Safety considerations

Definition of special terms

Energizer – An appliance that is intended to periodically deliver voltage impulses to a fence connected to it.

Fence – A barrier for animals or for the purpose of security, comprising one or more conductors such as metal wires, rods or rails.

Electric fence – A barrier which includes one or more electric conductors, insulated from earth, to which electric pulses are applied by an energizer.

Fence circuit – All conductive parts or components within an energizer that are connected or are intended to be connected, galvanically, to the output terminals.

Earth electrode – Metal structure that is driven into the ground near an energizer and connected electrically to the Fence earth terminal of the energizer, and that is independent of other earthing arrangements.

Connecting lead – An electric conductor, used to connect the energizer to the electric fence or the earth electrode.

Electric animal fence – An electric fence used to contain animals within or exclude animals from a particular area.

Electric security fence – A fence used for security purposes which comprises an electric fence and a physical barrier electrically isolated from the electric fence.

Physical barrier – A barrier not less than 1.5 m (5') high intended to prevent inadvertent contact with the pulsed conductors of the electric fence. Physical barriers are typically constructed from vertical sheeting, rigid vertical bars, rigid mesh, rods or chainwire mesh.

Public access area – Any area where persons are protected from inadvertent contact with pulsed conductors by a physical barrier.

Pulsed conductors – Conductors which are subjected to high voltage pulses by the energizer.

Secure area – The side of an electric security fence where a person may come into contact with the electric fence, without the protection of a physical barrier.

Requirements for electric animal fences

Electric animal fences and their ancillary equipment shall be installed, operated and maintained in a manner that minimises danger to persons, animals or their surroundings.

Warning! Avoid contacting electric fence wires especially with the head, neck or torso. Do not climb over, through or under a multi-wire electric fence. Use a gate or a specially designed crossing point.

This energizer is not intended for use by young children or by infirm persons without supervision.

Young children should be supervised to ensure that they do not play with the energizer.

Electric animal fence constructions that are likely to lead to the entanglement of animals or persons shall be avoided.

An electric animal fence shall not be supplied from two separate energizers or from independent fence circuits of the same energizer.

For any two separate electric animal fences, each supplied from a separate energizer independently timed, the distance between the wires of the two electric animal fences shall be at least 2.5 m (8'). If this gap is to be closed, this shall be effected by means of electrically non- conductive material or an isolated metal barrier.

Barbed wire or razor wire shall not be electrified by an energizer.

A non-electrified fence incorporating barbed wire or razor wire may be used to support one or more offset electrified wires of an electric animal fence. The supporting devices for the electrified wires shall be constructed so as to ensure that these wires are positioned at a minimum distance of 150 mm (6") from the vertical plane of the non-electrified wires. The barbed wire and razor wire shall be earthed at regular intervals.

Follow our recommendations regarding earthing. See Installing and testing an earth system on page 8.

A distance of at least 10 m (33') shall be maintained between the energizer earth electrode and any other earthing system connected parts such as the power supply system protective earth or the telecommunication system earth.

Connecting leads that are run inside buildings shall be effectively insulated from the earthed structural parts of the building. This may be achieved by using insulated high voltage cable.

Connecting leads that are run underground shall be run in conduit of insulating material or else insulated high voltage cable shall be used. Care must be taken to avoid damage to the connecting leads due to the effects of animal hooves or vehicle wheels sinking into the ground.

Connecting leads shall not be installed in the same conduit as the mains supply wiring, communication cables or data cables.

Connecting leads and electric animal fence wires shall not cross above overhead power or communication lines.

Crossings with overhead power lines shall be avoided wherever possible. If such a crossing cannot be avoided it shall be made underneath the power line and as nearly as possible at right angles to it.

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