call 000. 

Stay in your vehicle if safe to do so.

If it is necessary to evacuate the vehicle to prevent injury, several steps must be followed to maximise your safety:  

• Step 1. Jump out and clear of the vehicle with your feet together. Do not touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time.

• Step 2. Using shuffling steps with your feet close together, move calmly to at least 10 metres away.

• Step 3. Call SA Power Networks immediately on 13 13 66. If there is an immediate danger to life, call 000.

• Step 4. Stay at least 10 metres clear of the vehicle until help arrives.

• Step 5. Wait for SA Power Networks staff to confirm that the powerline is now safe.