After 15 serious incidents of farm vehicles making contact with high-voltage electricity equipment already this year - including three in just 24 hours last week - SA Power Networks is pleading with farmers to put safety first and not put their lives on the line.

With sowing activity already underway in some areas of South Australia, there is concern that someone could be seriously hurt or die if farm machinery accidentally strikes a pole or comes too close to overhead pole wires.

An incident at a farm near Cockaleechie on the Eyre Peninsula on Thursday 16 April.

On Thursday (16 April), SA Power Networks crews responded to three separate incidents in 24 hours at Bute, Cudlee Creek and Cockaleechie.

On Saturday (18 April), an incident at Culburra left more than 100 customers in the Murraylands without power for about nine hours.

SA Power Networks Operations Manager – Emergency Response, Josh Newnham, said getting the crops planted should not be a matter of life or death.

“Each of these incidents has involved vehicles coming into contact with our equipment and every one of them had the potential to end in tragedy,” Mr Newnham said.

“Not only is this endangering lives, but it also causes unplanned outages for other customers, and requires an emergency response from our crews to incidents which are, in the majority of cases, avoidable.

“Every year, about 20 people in South Australia have accidents with farm machines hitting powerlines or Stobie poles. SA Power Networks has already seen 15 incidents this year.”

Family members, contractors and others who are giving a helping hand need to be aware of the location of powerlines and poles and the potential risks.

To see all the powerlines and locations on property, farmers can visit the interactive Look up and Live and plan for safety map.

Customers can also download the free app from the Apple App Store or Google Play store on their mobile device – just search for Look up and Live.

Close proximity to powerlines can be fatal. For most regional lines, the absolute minimum safe clearance distance is three metres. Farmers must know the maximum height of their equipment and be aware that some older lines may be lower than expected.

“The simple action of identifying poles and wires in a paddock before starting work might save a life.”

Things farmers can do to stay safe include looking forward and not relying on the vehicle GPS to avoid poles, not parking machinery or equipment under powerlines and avoiding dusty conditions where possible.

What to do if you contact a powerline

When a farm 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 confirmation is received that the power has been switched off. If there is an immediate danger to life, use the below steps to evacuate your vehicle and then call 000. 

• 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.

To safely plan and/or perform work, read Look Up and Live website: www.lookupandlive.com.au

Read more about Farm Safety.