Fifth- and sixth-grade students at Murray County Central got a real-world lesson Tuesday in something important for anyone living or working around farms: what to do when large equipment comes into contact with electrical facilities.
Nobles Cooperative Electric hosted an electrical and farm safety demonstration at MCC using full-size farm equipment to help students understand just how quickly a routine day on the farm can become dangerous when electricity is involved.
The demonstration focused on situations students may someday encounter themselves — whether riding in farm equipment with a parent or grandparent, working on a farm as they get older, or eventually operating equipment on their own.
“Kids growing up in our area are around farm equipment all the time, and many of them will be operating that equipment themselves before too long,” said Cody Hansen, Nobles Cooperative Electric Line Superintendent. “We want them to understand that if equipment comes into contact with a power line, what they do next can make the difference between staying safe and being seriously injured.”
Students learned one of the most important rules following electrical contact: stay inside the equipment whenever possible and call for help. Because electricity can energize both the equipment and the ground surrounding it, stepping out can put a person directly in the path of electrical current.
If fire or another immediate danger makes it necessary to leave the equipment, students learned to jump clear with both feet together, making sure they do not touch the equipment and the ground at the same time. Once clear, they should move away by shuffling with their feet kept close together or using small “bunny hops” with both feet together.
The program also stressed the importance of looking up and being aware of overhead power lines when operating combines, sprayers, tractors, grain carts and other large machinery. Having full-size equipment on site helped students see firsthand how easily today’s farm equipment can reach or come dangerously close to overhead lines.
“Having the actual equipment here makes a huge difference,” Hansen said. “You can tell students that farm equipment is getting bigger and that they need to watch for power lines, but when they see that equipment next to electrical facilities, it becomes real.”
Students also learned that electrical hazards aren’t limited to what they can see overhead. One demonstration showed what can happen when farm equipment strikes underground electrical equipment. A damaged electrical box from an actual incident just a few weeks earlier was used to show students that underground electrical facilities can be every bit as dangerous as overhead lines.
The message extends beyond students. Nobles Cooperative Electric encourages farmers, farm employees and families to identify electrical hazards, be aware of both overhead and underground electrical facilities, and make sure everyone knows what to do if equipment makes electrical contact.
“If there is one thing we want the students to remember, it is to never assume electrical equipment or a power line is safe,” Hansen said. “Stay in the equipment, call 911 and the electric cooperative, and wait until utility personnel tell you it is safe to get out.”
This was the first time Nobles Cooperative Electric has offered this type of farm electrical safety demonstration for local students. The cooperative appreciates the support of C&B Operations of Slayton and Miller-Sellner Equipment of Slayton, which provided equipment and helped bring the important message of farm electrical safety to life.
“We’re grateful to have local businesses willing to partner with us on something that can make a real difference,” Hansen said. “We hope this is something we can continue doing in the future to help young people understand how to stay safe around electricity and farm equipment.”
