If you have a health and safety plan for your farm that identifies, manages and communicates risks like wire strike, then injuries and fatalities can be prevented.
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	   Key points
Farmers
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Remove aerial wires where possible
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Mark all wires that can't be removed on a hazard map for the pilot.
 
Pilots
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Wires are thin and often nearly impossible to see until it’s too late.
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Your workload, vision limitations, and a small lapse in concentration can lead to a fatal mistake.
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Ask farmers if there are any wires or poles above fence level or across gullies.
 
Overhead wires, aerials or cables are a significant threat to any aircraft flying at low level (under 500 ft). Helicopters are especially susceptible because of the work they do.
Types of wire hazards
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Suspended overhead electric fence feeder wires that span across open spaces and valleys-from poles on the tops of ridge lines, or across the bottom of valleys.
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Telephone lines, power lines or television/ radio aerials and wires.
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High tension power lines and wires.
 
How to prevent wire strike
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Eliminate the overhead electric fence feeder wires risk by lowering them to fence level.
 
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Eliminate unused telephone lines, power lines or television/radio aerials and wires.
 
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Ensure you have a meeting with the pilot, either in person or by phone, prior to any work on the farm.
 
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Work with the pilot to identify hazards and risks.
 
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Note wires and other hazards on property maps.
 
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Identify the location of wires and other hazards by taking a reconnaissance flight with the pilot.
 
For further information about wire strikes visit CAA's page on wire safety(external link).
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