National Farm Safety and Health Week is typically held in September, so we wanted to share tips for a safe harvest for all our farming friends and family.
Modern farming often relies on data and equipment with GPS and auto-guidance systems. Massive machinery is indispensable to farming, but its impressive size, height and extensions make it vulnerable to contacting power lines. But even with these modern conveniences, farm workers must remain vigilant for safety.
Avoiding Electrical Accidents
To ensure a safe harvest season, follow these tips to avoid electrical accidents on the farm:
- Use a spotter when operating large machinery near lines.
- Keep equipment at least 10 feet from lines at all times, in all directions.
- Look up and use care when moving any equipment such as extending augers or raising the bed of grain trucks around power lines.
- Inspect the height of farm equipment to determine clearance.
- Always set extensions to the lowest setting when moving loads to prevent contact with overhead lines. Grain augers should always be positioned horizontally before being moved.
- Never attempt to move a power line out of the way or raise it for clearance.
- If a power line is sagging or low, contact your utility.
If Equipment Does Make Contact with a Power Line:
- Do not leave the cab.
- Immediately call 911.
- Warn others to stay away and wait for the utility crew to cut the power.
The only reason to exit equipment that has come into contact with overhead lines is if the equipment is on fire, which is rare. However, if this is the case, jump off the equipment with your feet together and without touching the ground and machinery at the same time. Then, still keeping feet together, hop to safety as you leave the area.
Rest is Important for Safety
For many farmers, fall requires long days in the field and little rest. The pressure to harvest as much as possible, combined with fatigue and looming deadlines, increases the risk of injury. In fact, most injuries occur during the spring and fall when stress and fatigue are common among farmers.
The safety and health of workers, including making time for sleep, should be a priority when considering a farm’s productivity, according to Josie Rudolphi, University of Illinois Extension association research scientist. “Rushing and cutting corners can lead to injury, which no one has time for, especially during harvest,” Rudolphi says.
Rudolphi grew up on a farm and understands the pressures of harvest season. She says that getting proper rest can make a huge difference in staying safe, but during the time crunch of harvest season, farmers sacrifice sleep to work late into the night.
“Sleep deficiency has been associated with increased injury, reduced reaction time, and reduced concentration,” Rudolphi says. “All of which could impact health and safety, as well as productivity.”
The demands of harvest are stressful, and a lack of sleep can intensify that and lead to errors in the fields or on roads.
To improve sleep, Rudolphi advises farmers to go to bed and wake up at regular times when possible. They can use rainy days to catch up on sleep.
In addition to improving sleep, managing stress is an important component to injury prevention, health and safety, according to Rudolphi. “By using the ‘Four A’ Method of Avoid (planning ahead), Adapt (changing expectations), Alter (changing the situation when you can) and Accept (acknowledging that a situation is what it is), farmers can successfully manage the stress of long hours and unpredictability,” she adds.
Learn more at safeelectricity.org