MADISON, Wis. (Sept. 13, 2022) – As the annual fall harvest begins, Alliant Energy urges farmers to stay safe by knowing their surroundings and equipment sizes to maintain safe clearances from poles and overhead power lines.
Contact with poles and power lines increase significantly during harvest season for three main reasons:
- More equipment is in the field;
- That equipment tends to be larger, like combines, wagons and tractors;
- Farmers work more hours in the dark when it’s difficult to see poles and overhead lines.
Alliant Energy offers farmers the following safety tips to stay safe:
- Know the height of your equipment. Do not drive under power lines if any part of your equipment is too tall to clear them.
- Be aware of your turning radius. Ensure your tractor and anything you pull does not swing into poles or overhead lines when you turn. Pay special attention at the end of rows and field entrances.
- Stay safe during grain handling and storage. Be alert when setting up and moving equipment. Boom, auger and grain bin use can place you near overhead lines.
- Stay alert, especially when it gets dark. Know where poles and overhead lines are at all times.
- Know what to do if an overhead line is contacting equipment. Stay on the equipment and do not step to the ground while touching the equipment. Call 911 and wait until a qualified person can verify the line is not energized and tells you it is safe to exit the vehicle. If you must leave the equipment because of fire or other danger, try to jump clear of the equipment so you don't touch the equipment and the ground at the same time. Land with both feet together. Shuffle away, keeping your feet together and on the ground.
- Never assume a power line is safe to touch. If work requires you to be near a line, please call 1-800-ALLIANT and explain the situation. Alliant Energy will discuss it with you or come to your site and make the line safe.
If an individual or equipment makes contact with a power line, do not touch the victim or item. Call 911 and inform the dispatcher of the electrical accident. Always seek medical help for an electrical contact accident, as some injuries might not be visible, or appear several hours later.
Contact with power lines can interrupt electric service, which can halt work and slow other farming activities that require electricity such as grain drying until power is restored.
Call 1-800-ALLIANT to report a downed power line. In addition, call 811 before any project that requires digging.
Visit alliantenergy.com/farmsafety for more information.
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to 1 million electric and 425,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy's two public energy companies. Alliant Energy is a component of Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index and the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow Alliant Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.