ESTEVAN — SaskPower is reminding farmers to exercise caution around power lines now that harvest is underway in many areas of the southeast.
Scott McGregor, a consultant for media relations and issues management with the Crown corporation, said they have a similar message as spring seeding: plan a route ahead of time, utilizie a spotter on the ground whenever possible, protect equipment and be aware of surroundings.
As of July 25, SaskPower has received 186 reports of farm implements coming into contact with power lines this year, which is up from the same time a year ago. Last year there were 248 contacts with power lines in total.
"We'll have a better idea of the full scope of how many contacts we had in September," McGregor said.
There is a lull in power line contacts during the summer months, although McGregor said they still receive some due to spraying.
"Every year is a little different. Obviously, different areas of the province will start at different times," said McGregor. "Sometimes if it's a later start, you'll have some more people rushing out there, which could increase the number of incidents. Likewise with harvest, if there's a frost in the forecast, a lot of producers are getting out there to get their crops off before the frost hits."
Contact with a power line can pose a risk to the equipment operator's well-being since power lines and power poles carry a high level of electricity.
"That really is our key message, in the interest of personal safety, to avoid hitting power infrastructure as much as you can, in addition to the personal well-being and safety aspect. There could be damage to equipment, there could be the potential for a wildfire to start up, depending on the conditions in the area."
There is also damage that could be caused to power transmission infrastructure and equipment.
"There are a number of reasons why everybody should take extreme caution when working around power infrastructure," said McGregor.
Contact with farm equipment could knock out power for a considerable amount of time, he said, depending on the nature of the incident. If it's a power pole, repair work might take longer because the pole might have to be replaced. A power line might have to be spliced or restrung. If the contact is in a more isolated area, it might take SaskPower more time to reach the incident.
"If a fire were to start from the contact, that will slow down repairs as well," said McGregor.
Some contacts won't result in power outages. He noted most will report a contact even if it doesn't knock out electricity.
McGregor believes SaskPower is succeeding in getting the message out. The company respects the fact that agriculture brings a lot of stress and long hours, and farmers are utilizing larger implements all of the time, which they only operate for a few weeks each year.
"We're seeing a plateau in terms of the numbers year of year. Typically, there has been a slight decrease in the past few years, which is really encouraging. It's something nobody sets out to do, which is to come into contact with power lines. It's always helpful to give people a reminder in the event they do hit a power line. That message is very important and something that everyone should be aware of."
McGregor noted he has in-laws who farm in the Estevan area, so he has a close connection when it comes to the importance of farm safety.
