2016 Premier Fence

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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 miles of electric fences every
day—yet there is less than one death or
serious injury per year worldwide—and
the fence is often not the cause.
Compare that to the number of annual
injuries and deaths that occur from 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. Never energize barbed wire. Animals
and humans can become entangled and
repeatedly shocked—and thus die.
4. Hang warning signs (see left) at critical
areas where children or untrained
adults encounter the fence.
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. Use smaller energizers on fences
located near children and untrained
adults. (Most experts agree that smaller
energizers are safer than large ones as
long as animal control isn’t put at risk.)
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. Fence suppliers worldwide are
now following our lead.
7. If possible, 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.
8. Make sure that all energized wires
are on the inside of your boundary
fence (less likely to be touched, and
anyone who touches them without your
permission is trespassing). We achieve
this with internal energized offset wires.
9. Never connect 2 energizers to the same
fence. (It doubles the pulse frequency).
10. 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.
150 TO REDUCE RISK AND LIABILITY