Important to Remember Safety Tips During Fall Harvest/Work Season

Harvest and fall work are well underway in many rural communities. While this is one of the most productive times of year, it can also be one of the most dangerous times of the year for farmers, ranchers and their work crews.

Pacific Power's Director of Health,Safety and Environment Gene Morris shares some important safety tips.

Morris: Electricity helps you know with the harvest but also there are some hidden hazards and things out there that can introduce tragedy to our farmers if they make contact with an electrical line. Beware of the overhead power lines when you are moving pipe or using larger equipment. Try not to build your fences along a power line just in case there is a storm or something happens where a power line may fall into a fence line and energizes it."

Morris adds if a tractor comes in contact with a power line, remain seated until help arrives. If there is a danger of fire, jump as far away from the tractor as possible and keep your feet together when landing. Do not allow any part of your body to touch the equipment and the ground at the same time. Many injuries have occurred when equipment operators have attempted to get back on or touch equipment after dismounting.

Being aware and using common sense are always good to remember as Morris says.

Morris: As people work out there we have to remember that we control our own actions so we never want to put ourselves in a position to fail. So that is why we want them to take that extra time to realize where their electrical lines are."