Local company promotes power line safety
FortisAlberta, one of Airdrie’s largest employers, recently produced a power line safety video targeted primarily towards Alberta farmers and ranchers in an effort to increase knowledge and lower the number of electrical accidents.
The height of new farm equipment has grown significantly in recent years, while many power lines have remained the same. Because of this, farmers and ranchers need to be especially aware of clearances under power lines that run through and alongside their yards and fields, according to Doug Skippen, FortisAlberta’s manager of health and safety.
The video shows a variety of common agricultural scenarios involving the potential for power line contacts and what actions must be taken to ensure safety. This includes contacting Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation to get a permit for transporting loads more than 4.15 metres in height down any public road or highway.
“Many of our farm customers have been working the same piece of land for generations safely passing under power lines,” Skippen said. “As farmers upgrade their equipment, they sometimes forget to take into account the size of the new equipment and suddenly power lines that they have passed under with no problems for years now becomes a problem and contacts occur.”
In 2010, there were 250 public contacts with FortisAlberta’s power lines, 39 of which involved agricultural equipment such as air seeders, sprayers and augers.
“We encourage farmers and ranchers to always contact FortisAlberta or their local electricity provider if they are not 100 per cent positive about specific power line clearances,” Skippen said. “It is better to take the extra time to ensure your safety rather than take unnecessary risks to get the job done quickly and endanger your life and the life of others.”
The video, which FortisAlberta is producing into DVD copies that will be distributed through Alberta agricultural societies, also demonstrates proper safety procedures to take in the event of a power line contact to eliminate the potential for injury and death.
The video is currently available for viewing at www.fortisalberta.com
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