With harvest underway throughout the province, SaskPower is reminding producers to keep safety in mind.
“We understand that farmers are very busy this time of year, but safety should still be top of mind when working in the fields,” said Nidal Dabghi, Director of Safety at SaskPower in a news release. “Preparation and attentiveness are key to a safe harvest. Slow down, take the time you need, and stay alert.”
This year there have been 219 farm-related line contacts, which is an increase of 17 per cent from this time last year.
When working near power lines, SaskPower recommends the following steps:
• Plan a route ahead of time with the Look Up and Live Map on saskpower.com
• Take regular breaks to avoid fatigue and to stay alert
• Have a spotter on the ground when working near power lines
• Retract or lower equipment when moving to another field
In the event of line contact, you should remain in your vehicle and call the SaskPower Outage Centre at 310-2220.
If a fire occurs outside of your vehicle, operators should follow the safe exit procedure:
• Swing the vehicle door wide open, making sure no wires are in the way
• Stand in the doorway of the vehicle, with arms crossed and feet together
• Jump as far from the vehicle as possible, landing with feet together
• With arms crossed and feet together, hop at last ten meters away from the vehicle
• Call 911 at once
• Do not return to the vehicle until the area has been made safe
For more information on safety working near power lines, visit saskpower.com/lookupandlive