Harvest safety is of utmost importance as the season begins. It’s the only surefire way to ensure that a harvest is a productive, fruitful, and uneventful one. Harvesting brings out the use of more equipment and machinery and more personnel on-site actively doing agricultural processes. There is a higher likelihood of incidents and accidents, and it remains in every farmer’s best interest to double-check any safety precautions involved in the different processes.

  1. Remind all personnel to be mindful when approaching harvest equipment, even when they thinkit’s shut off. Ensure that they come forward from the front and gain eye contact with the machine’s operator before approaching.
  2. Do not stay near or approach machinery when it’s running unguarded. For harvest safety, always pay attention to the machine’s movement and know where it is.
  3. Do not go into any joints or pinch points in the equipment where visibility is limited. Make sure you’re where the operator can see you at all times.
  4. Train (or re-train) all personnel who will be handling the harvesting equipment. Ignorance or lack of training is a significant source of incorrect equipment operation, leading to accidents.
  5. Be prepared. Know what everyone is supposed to do for each step and what to do in case of incidents. Come up with checklists and emergency plans for harvest safety.
  6. Keep young children away from the harvest area. If it’s completely unavoidable to have them near the perimeter, know where they are at all times.
  7. Do not overexert your physical capability. Exhaustion and fatigue make you prone to human error and mistakes, leading to accidents.
  8. Brush up and practice grain bin safety. At least 12 people die every year in grain bins, getting suffocated inside.
  9. Do not attempt to fix or repair any piece of equipment or machinery if it breaks down or stops working in the middle of the harvest. Always make sure that the machine is off.
  10. Wear well-fitting clothing that gives you the ease of movement. This keeps your actions fast, efficient and keeps clothes out of risk of getting tangled in anything.

By keeping these great harvest safety reminders at the forefront of your endeavor, any harvest should go as smoothly as possible with excellent yields and few incidents.

KC Supply Co takes workplace safety seriously, especially in the agricultural industry. Visit our website to learn more about guidelines and safety reminders.