Marion Barnes, Senior County Extension Agent, Clemson University
It seems the older one gets, the more they reminisce about or recall days gone by. As a teenager growing up on a small family farm in Colleton County, South Carolina, I could not wait for school to turn out for the summer, even though it meant chores and full-time farm work for the next three months. One of the chores I did not look forward to was baling hay. We had a small beef cattle herd of around twenty Angus brood cows and depended on a neighbor and close family friend to bale our hay on shares. My father who worked a day job and farmed part-time would furnish some of the labor, our hired man and I to help with the baling. Our neighbor had five teenage sons, some hired help and a large cattle herd as well and sold small square bales to other livestock producers in the area. Back then, neighbors helped each other all the time; they would help bale our hay and we would in turn help them with their hay.
I remember some exciting, amusing, hot, and humid days in the hayfield baling square bales before the introduction of round balers. God bless the person who invented round balers! I can still recall the hay trailer emptying of its occupants when we rolled over an already disturbed yellow jacket nest in the hayfield. A wad of chewing tobacco being administered to the stings on the unlucky victim(s) that could not escape the wrath of the enraged yellow jackets! Occasionally a small copperhead or black snake would be baled up and deposited in the hay trailer floor, still wiggling in a square bale! Again, the hay trailer occupants would clear the deck until the unwanted visitor could be dispatched or the bale discarded.
As with any farming operation, hay harvest is not without its hazards. Thanks to mechanization, much of the hand labor of handling small square bales have been eliminated. Farmers now depend on machinery to do most of the work we teenagers did during summer break. Anytime you work around farm machinery, one runs the risk of injury. Farm safety incidents occur each year during hay harvest season; unfortunately, some are serious, and a few result in fatalities. The following are a few areas you may consider to make hay harvest season a safer one.
Preharvest
As with many hazards on the farm, the perceived risk is often reduced below the actual risk level due to familiarity with the operation. The speed at which equipment operates and with which incidents can occur are often underestimated. Many times, the operator overestimates their ability to react to the situation. For instance, a PTO shaft rotating at 540 RPMs has a wrap rate of 7 feet per second; a baler traveling just 3 miles per hour will pull forage in at the rate of 4 feet per second. Belts, chains, and pulleys operating on many pieces of hay equipment have a pull-in rate of 66 feet per second. A person can never win a race with a machine.
Review operators’ manual and follow maintenance guidelines. Reading the manufacture operator’s manual at the beginning of each season and following the safety procedures listed can reduce an injury or mishap’s chances. Cleaning, lubrication, and replacement of worn parts can also reduce downtime during the season.
Roadway transportation of hay equipment
Make sure equipment is roadworthy before traveling to the field. Ensure lights, flashers, and turn signals are in working order, and SMV emblems are clean, clearly visible, and in the proper location on equipment. Make sure the extremities (widest part) of the balers, mowers, rakes, etc., have reflectors or reflective tape to alert motorists to the width of the farm equipment traveling on the road. Always return equipment such as balers, hay rakes, or mower-conditioners to the roadway position before leaving the field. This position makes equipment as narrow as possible when meeting traffic or pulling to the side to let motorists pass. When transporting large or wide equipment, it is advisable to use an escort vehicle.
Avoid traveling at dawn or dusk or when conditions limit visibility. Plan your route to avoid peak traffic hours when traveling on congested roadways. Choose a safe alternate route, even if it is a few miles further or requires a few minutes more travel time. Obey all traffic laws and signs.
Mowing and conditioning
Hay harvesting begins with cutting the fresh forage. Start the season by checking fields for storm debris and other obstacles that may clog mowers or balers. Crop density and condition, as well as the speed of operation of the equipment, will affect mower operation. A heavy crop, poor drying conditions, and too high operating speeds can cause plugging or clogging. Each time you leave the operator’s seat to deal with plugging or clogging issues, you potentially put yourself at risk.
Cutter bar incidents can result in severe lacerations or amputations, particularly to fingers and toes. These incidents usually happen when unplugging clogs in the field or servicing equipment and not following recommended safety protocols. Always disengage the PTO and shut off the tractor before working on equipment. Disc-type mowers, conditioners, and mower-conditioners pose thrown object hazards. Never allow anyone to stand near the back of a conditioner or mower-conditioner during operation. Conditioners and mower-conditioners pose pull-in and crushing hazards as well. Never operate equipment when bystanders are present. Cutter bar curtains are very important to reduce the potential for thrown object hazards. Read the operator’s manual, review warning symbols/ labels, and follow all safety recommendations.
Baler operation
Operators must have an in-depth knowledge of the tractor and baler they are using. Hay balers are complex machines with many moving parts that pose numerous potential hazards, including entanglement, pull-in hazards, wrap points, pinch and crush points, to name a few. Make sure all protective devices (shields and guards) are in place and working order. Never attempt to clean, lubricate, or adjust a baler unless the tractor engine is turned off and the ignition key removed, the PTO disengaged, and all moving parts have stopped turning. Never try to unplug or clean out a baler while it is operating. Severe injury or death can result. Wait until all machine motion has stopped before approaching. Do not try to feed material into a baler by hand. Make sure hay is significantly cured to prevent plugging. A wet crop increases the likelihood of plugging.
Make sure there are no bystanders when raising, lowering the rear gate, or ejecting bales round bales. Do not eject round bales on slopes where they can roll. Discharge round bales only on level ground. Never stand under a raised rear gate/ bale chamber gate, and always ensure the safety lock is in place when inspecting or working on the baler while the back gate/ bale chamber gate is raised.
Be prepared for a fire. Hot, dry weather conditions, friction from chains, belts or bearings, and combustible hay can lead to baler fires. Have a fully charged dry chemical Class ABC fire extinguisher on hand.
Handling round bales
Large round bales are generally moved with a front-end loader. Use an attachment that is designed for handling round bales such as a grappling hook or bale spear. These attachments, if properly used, will reduce the potential for bales to roll back on loader arms or the operator. When operating front-end loaders, be mindful of pinch and crush points and never walk or work under a raised front-end loader. When using a front-end loader, be aware of overhead power lines. The center of gravity of a tractor changes (moves upwards) when bales are raised, increasing the chances of overturns. Use counterweights to improve stability when handling round bales. Remember the watchwords….go slow and keep the load low.
Hauling round bales
Many farmers do not have the luxury of having hay fields adjacent to their livestock operations and must transport hay from distant fields to storage areas. Choose the appropriate size tractor that can handle the weight of the bales and stop the wagon or trailer with the added weight. If using a pick-up or truck to tow the load, make sure it has the necessary braking power to stop the load. Make sure hitch pins and safety chains are of proper size and securely attached. If transporting on public highways, follow all traffic laws regarding wide loads and properly secure loads. Ensure all SMV emblems are clearly visible and consider using an escort vehicle with wide loads.
Operator safety
Hay baling season can be a stressful time of the year. Long hours out in the heat, sun, and dust makes for tiresome work. Wearing the proper personal protection equipment (PPE) can protect your body from hazards you may be exposed to when baling hay, such as dust, ultraviolet rays of the sun, loud noise, etc. Long-sleeved shirt and long pants, sunglasses, a broad brim hat, sunscreen, dust masks, and hearing protection (for use when operating open station tractors without cabs) are examples of PPE’s you may want to consider. Get plenty of rest, eat a healthy diet, stay hydrated and take frequent rest breaks when baling hay. Reaction times are reduced if your body is stressed or tired. If working alone, let someone know your location and schedule. Keep a positive attitude, focus on the job at hand, avoid distractions and be mindful of the potential safety hazards of baling hay. Don’t take shortcuts, and haste makes wastes every time.
For more information on farm safety, contact your local Clemson Extension Office.
