Downed power line or farm equipment. (Photo courtesy: saskpower.com)

By Teena Monteleone

Power line safety

SaskPower urges farmers to ‘look up and live’ during harvest

Aug 14, 2024 | 1:06 PM

So far this year, SaskPower has observed 178 farm-related line contacts. In an effort to prevent further accidents during the fall harvest, safety tips are being offered to farmers working around powerlines.

“Safety is at the core of everything we do at SaskPower and we want to make sure anyone working near power lines knows how to do so safely,” said Nidal Dabghi, director of safety at SaskPower.

Preparation is key to ensuring safety, he says.

“Make a plan before heading out and stay alert.”

SaskPower spokesperson Scott McGregor said farmers should plan a route ahead of time and retract or lower any equipment when its being moved from field to field.

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“Utilize a spotter and take routine breaks to avoid fatigue. These are all very simple things that we encourage farmers to do to ensure safety when they’re out working.”

He encourages the use of SaskPower’s Look Up and Live interactive map that shows all overhead lines in the entire province.

“So, if a farmer is maybe on a piece of rented land that they’ve never farmed before, you wouldn’t have that sort of historical knowledge of where power lines might be,” McGregor said. “So, using this map will really help farmers, or really anybody moving large equipment to plan the road ahead of time to minimize how many times they have to cross by or underneath a power line.”

If a large load is being moved around power lines, requests for a temporary line move can also be made.

If anyone sees a power line that’s on the ground, they should stay back at least 10 metres (33 feet). Call 310-2220 or 9-1-1 to report it. If a vehicle or equipment contacts a power line, stay put until help arrives. If a vehicle is on fire and you must exit, first make sure no wires are in your way, stand in the doorway, cross your arms, put together your feet and jump as far as possible landing with both feet together. Do not touch the vehicle. Keep arms crossed and feet together and hop at least 10 metres away to safety.

“In terms of injuries, thankfully it’s fairly uncommon for there to be injuries reported due to a line contact with farm equipment,” McGregor said. “But making sure you are prepared and that you have planned ahead of time and you’re taking the proper steps to remain safe – that’s really the message that we’re trying to get across.”

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