The condition of some farm irrigation systems is shocking.
Literally.
"We see an average of one death every year caused by
electrical problems in
irrigation systems," said Kerry Harrison, an engineer with
the University of Georgia
Extension Service.
"This is one thing farmers need to fix before it’s
broken," Harrison said.
Most irrigation systems powered by three-phase electrical
lines run on 480 volts. But
Harrison said it’s not the volts, but the amps that present the
most danger.
AMilliamps can kill a man," he said. "But some of
these larger systems have
30 to 50 amps running through them."
As systems age, the parts wear. Conduits break, and
insulators fray or crack and expose
the wires. They wear slowly, but they do wear. Eventually they
threaten the farmer’s
safety.
Bitter winter cold this year made conduits and wire
insulation brittle and prone to
cracking or breaking. If water entered the system, it could have
frozen and expanded. This
could create more problems by causing shorts in the wiring.
Harrison said farmers should inspect their irrigation
electrical systems as a part of
their routine maintenance. It’s best to inspect in early spring
before the season’s first
use.
A thorough electrical system inspection includes checking
for:
* Broken insulation.
* Exposed wiring.
* Wiring run through an inappropriate conduit or not in a
conduit.
* Inadequate or no grounding.
"Farmers can do their own inspection if they’re
confident in their knowledge of
electrical systems," he said. "Or they can hire an
electrician."
Before inspecting any electrical equipment, check for
yourself that it’s turned off at
the main switch. Harrison also tests metal parts with a small
pen-like indicator that
lights when electricity is present, just to be sure.
If live exposed wires touch a metal part of the system, it
becomes “hot,” or electrically charged. If
someone touches the “hot” part, he can become the ground.
Most electricians install a wire from the system’s metal
frame to a metal rod pushed
into the soil. That provides a safe route for stray electricity
to follow. This simple
step can prevent a person from becoming electrocuted.
Other areas to inspect include disconnect switch boxes. “Some
systems don’t even have disconnect
switches in the field. That’s dangerous. One needs to be
installed immediately.”
Many boxes aren’t as rodent-proof as they need to be,
Harrison said. Birds, rats,
squirrels or other small animals may have nested in the box over
the winter. If not
removed, the nest could catch on fire from live wires, shorting
out the system.
Harrison said perils he sees often are wires strung across
field surfaces. “I see that too much,”he said. These wires are
vulnerable to damage from tractor or implement tires, animals
and weather.
Some farmers also burn off fields with exposed wires running
through them, burning off
protective insulation. Without insulation, the “hot” wire can
cause its own fire in dry grass or crop debris.
Most accidents happen during everyday activities. “Farmers
get so used to the
equipment," Harrison said, "they lose respect for it
and the injury it can
cause.”
Farmers and others need to develop safe habits when working
with their equipment,
especially irrigation systems powered by generators.
Safe habits include:
* Touching electrically powered equipment with the back of
your hand before grasping
it.
* Using a volt/ohmmeter to detect electricity where it’s not
supposed to be.
* Buying a light indicator to test metal equipment for an
electrical charge (about
$20).
* Regular inspections for blackened areas around switches or
outlets, arcing or exposed
wires. These point to problems that need immediate repair.
“One death a year from these problems is one too many,”
Harrison said. “Farmers and operators need
to be aware of the threat on their lives. Electricity doesn’t
give you a second chance.”
