22
Requirements for electric animal
fences
Electric animal fences and their ancillary equipment
shall be installed, operated and maintained in a man-
ner 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 energiser is not intended for use by persons (including
children) with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabili-
ties, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have
been given supervision or instruction concerning use of the
energiser by a person responsible for their safety.
Children should be supervised to ensure that they do not
play with the energiser.
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 energisers or from independent fence circuits of
the same energiser.
For any two separate electric animal fences, each supplied from
a separate energiser 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 energiser.
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 cons-
!
Do not run electric fence wires above or close to
overhead power or communication lines.
Duty to the public
Fasten warning signs to electric fence posts or wires at
frequent intervals along any public roads or pathways. Incor-
porate a non-electrified gate or stile where an electric animal
fence crosses a public pathway and fasten warning signs to
fence posts or wires adjacent to the crossing.
Safety considerations
Definition of special terms
Energiser
– 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 energiser.
Fence circuit
– All conductive parts or components within an
energiser 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 energiser and connected electrically to the
Fence earth terminal of the energiser, and that is independent
of other earthing arrangements.
Connecting lead
– An electric conductor, used to connect the
energiser 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.