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Five steps to safer fencing this Farm Safety Week
20 July,2009
As part of National Farm Safety Week (20-24 July), Waratah has put together some guidelines on staying safe on the fence line while building good strong fences.
Neville Prince, Waratah’s fencing trainer, said a number of potential hazards are often overlooked when fencing.
“Wire has sharp ends and stored energy, especially when coiled or under tension, that can cause some nasty injuries for the unwary. But with a few simple precautions, these risks can be minimised.”
Neville has put together these five points to help with safer fencing:
1. Setting up
“The very first thing you need to do is get your fencing materials safely to your work site,” Neville said.
“With weights for wire reels and rolls ranging from 25kg for the smallest reel of barb, through to 130kg for some prefabricated wire, it is best to use mechanical lifting devices or farm vehicles as much as possible.
“If mechanical devices or farm vehicles are not available you should still only manually lift them if it is safe to do so. Ideally grab a mate and use team lifting methods to share the load,” he said.
“If it is safe to lift on your own, keep your back straight and lift with your thighs, keeping the load as close to the body as possible. Never rotate your trunk when lifting.”
Neville suggests making sure you have a good idea of the terrain before you start fencing, and that you continue to assess it as you work.
“As you move along the fence line during installation, take note of the changing surroundings such as steep declines, gullies, ridges and mud and take the necessary precautions to minimise the risk of injury.”
2. Dial before you dig
Before driving any posts into the ground, Waratah recommends you ‘dial before you dig’ by checking the website at www.dialbeforeyoudig.com.au or calling 1100.
“There are hundreds of thousands of kilometres of underground pipes and cables and the amount is increasing every day,” Neville said.
“Whether it’s your own property, you’re working for a friend or neighbour, or setting up for a field day or other event, it is important to find out where these are.
“To ensure you don’t run the risk of rupturing underground services such as gas, electricity or water - and either cause yourself an injury or have to pay to fix any damage - make sure you check in with ‘dial before you dig’ prior to getting started on your fence.”
3. Tools and safety equipment
When handling wire, Neville said it is important to always wear safety eyewear and protective clothing including appropriate gloves and steel capped boots.
“Fencing tools, like your wire strainers, cutters, pliers and post drivers will help make fencing easier and safer, but they need to be kept in good working order. Regularly lubricate any moving parts and check for any sign of damage or excessive wear.
“Be proud of the tools you work with. Look after them with a quick spray of water dispersant such as WD40 to keep the moving joints lubricated and help loosen any rusty parts. Just be sure to wipe off any excess spray before using them.”
4. Controlling wire
To keep yourself as safe as possible and the wire strong, wire spinners are invaluable because they help control the spin out of wire and minimise kinks and tangles.
“Use something like the Waratah Three-Way Wire Spinner – it is suitable for dispensing high tensile or standard wires, as well as barbed wire.”
Neville said whenever wire is cut the sharp ends need to be controlled.
“One of the tricks of the trade is to turn over the last few centimetres at the end of the wire – it’s then less likely to cause injury. You can also bend or tuck the tail of the wire around a secure point such as another wire loop or fence post, or stick it into the ground.”
5. Straining up
“When straining up wire, you need to apply the correct amount of tension and be careful not to leave any kinks,” Neville said.
“A wire that snaps due to over-tensioning can be dangerous, so a wire-tension indicator is a great tool to reduce the risk of over-tensioning.
“One like the Waratah Tenser Senser® shows the correct tensions for most Waratah wire products at a glance. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s advice to minimise any risks.”
“Good fencing is good farming, so if you do everything right from the start, you should not only be able to avoid accidents, but have a great fence that will really last,” Neville said.
Further information about Farm Safety Week and general farm safety is available at the FarmSafe Australia website www.farmsafe.org.au
Neville Prince, Waratah’s fencing trainer, said a number of potential hazards are often overlooked when fencing.
“Wire has sharp ends and stored energy, especially when coiled or under tension, that can cause some nasty injuries for the unwary. But with a few simple precautions, these risks can be minimised.”
Neville has put together these five points to help with safer fencing:
1. Setting up
“The very first thing you need to do is get your fencing materials safely to your work site,” Neville said.
“With weights for wire reels and rolls ranging from 25kg for the smallest reel of barb, through to 130kg for some prefabricated wire, it is best to use mechanical lifting devices or farm vehicles as much as possible.
“If mechanical devices or farm vehicles are not available you should still only manually lift them if it is safe to do so. Ideally grab a mate and use team lifting methods to share the load,” he said.
“If it is safe to lift on your own, keep your back straight and lift with your thighs, keeping the load as close to the body as possible. Never rotate your trunk when lifting.”
Neville suggests making sure you have a good idea of the terrain before you start fencing, and that you continue to assess it as you work.
“As you move along the fence line during installation, take note of the changing surroundings such as steep declines, gullies, ridges and mud and take the necessary precautions to minimise the risk of injury.”
2. Dial before you dig
Before driving any posts into the ground, Waratah recommends you ‘dial before you dig’ by checking the website at www.dialbeforeyoudig.com.au or calling 1100.
“There are hundreds of thousands of kilometres of underground pipes and cables and the amount is increasing every day,” Neville said.
“Whether it’s your own property, you’re working for a friend or neighbour, or setting up for a field day or other event, it is important to find out where these are.
“To ensure you don’t run the risk of rupturing underground services such as gas, electricity or water - and either cause yourself an injury or have to pay to fix any damage - make sure you check in with ‘dial before you dig’ prior to getting started on your fence.”
3. Tools and safety equipment
When handling wire, Neville said it is important to always wear safety eyewear and protective clothing including appropriate gloves and steel capped boots.
“Fencing tools, like your wire strainers, cutters, pliers and post drivers will help make fencing easier and safer, but they need to be kept in good working order. Regularly lubricate any moving parts and check for any sign of damage or excessive wear.
“Be proud of the tools you work with. Look after them with a quick spray of water dispersant such as WD40 to keep the moving joints lubricated and help loosen any rusty parts. Just be sure to wipe off any excess spray before using them.”
4. Controlling wire
To keep yourself as safe as possible and the wire strong, wire spinners are invaluable because they help control the spin out of wire and minimise kinks and tangles.
“Use something like the Waratah Three-Way Wire Spinner – it is suitable for dispensing high tensile or standard wires, as well as barbed wire.”
Neville said whenever wire is cut the sharp ends need to be controlled.
“One of the tricks of the trade is to turn over the last few centimetres at the end of the wire – it’s then less likely to cause injury. You can also bend or tuck the tail of the wire around a secure point such as another wire loop or fence post, or stick it into the ground.”
5. Straining up
“When straining up wire, you need to apply the correct amount of tension and be careful not to leave any kinks,” Neville said.
“A wire that snaps due to over-tensioning can be dangerous, so a wire-tension indicator is a great tool to reduce the risk of over-tensioning.
“One like the Waratah Tenser Senser® shows the correct tensions for most Waratah wire products at a glance. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s advice to minimise any risks.”
“Good fencing is good farming, so if you do everything right from the start, you should not only be able to avoid accidents, but have a great fence that will really last,” Neville said.
Further information about Farm Safety Week and general farm safety is available at the FarmSafe Australia website www.farmsafe.org.au