Farm accidents can cause severe injuries, death, and damage to property and livestock. Most accidents are preventable.

As you work in your fields this fall, always take a moment to look up and check your clearance before moving machinery and maintain at least three metres between your equipment and power lines.

Follow these tips to stay safe:

• Measure the height of your equipment or load. If it exceeds 4.8 metres in height, obtain a Farm Equipment Clearance Permit from Manitoba Hydro at hydro.mb.ca/permits.

The permit is required before you drive or tow the equipment on provincial roadways or pass underneath power lines. The permit is free and valid until Dec. 31.

• Update your GPS with any changes if you have new equipment or land.
• Identify where power lines, utility poles and other hazards are in your fields and access points. Share safety plans with your employees, especially inexperienced workers.
• Lower truck boxes, grain augers, tractor loaders, and other equipment before you drive away.
• Locate bale stacks, grain bins, barns, sheds, propane and fuel tanks at least nine metres from overhead power lines.
• Click before you dig. Before disturbing the ground deeper than 15 centimetres, request a line locate from Manitoba Hydro. Utilities are closer to the surface of the ground than you might think.