Power pole safety a priority as farmers roll into seeding season

Farmers will be looking to start their seeding season right away, even though there is a lot of moisture on the ground. That's likely to include long hours in the fields, which could be a safety risk.

As fields get darker and fatigue starts to set in, one collision with a power pole or other infrastructure could carry consequences for farmers.

As such, Saskpower is reminding them to stay vigilant as the seeding season begins and farmers are rushing to get everything in the ground as quickly as possible.

SaskPower spokesperson Scott McGregor details some of the factors that could influence safety for the seeding season.

"We want to remind farmers to take extreme caution when they're out on the fields working. Maybe you're working on a new field this year that's in use, maybe it's a new piece of equipment, long hours, there are many different factors that could play into potential line contact."

"We understand that there's a rush to get as much seed into the ground as possible right now. The seeding window is pretty short for some crops, especially with the wet weather we've been having, it kind of pushed seeding back a little bit."

After the major storms that battered parts of Saskatchewan earlier this spring, a lot of power poles went down, some of which were on farmland.

That's another thing to watch out for and McGregor says you should contact SaskPower if you find one of those lines.

"If any farmers do come across the power poles that haven't been salvaged or reclaimed yet, we advise them to steer clear. If there's any of our equipment in the way or in the middle of a farmer would be working then just give us a call to one of our call centers. We'll get it booked and make sure we address it."

In case the worst happens, McGregor has the advice that he'd give to farmers and anyone else on what to do if you hit a power pole.

"The most important thing to do is to remain in your vehicle. Obviously, if it's not safe to stay in your vehicle then that's another thing, but if at all possible remain in your vehicle. Give us a call, our number is 310-2220, or in an emergency, you can call 911. We'll send out a crew as soon as we can to make sure the area is safe and you can safely exit the vehicle."