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UNL Extension educator says farmers should be alert to overhead power lines

A University of Nebraska Extension educator is reminding farmers to be cautious around power lines this harvest.

Amy Timmerman tells Brownfield…

“When you do run into those power lines, if your vehicle or piece of machinery has not started on fire, do not leave the machine because there’s still voltage going through that and if you step down onto solid ground, you’re going to get electrocuted,” she says.

If you encounter a power line, call 911 and your public power district. If staying in the vehicle is not an option, Timmerman says…

“We don’t want you to step down onto the ground. Instead, you’re going to get to that bottom step of the combine or tractor and you’re going to jump off,” she says. “You want to land with both feet on the ground so you do not become a ground for that voltage to go through you.”

Once landing with two feet on the ground, Timmerman recommends shuffling your feet, maintaining contact with the ground at all times and to go at least two electrical poles away from the site to avoid the charged area.

She says knowing your location and being able to clearly and accurately relay that to dispatchers can save your life.