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Keeping Equipment Away From Power Lines

Most close calls with power lines start as routine jobs: moving an auger, backing in a truck, folding a boom. This guide focuses on the planning that happens before the machine moves.

What does a clear route look like?

A clear route is one you have walked or driven without the load raised, checked on both sides and overhead, and confirmed again at every gate and corner. A route that was safe last year may not be safe now if equipment, crops, trees or lines have changed.

Write the route on the farm map or sketch it for new workers. Mark any spot where lines cross and note whether the equipment will be up or down there.

Revisit the route whenever the weather changes. Wind, mud and rain can change how a load sits or how a driver steers, and a path that was comfortable on a calm day may leave less room than you think.

How do you handle augers, elevators and tall implements?

Moving augers and elevators are among the situations safety agencies single out for care. The safest habit is to lower equipment before any move, plan the path ahead of time, and use a second person whose only job is to watch for lines. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for transport position.

Do not move tall equipment in wind, low light or when you are rushed. If a gust could swing the top toward a line, wait.

Check the manual for the transport position of every tall implement you own, and mark it with tape or paint where you can see it from the cab. A visual cue is faster than memory when you are tired.

What about irrigation pipe, ladders and hand tools?

Long metal items cause trouble because they are easy to tip. Carry pipe flat and low, and never carry it upright near lines. The same goes for ladders, fence posts, pole tools and tree limbs being pulled. A moment of carelessness with a long object can bring it into a line.

Keep a mental rule: whatever is in your hands must be shorter than the clearance above you, and you should not need to check by eye. When in doubt, choose another route.

If you rent or borrow equipment, ask the owner how tall it is when raised and how it should travel. Do not assume it matches the machine you know.

Where should you park and fill?

Park, unload and refill away from lines, and make that the standing rule for every vehicle and trailer. Dump trucks, grain carts and hay haulers can raise beds near lines without the driver noticing. Remind drivers and haulers who come to your place that lines are present and where they run.

Delivery drivers and custom operators may not know your property. Meet them at the entrance, point out lines and agree where equipment will be raised.

Tell your hired and family drivers that if they ever feel unsure about where a line is, the correct move is to stop, set the brake and ask. No job is so urgent that it justifies guessing.

What do the official sources say about distances?

Required and recommended clearance distances depend on line voltage and are set by official sources. This guide does not list numbers because they must come from OSHA, your electric utility or your state's rules. Ask the utility directly, and ask whether any line near your buildings or fields can be raised, moved or buried.

Utilities often welcome these calls. They would rather advise ahead of time than respond afterward.

Ask the utility whether a line near a field entrance or bin site can be made safer through relocation or marking. Rules and costs vary, so ask the utility directly.

How do you build this into a written farm safety plan?

A short written plan helps new people get up to speed fast. Include a sketch of the farm with lines marked, the names of the people responsible for checking routes, the utility's phone number and the farm's address for 911. Keep a copy in the shop and in each tractor cab or truck.

Review it with the whole crew before planting and before harvest. Ask for questions and fold in what people tell you. Over time the plan becomes a shared habit instead of a document nobody reads, and it will serve whoever takes over the work next.

What if equipment does touch a line?

Call 911 and stay away from the equipment. The related guide on power line contact response explains the general principles and points to official resources. Safe response is a topic for hands-on training, not for improvising in the moment.

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.