ELECTROCUTION OF SHEEP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 83, 7 March 1938, Page 4

ELECTROCUTION OF SHEEP.

DEPARTMENT’S INVESTIGATION. CAUSE EXPLAINED. The signal and electrical engineer has forwarded the following letter. to Mr D. Finlay, stationinastcr at Feilding, in connection with an accident in which throe sheep were electrocuted recently : causo of the electrocution of the three sheep at Feilding stock yards revealed the fact that while these sheep were being driven up the loading race one apparently came in contact with the earth pipe used for earthing the electric light fitting and switch on the pole. Owing to the exceptionally dry spell which had been experienced, resistance of the earth pipe to the surrounding earth was of a fairly high nature. Rain which had just fallen, but which had not penetrated the ground to any extent, permitted the sheep to make fairly good electrical contact with the earth. During loading operations a fault developed in the

electric light fitting over the yards, causing the fitting to become alive at ia potential strength of 230 volts to the earth. The fitting is connected to earth by an earth wire and a pipe driven into the ground at the base of the pole to maintain the fitting at earth potential in the event of a fault such as this and to automatically dis- j connect the circuit by blowing the fuse. . “Owing, however, to the set of circumstances outlined above, the resistaance to earth was too high to blow the fuse and the earth nipe assumed a potential strength considerably above that of the surrounding earth, so that when a sheep trod on, or came in contact with, this pipe it received a shock of sufficient severity to prove fatal. All other sheep in contact with the first sheep would also receive shocks in varying degree, and this would account for the further fatal results. “The matter of maintaining earth resistances of driven pipes in certain districts is one of the greatest difficulty and causes concern to all supply authorities in these districts. All possible precautions are taken to ensure the safe working of electrical equipment, but circumstances such as occurred at Feilding are really teyond control Mv enquiries show that the circuit in question bad been properly maintained and that every possible precaution had been taken to ensure the safe use of the equipment. As a grea.ter precaution the fitting is being connected to the neutral wire

and the earth pipe further protected, and an attempt will be made to lower the resistance of this to earth.”