Safety
Emergency Information
In Emergency Situations - Call 911
If a vehicle/machine comes into contact with a power line:
- Do not exit the vehicle/machine unless you are in immediate danger.
- Ensure others stay at least 30 feet (10 meters) away.
- Call 911.
If you must exit the vehicle/machine:
- Do not touch the vehicle/machine at the same time as you touch the ground. The electricity will pass from the vehicle/machine, through you, to the ground. This could be fatal.
- Jump as far from the equipment as possible.
- Land with feet together and arms close to the body.
- Keep feet touching each other and shuffle 30 feet (10 meters) from the machinery or the fallen wire.
- Call 911.
If you come across a downed or damaged power line:
- Stay at least 30 feet (10 meters) from the power line.
- Call 911.
Farm Safety
The MATL transmission line has been designed to minimize safety hazards and allow all machinery and equipment normally used in farming operations to safely pass under the line. Nonetheless, it is important to always exercise caution when working around electricity. The safety of landowners, employees, and contractors working and living in proximity to the MATL line is paramount. Good safety practices and continual vigilance will not only help avoid accidents but also enable those living along the transmission line to safely maintain their normal way of life and business.
Here are some safety practices to remember when around any overhead electrical line:
Important Safety Practices:
- Never touch a power line with any part of your body or with anything you are holding or carrying.
- Know the height of all machinery and equipment being operated and ensure all employees have this information.
- Keep equipment and machinery at least 10 feet (3 meters) from power lines.
- Always look up and locate power lines before moving equipment or trimming trees.
- Always lower augers and dump truck boxes before transporting.
- Maintain at least 15 feet (4.5 meters) clearance between buildings and power lines.
- Do not stack hay or pile grain near power lines.
- Never spray water hoses at power lines.
- Never start a fire underneath or near a transmission line; smoke and hot air can carry electricity from the line to the ground.
- Never try to lift or move a power line by any means.
- Carry ladders, poles, pipes or rods horizontally to avoid contact with overhead lines.
- Use caution when working on roofs, installing or removing antennas and setting up and moving scaffolding.
- Do not plant trees where they will grow into power lines; trees should be at least 26 feet (eight meters) from power lines.
Electrical Facts:
- Any contact with overhead power lines can result in serious injury or death.
- Electricity takes the quickest and shortest path to ground.
- Electricity will use people, animals, trees, wood/lumber, tires, rope, straw/hay, water or other liquids, metal and aluminum objects, wet objects, ladders, vehicles and farm equipment as conductors to reach the ground.
- Electricity can arc, or “jump”, from a power line to a conducting object, and so always remain at least 10 feet (3 meters) from any power line.
- Extreme heat can cause conductor sag. The design of the MATL line takes this factor into account, but clearances are less on hot days.
- Wind can cause the conductor line to swing out. MATL has accounted for this in the right of way allowances, but additional caution is warranted on windy days.
- Work gloves and rubber boots do not offer protection against contact with a transmission line - the voltage is simply too high.
- Birds resting on power lines do not conduct electricity because they are not touching the ground.
Ongoing Safety Measures
MATL will continue to make safety its top priority throughout the life of the MATL line.
Regular inspections by land and by air will ensure that the transmission line and its associated facilities remain safe and fully operational with repairs and corrective measures performed immediately. Maintenance crews will be on standby to respond to any emergency circumstance that may arise. Ongoing public awareness education, including the information supplied on this website, is also a key part of MATL’s ongoing safety strategy. Millions of people around the world live safely around transmission lines. Nonetheless, constant reinforcement of safe operating procedures is critical for any person who works or lives in close proximity to a power line. Throughout the life of the MATL line, MATL will engage in a safety awareness campaign to inform the public and to keep safety practices top of mind.
New Construction
Any new construction in the right-of-way requires the prior written consent of MATL.
Electrical charges do not normally build up in buildings in close proximity to power lines because plumbing, wiring, foundations and other building components provide good grounding. It is, however, not advisable to build directly beneath or too close to a power line.