Harvest is underway in the province, and SaskPower wants to remind farmers, hired hands, and anyone operating machinery to Look Up and Live this fall. 

“SaskPower understands that harvest is an extremely busy time of year, and producers are putting in long hours,” said Nidal Dabghi, Director of Safety at SaskPower. “Every line contact is dangerous and preventable, and by taking a few precautions, everyone can have a safe and productive harvest.”

SaskPower encourages farmers to take the following steps to prevent accidental power line contacts. 

  • Get plenty of rest and take regular breaks to reduce fatigue.
  • Pay close attention to your surroundings, making sure you’re aware of how much clearance your equipment needs.
  • Use a spotter on the ground for an extra set of eyes.
  • Plan your route ahead of time with the Look Up and Live map, and try to avoid moving large machinery near power lines, whenever possible.
  • Lower or retract large equipment when working near power lines.

If a line contact occurs, SaskPower says the operator should remain in the vehicle and call the SaskPower Outage Centre at 310-2220. In the case of an emergency, call 911.

Should the line contact start a fire, SaskPower says the operator should exit their vehicle using the proper safe exit procedure, move to a safe distance, and call 911.

As of August 7, 2022, SaskPower has reported 186 incidents involving farm machinery, near the same number recorded to date last year.