Farm Safety for the Holidays: Electric Fences Kill

Farm Safety for the Holidays: Electric Fences Can Kill

Farms are great places to spend the holidays but they are also workplaces, with hazards visitors need to be aware of says Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc) Vice President Charlie Pedersen.

¡§Parents and Guardians need to take particular care with children who may be unaware of the dangers on farms.

¡§Livestock electric fences are a potential danger ¡Vthese fences can kill. While the number of human fatalities associated with livestock electric fences is very low it is very important that farm visitors appreciate that contact with an electric fence can result in tragedy,¡¨ said Mr Pedersen

In the vast majority of cases contact with an electrified fence wire results in a relatively harmless shock that causes no lasting harm, but unfortunately this is not always the case. Normally the force of the first shock is such they are pushed away from the fence and do not receive subsequent shocks. However there is a risk of serous injury or even death if a person receives multiple shocks over a long period of time (minutes to hours rather than seconds) or comes to harm as a result of falling away from the fence ¡V for example is hurt by the fall or drowns after falling into a creek, pond or water trough.

¡§Federated Farmers strongly recommends against climbing through or under an electric fence due to the increased danger of a shock to the head rendering a person unconscious.

¡§Visits to farms should be an enjoyable experience, so please be careful over the holidays,¡¨ concluded Mr Pedersen.

FFNZ ELECTRIC FENCE SAFETY TIPS

„X Ensure young children are adequately supervised

„X Ensure older children are informed of the presence of electric fences

„X Ensure no one climbs under an electric fence

„X Avoid climbing over an electric fence if at all possible

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