Skip to main content
Pay Bill
Start Service
Home

Local Weather

                                       Our mission is to provide safe, reliable, and affordable
                                     electric service to our members, now and into the future!

Menu
  • Home
  • Your Account
    • Capital Credits
    • Start Service
    • Pay Online/My Account
    • Billing FAQ
      • Billing Cycle and Due Date
      • Budget Billing
      • Payment Options
      • Rates
      • SD Energy Assistance
    • Yard/Street Light Repair
  • About Us/History
    • Nondiscrimination Statement
    • Our History
    • Board Directors and Service Area
    • By-Laws
    • Privacy Policy
  • Member Programs
    • Rebates and Incentives
      • Heat Pump Rebates
      • Irrigation Rebates
      • Marathon Water Heaters
      • Replacement Appliance Rebates
    • Load Control
    • REC Program
    • REED Fund
  • News and Community
    • Basin Bus Tour
    • Clay County Fair/Member Appreciation Day
    • Cooperative "Sparks" Newsletter
    • Energy Solutions
      • Beat the heat this summer
      • Generation Mix
      • Home Safe Home
    • Treated Wood Consumer Information
    • Youth Programs
      • Basin Youth Excursion
      • Scholarship Opportunities
      • Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week
      • Washington DC Youth Tour
  • Employment Opportunities
    • Crew Foreman
    • Other Cooperative Employment Opportunities
  • Safety
    • 811 Call Before You Dig
    • Back-to-school preparation includes life-saving driving tips
    • Farm Safety
    • Grain Bin Clearance
    • Space Heater Safety
    • Tree Planting
    • Winter Power Line Safety
  • Contact Us

Farm Safety 1

PLAN ON SAFETY THIS SEASON

Your local Touchstone Energy Cooperative would like to remind local farmers to stay safe this season. Overhead power lines can be easily overlooked, and deadly if ignored. While you focus on producing a bountiful yield, your local electric cooperative urges you to review these important tips.

BE ALERT - Awareness doesn’t spread as fast as an electrical current, but a little goes a long way. Remember to look up and look out for power lines. Follow these Four S’s to Stay Safe.

STAY ALERT. Avoid distractions when operating farm equipment. While days can run long, failure to be aware of your surroundings can lead to power line contacts and other accidents.

SLOW DOWN.  If you get in the fields later than you had hoped, avoid the temptation to rush through your work. Slow down and stay safe.  

STUDY. Educate yourself on any new equipment you may have purchased recently. New equipment has higher antennas and attachments than ever before. What cleared power lines in previous years may not in your new ride. Know what you’re working with.

                     SEARCH. Sometimes trees or brush can make power lines difficult to see. Don’t just glance up, really take a minute to
                     search your surroundings when moving equipment.

look out

BE PREPARED - Hitting a power line can be scary. In certain situations, there may be a lot of noise, which may spur your instinct to run—you’ve got seconds to understand what’s happening and respond appropriately. Do you know what to do if you come in contact with a power line?

STAY PUT. Unless there is a fire, you need to stay calm and stay in the vehicle. Touching the ground and the vehicle at the same time (i.e. stepping out of the equipment) can be deadly. Don’t risk becoming a conduit for the electricity to move from the vehicle to the ground through you, stay put. Even if it’s loud.

CALL FOR HELP. Call for help from the vehicle if possible. 911 is a good place to start, especially if you don’t know your local electric cooperative’s number. If you don’t have your phone, try radioing for help. If someone comes to assist you, they need to stay at least 40 feet away from the vehicle until professional help has arrived.

JUMP CLEAR. If there is a fire forcing you to leave, jump clear of the equipment. Jump with your feet together, as far away from the vehicle as possible. Be sure that no part of your body touches the equipment and the ground at the same time. Then, shuffle (tiny, quick steps) or hop with your feet together at least 40 feet away. Electricity spreads through the ground in ripples. Keeping your feet together prevents one foot from stepping into a higher voltage zone than the other foot, which could cause electrocution. Stay away from the equipment and keep others away until the authorities tell you it’s safe to return.

Remember these life-saving tips while working in the fields and help spread the word about the dangers of large farm equipment and overhead power lines. Together, with the power of prevention, we are power line ready.

Look up. Look around. Look out!

Farm equipment and power lines can be a lethal combination. Locate overhead power lines and plan safe routes for moving your equipment.

If you have questions, contact your local electric cooperative.

 

Watch the following video about how one wrong move had fatal consequences for a local farmer.

Back to Top

Contact Info

Clay-Union Electric
P.O. Box 317
31321 SD Hwy. 19
Vermillion, SD 57069

605-624-2673 or 1-800-696-2832

Office Hours: M-F 7:30-4:00
 

Mission Statement

Our Mission is to provide safe, reliable and
affordable electric service to our members,
now and into the future!

Safe Electricity

Safe Electricity

Board and Employee Login

©2025 Clay-Union Electric. All Rights Reserved..

  • Home
  • Your Account
    • Capital Credits
    • Start Service
    • Pay Online/My Account
    • Billing FAQ
      • Billing Cycle and Due Date
      • Budget Billing
      • Payment Options
      • Rates
      • SD Energy Assistance
    • Yard/Street Light Repair
  • About Us/History
    • Nondiscrimination Statement
    • Our History
    • Board Directors and Service Area
    • By-Laws
    • Privacy Policy
  • Member Programs
    • Rebates and Incentives
      • Heat Pump Rebates
      • Irrigation Rebates
      • Marathon Water Heaters
      • Replacement Appliance Rebates
    • Load Control
    • REC Program
    • REED Fund
  • News and Community
    • Basin Bus Tour
    • Clay County Fair/Member Appreciation Day
    • Cooperative "Sparks" Newsletter
    • Energy Solutions
      • Beat the heat this summer
      • Generation Mix
      • Home Safe Home
    • Treated Wood Consumer Information
    • Youth Programs
      • Basin Youth Excursion
      • Scholarship Opportunities
      • Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week
      • Washington DC Youth Tour
  • Employment Opportunities
    • Crew Foreman
    • Other Cooperative Employment Opportunities
  • Safety
    • 811 Call Before You Dig
    • Back-to-school preparation includes life-saving driving tips
    • Farm Safety
    • Grain Bin Clearance
    • Space Heater Safety
    • Tree Planting
    • Winter Power Line Safety
  • Contact Us