Two recent incidents involving horses and electricity have
left me unscathed but with my mouth open. The first was whilst working with a
pony that was being clipped by a lady using electric clippers which were
plugged into an extension cable which was plugged into an electricity socket.
When the pony kicked the clippers out of her hand the
wires came free from the body of the clippers leaving bare wires. This should
have tripped the main electricity supply and rendered all of the electricity
sockets dead. Instead, nothing was tripped at all. If anyone had put their hand
on the bare ends of the cables they could have been electrocuted.
A few days later I was at another yard looking at a horse
that was being considered for purchase. As the owner led the horse into the
yard she walked him straight across an extension cable that was running between
the house and a mobile dog grooming van. Fortunately the horse did not sever the cable, especially as he was wearing four metal shoes, but it did leave a
dent in the cable. Even if there was no obvious external damage to that cable
(and a cut in the plastic sheathing could be absolutely lethal if someone
picked it up or it was in contact with water), the internal cabling could still
be damaged which could then cause a fire later on.
In the first instance I was totally unaware that the
electricity supply was dangerous and in the second I was just unable to say
something quickly enough to stop the horse being walked across it. On the way
back I suggested that the cable be moved out of the way.
I asked my husband, David, to give IMPORTANT ADVICE about this. He is qualified by way of a City and Guilds Certificate in Electrical Installation and Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations.
All mains powered equipment used at a yard should be
protected by a Residual Current Device (RCD) for the safety of both people and
horses. These may be built in to the main power supply consumer unit, but if in
doubt, plug in versions are readily available from any DIY store and cost about £10. These should
be plugged in at the mains socket, prior to any equipment or extension leads.
These devices will disconnect the supply when more than 30mA flows to earth,
which is less than required to stop a human heart. If you are offer a mobile clipping service, for example, it would be sensible to have one of these on board. Note that reset buttons on an extension cable are not the same thing and will not serve the same purpose. They protect against over heating.
Try to avoid using extension leads whenever possible, but if
this is unavoidable, stop people walking over it by fencing it off (it is a
trip hazard to people as well as being damaged when a horse treads on it),
hanging the cable off the floor, or at the very least, cover with a heavy
stable mat. Completely unwind the extension lead and check for any signs of
damage (cuts, and deformation of insulation, or cracks in sockets) before use
EVERY time. Failure to unwind an extension cable completely can lead to it overheating and causing a fire.
All electrical fixings should be placed out of reach of
horses, so light fixtures and cabling should be high, light switches and
sockets placed well away from stable doors. Horses do chew, and have very long
necks!
Fixtures should meet IP64 ingress rating or better (your electrician
will know what this means!) even if sheltered from the rain. Dust from hay and bedding is a major cause of electrical fires and
explosions, so the extra few pounds are worth it. Likewise, avoid the use
of 'hot' lighting fixtures, such as
halogen lamps, as nesting birds appreciate the warmth but their nests will
soon start to smoulder.
Cabling should be run through conduit for protection against
damage, but rats have a taste for PVC, normally used for cable insulation and
plastic conduit! Non PVC conduit is available and has the advantage over metal
conduit in that it will not transmit electricity if there is a fault.
If you are having any electrical work carried out, it is
worth thinking about having all sockets protected with 10mA RCD (rather than
the usual 30mA which will protect humans). Horses have four feet, with metal
shoes, and so are more susceptible to electrocution than humans. This may
result in nuisance tripping, but better that than a dead horse.
While you are at it, think about having a stable or area
with extra lighting. Hopefully you will never need it, but if a vet is needed
at night, helping them to be able to see to help your horse will be
appreciated.
Any electrical equipment used (including clippers, washing
machines, kettles) should be
periodically inspected, preferably undergoing a portable appliance test (PAT)
to ensure that they are safe, and the local wildlife haven't taken up
residence. Failure to do so might invalid your insurance especially if you run
a commercial livery for example, or clipping service.
Finally, if an appliance isn't being used, switch it off and unplug
it. You can't be on site all the time, so any reduction in risk of electrical
fire is well worth the effort, after all, a horse will probably survive for
less than 4 minutes due to smoke inhalation.
"Thank you Sarah and David. Good reminder about those plug in circuit breakers - will definitely be using one next time." CR
