Farm safety: Watch out for powerlines
Generally, rural electric utilities try to place distribution lines along roadways and driveways to provide easy access for construction, maintenance and upkeep. This wasn’t always the case. In the 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s, when most rural electric cooperatives were busy building their systems, the road network in many areas of our country was limited, particularly in rural areas. In those years, it was generally considered cheaper and faster to run lines “as the crow flies” in sparsely-populated areas, often crossing private land and farms. Today, many rural electric cooperatives still have lines that crisscross private property and farmland.
Today’s farm operations have changed significantly since the 1950’s. Small family farms are almost an oddity now. Large commercial growers dominate, and even the smallest farms use modern harvesting equipment to remain competitive. Modern farm equipment gets bigger and taller every year. Several manufacturers now produce equipment that is nearly 18 feet tall. If the owner puts a GPS antenna (one more sign of our changing world of technology) on the cab roof, the equipment may top 20 feet in height.
The farming season is here.We at West Florida Electric Cooperative urge our member-owners and the general public to pay close attention to power lines and be aware of the dangers around them.
Contributed by Donnie Worley, WFEC Manager of Loss Control and Operations Services
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