Harvest Safety
Harvest time can be very stressful for all involved. With stress often comes shortcuts, and safety is often forgotten about. While many believe that this may save them time, in the event of an accident, more time is lost because those injured may no longer be able to assist with the harvest. Follow these tips below to stay safe during harvest season.
Equipment
Much of the equipment that is used on farms is older and might lack the safety features that are required on newer equipment. With this in mind, always be cautious and aware when using older equipment to ensure that you and your employees do not become injured. Also, if your equipment is equipped with a ROPS (Roll – Over Protective Structure) or a cab, ensure that you put your seatbelt on before traveling. Always remember to check that all guards are in place and that all lights are properly working to alert others on the road that there is a slow-moving vehicle ahead of them.
Turn off the machine.
Before attaching and detaching your PTO or cleaning debris from any implement, ensure that you have turned off your machine. On older machines specifically, the PTO can become engaged by the rattling of the engine resulting in a potential entanglement with the PTO or implement. Turning off the machine also ensures that others can not engage the PTO if they do not know that you are working around the implement.
Take ample breaks and ensure a good night’s rest.
During harvest season, often farmers and workers will work long hours with little sleep, breaks, and meals. It is important to take breaks and eat meals so that you stay alert, to not only keep yourself safe but also keep your workers safe. Also, remember to stay hydrated because even though we are now in the fall season, the weather in much of the state is still very warm, and heat exhaustion or stroke are still ever present.
Youth safety during the fall harvest season.
Youth are often called to work during the fall harvest season as an extra set of hands. Before allowing youth to complete a task, ensure that they are properly trained and that the task is suitable for their size and skill set. Remember that they are not as experienced as you and need additional guidance and supervision on the task at hand.
Traveling on roadways.
Many farms across the state must access public roadways to reach other fields. Before venturing on the roadways, ensure that all lights are working properly, your slow-moving vehicle sign is visible, and that your left and right brakes are locked together. It is also recommended to travel public roadways during less busy times to avoid passenger vehicles on roadways. If possible, always have a lead vehicle and a follow vehicle. This will limit how close other passenger vehicles can come to you on the road.
