Premier 1 2015 Fences That Work

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Are electric fences a serious
safety risk to humans?
Because touching an electric fence is
painful and the voltages are high, most
assume that the risks from an energized
fence must also be high.
That’s a myth. Consider that millions of
people throughout the world are “exposed”
to millions of electric fences every day—yet
they are involved in (but are not always
the cause of) less than one human death
or serious injury per year worldwide.
Compare that to the number of annual
injuries and deaths that occur from human
exposure to tractors, skid loaders, ladders,
PTO shafts, balers, mowers, combines, bulls,
stallions, rifles, shotguns, knives, etc.
This is not to suggest that there is no risk
at all. There is, indeed, a small level of risk.
And with risk, there is also liability to the
fence’s owner.
To reduce the risk…
1. Be especially careful not to touch an
energized wire with the head or spine.
For reasons not fully understood, this
contact point is worse than contact with
hands, arms, feet or legs.
2. Never approach a fence without
footwear. And wear footwear that fully
encloses the foot (not sandals). Why?
Most footwear are poor conductors. So
they reduce (by absorbing it) the energy
that will pass through your body if you
touch a fence with your hands or head.
3. Use smaller energizers on fences that
will be located near children and
untrained adults.
4. Most experts agree that smaller
energizers are safer than large ones as
long as animal control isn’t put at risk.
To Reduce Risk & Liability
What NOT to do!
• Never place your head or upper spine near an electrified wire.
Accidental head or neck contact can occur when pushing a
voltage probe into the soil. Be careful when doing so to avoid
head-to-wire contact!
• Never attempt to step over or climb through an energized fence
of any kind.
• Never encourage anyone to touch an electric fence.
What TO do!
• Instruct all visitors and children to never touch electric fencing.
5. Never connect 2 energizers to one wire
at the same time.
6. Make the fence as visible as possible
to both humans and animals. How?
By using conductors and posts that
can be readily seen both day and
night, and against both light and dark
backgrounds. That’s why Premier has
long advised the use of white/black
conductors—to provide contrast and
visibility. Other fence outlets worldwide
are now following our lead.
7. Never energize barbed wire. Animals
and humans can become entangled and
repeatedly shocked—and thus die.
8 (see left) at critical
areas where children or untrained adults
encounter the fence.
9. If it’s practical, do not energize wires
less than 12" above the soil. Why? To
allow humans who might contact a wire
enough space below it to fall away from
any energized wires.
10. Make sure that all energized wires are
on the inside of your boundary fence
(ensuring that anyone who touches them
without your permission is a trespasser).
Achieve this with internal energized
offset wires.
11. The shock from electric fences can panic
animals (e.g. horses) and cause them to
crash into fences (or people) resulting in
injury to one or both.
To reduce this risk:
a. Do not install electrified wires on
feedlot fences, corral fences or
around riding arenas.
b. Reduce the available volts and joules
on fences that enclose very small
areas (e.g. night pens) to lessen
the likelihood of animal stress and
possible panic.
Warning: In 1991 an accidental fatality occurred when a young child’s head contacted an electrified fence while the
child was crawling on wet grass. The fence was correctly installed and functioning properly. The energizer was a UL
approved unit. As a result, Premier strongly advises against allowing toddlers access to any electrified fences. Also,
due to this incident and others, experts now suggest that human contact by an energized wire to the head and neck
may be the most dangerous point of contact. We urge all to especially avoid this kind of contact.
146 TO REDUCE RISK AND LIABILITY • 1-800-282-6631