Harvesting machine operators must be careful when operating under power lines

BAGAN SERAI: Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has asked operators of paddy harvesting machines to be more responsible when operating the machines especially under power lines to avoid undesired incidents.
Chief engineer of the Operating and Maintenance Unit (Northern Zone), TNB Distribution Unit Ahmad Fuad Md Kassim said during the three years since 2015, two accidents due to negligence in using the harvesting machines were reported to have occurred including one fatal case.
He said that last February, an individual was reported to have died after being hit by electrical current for standing on a harvesting machine under a high voltage power line.
"While in March in Gunung Semanggol, Perak, another individual was injured due to electrical shock as he was moving an electrical cable that got stuck to his machine,"he told reporters after attending a safety briefing for harvesting machine operators at the Bagan Serai TNB Office, here today.
The briefing that was held for the first time in the state of Perak, was held by TNB together with the Perak Farmers' Organisation and officiated by the Alor Pongsu State Assemblyman, Datuk Sham Mat Sahat which was attended by more than 60 participants.
Commenting further, Ahmad Fuad hoped that the briefing could create a safe work culture among the harvesting machine operators and subsequently control the accident rate involving power lines.
He added that the electrical safety briefings in paddy growing areas had been carried out in several other states including Kedah, Penang and Selangor. — Bernama