Stay powerline aware this harvest season

With bananas, sugar cane and other spring and summer harvests underway or set to start in coming months, producers have been reminded to play it safe with overhead powerlines, whatever the task at hand.

Keep you and your workers safe by following these steps:

• Develop a safe system that ensures a safe distance from powerlines is maintained (stay outside the exclusion zone – 3 metres for up to 132 kV and 6 metres for up to 330 kV).
• Identify overhead and underground powerlines by consulting maps or talking to the property owner and electrical entity. For Ergon Energy and Energex visit lookupandlive.com.au for a free powerline safety plan.
• Make powerlines and poles visible. Ask your electrical entity for permission to paint power poles and/or have them install markers or flags on the powerlines.
• Harvesters, elevating work platforms, irrigation pipes, grain augers, elevators, mobile grain silos, cranes, tippers and excavators have the potential to enter exclusion zones. Ensure operators know the height and reach of machinery or hand-held items to be used.
• Check to see if any trees, branches or leaves are getting close to, can be blown into or are touching powerlines. Notify your electricity provider if they have and do not attempt to trim the tree yourself.
• Never plant crops, trees or tall vegetation under powerlines.
• If trees fall and bring down powerlines during a storm, contact your local electricity provider immediately.
• Make workers aware of where powerlines are on the property before they start work – Look up and live!

The Look up and live app is available for Apple or Android. Look up and live assists with locating powerlines and includes safety advice and other information for working near them.

The app is available at www.lookupandlive.com.au and the instructional video is at Lookupandlive.com.au - instructional video - YouTube.

Further information

Read more about working safely around powerlines.