At this year’s Tullamore Show, Safe Family Farms representatives will be on hand to answer questions from readers on the Irish Farmers Journal stand. There will be a farmyard display on the stand showing the everyday hazards farmers have to be aware of.

Arthur Byrne, public safety manager, ESB Networks, will be on hand at the Irish Farmers Journal stand to raise awareness about the dangers of electricity on farms.

There are many dangers that we all need to be aware of, including fallen electricity wires, machinery and high loads, wiring installation, electric fences, etc.

Arthur says farmers need to be aware of these dangers and respect the power of electricity.

There is information about electricity safety on farms on the ESB Networks website. It has a safety publication called Farm Well Farm Safely, which highlights these hazards and how to avoid them. In an emergency, phone 1850 372 999.

Unfortunately, there are no second chances with electricity – that is why it has to be treated with extreme caution. In this article, we talk to Arthur about the common hazards that will be highlighted at the Tullamore Show.

Overhead and fallen wires

Arthur advises that before you carry out field work or trim hedgerows, check to see if there are any overhead wires in the vicinity. “Plan work that may be happening near overhead wires and alert ESB Networks in advance, where possible. The number to ring is 1850 372 999.”

Always watch out for overhead wires, especially when carrying out front loader work and loading bales. Large loads of hay or straw bales are a risk under wires in fields.

“Everyone should treat electricity wires to be always live, even if they have fallen or are low-hanging wires. You should never touch or approach fallen wires or anything that may be in contact with electricity wires. Again, call the emergency number if you suspect there are issues with electricity wires,” Arthur says.

Stays connected to electricity poles help the pole to carry out its function of holding up tensioned electric wire out of reach of machinery and livestock. They should not be damaged.

Broken stays

Stays supporting electricity poles are as important as the pole itself. Arthur says that many farmers find them a nuisance because they can be in the way of field work or hedge cutting. However, they provide a valuable function. “There can be up to 1t of force from tensioned electric cable at the top of an electricity pole,” he explains. The wires have to be strained to keep them high in the air, out of reach of working machinery in fields and farmyards. “The stay has to provide balance so the pole can withstand the pressure of tensioned wire and not tumble over with the pressure. If the stay is damaged, it can cause a shock to the pole, which could eventually lead to the pole breaking,” says Arthur. A broken pole usually means fallen live wires and this is where the danger lies. It is common for electricity wires to carry 20,000 volts and this can be up to 110,000 volts. This is very high voltage. To put this number into context, a typical house is supplied with 230 volts.

Electrical installations

Farms are not the most ideal place for electrical installations. “There are lots of different hazards that increase the likelihood of physical damage from animals or vehicles,” according to Arthur. Some older buildings have unsuitable electrical installations that could be overly exposed to water and dust. “These older fittings should really be upgraded to the same standard of new installations,” he says. All new installations have to comply with national wiring rules. These rules make specific provisions for agricultural buildings. Arthur says all switchgear, plugs and sockets must be of an industrial type and comply with the standards in IEC Publication No 309. They must offer a minimum index of protection (IP) of 44 degrees against the entry of foreign objects and moisture. In wet locations such as dairy parlours, the minimum protection level against moisture is increased to five (IP 55) for all electrical equipment.

The scales in the IP index range from one to six for the first numeral and one to eight for the second. The higher the numerals the stronger the protection.

Electric fences

“Fences should never be strained off electricity poles, no matter how tempting it is,” Arthur says. Ideally, fences should not be positioned closer than 6m (20ft) to overhead powerlines. He says if the fence has to be taken underneath an overhead line, it should be positioned 1m to 2m from the pole and taken at right angles to the overhead line. If possible, avoid running it parallel to and under the line. Positioning of the energiser is important too. Ideally, it should be located in a garage or workshop – away from livestock buildings. Arthur explains that because many energisers on sale are not protected against water-jets, they should not be located in a dairy or milking parlour where they are most at risk of getting wet. They should not be installed in the vicinity of flammable material or where they are accessible to children or animals. The earth system from the energiser should be positioned at least 10m (12 yards) away from electricity poles, from any part of the earthing of the main electricity system and from metal parts of buildings.