Harvest Safety Tips

During fall harvest, it always feels like there is more to be done than the day allows. The urgency that can overcome farmers may lead to injury and in worse case scenarios, death. Use these harvest safety tips to prepare accordingly for the season and keep friends and family safe on the farm.

• Read up and refresh on manuals.
• Have an emergency plan.
• Maintain your yard.
• Train everyone who uses equipment, it’s better to familiarize or refamiliarize yourself before leaving the yard.
• Know where all young children are.
• If you feel fatigue, stop and rest. Your safety is more important.
• Meet all lighting and marking requirements.
• Practice grain bin safety.
• And finally, beware of machinery entanglements. These are the leading cause of injury and death in farming so do everything you can to prevent it.

With harvest right around the corner and most farmers I know are chomping at the bit now that it’s September, remember that safety on the farm is more important than getting the grain out of the field as fast as possible.