DIY may mean DIE

Victorian farmers are being urged not to attempt dangerous do-it-yourself electrical work as part of a new electrical safety campaign.

Energy Safe Victoria has created the ‘DIY=DIE’ campaign to remind farmers that doing unqualified electrical work is illegal and can result in death or serious injury, following the recent deaths of two Victorian farmers.

A 75-year-old man was electrocuted at Moorabool in November 2015 while attempting to repair a pump on a rural property, while a 21-year-old dairy farmer from Yarroweh died in January while attending to a pump in a drainage pit.

Energy Safe Victoria Director of Energy Safety Paul Fearon said relying on a professional may just save your life.

“Always call in a licensed electrician, no matter how remote the property or how simple you think the job appears to be,” he said. “Farmers and rural workers need to be very careful about how they manage and maintain electrical installations and equipment — because they could be putting their lives and their families at risk.”

To ensure the safety of workers and property owners, Energy Safe Victoria advises:

• A slight tingle or fuses blowing regularly are signs of a serious electrical problem that needs to be investigated by a qualified tradesperson;
• Never try fixing electrical equipment or getting around the problem by adding extra fuse wire or bypassing circuit breakers;
• Water and electricity can be a fatal combination — always turn off a pump before clearing or checking a pump or float switch, entering the water or touching the equipment; and
• Only licensed or registered tradespeople are legally permitted to do gas or electrical work.

More information and safety tips can be found at www.esv.vic.gov.au.

Image courtesy of TimothyJ under CC-BY-2.0