Harvest safety: Ways to reduce risks on the farm

Harvest is underway in my neck of the woods. Before long, combines, grain carts and trucks will be rolling dawn to dusk and beyond.

Everyone says there’s a big crop out there, commodity prices are down and farmers are itching to get their crops out of the field and in the bin, or delivered to wherever it is going.

Emotions run the gamut. There’s the excitement and satisfaction of seeing all your hard work come to fruition, but also the pressure and exhaustion from long days and unpredictable weather.

For many, it is a time of celebration. Yet, it can also bring anxiety about whether the yield will meet expectations. Will farmers see any profit when all is said and done?

My husband is recovering from surgery for a torn meniscus from an injury in January. We found a great doctor who quickly diagnosed the problem and scheduled surgery two weeks later. Our messed-up health-care system and insurance is a story for another day.

One of the key educational messages and reminders we offer our listeners on the radio network is to stay alert. Pay attention to detail.

Do not become complacent and lose the edge needed to stay safe during harvest season. Be prepared just in case something does go wrong.

Jim’s accident occurred while working with cows. Painful, but not life-threatening. It was a slip and a twist that may or may not have been avoided under the circumstances. To be honest, it is a wonder that it had not happened before.

As a young farm broadcaster covering local ag events in the mid-’80s, it was impossible not to notice that so many of the hands I was shaking were missing thumbs and fingers, and in some cases entire arms were gone.

Gone are the corn pickers that mangled so many of those limbs, but we still have PTO shafts, power tools, belts, augers, blades and so many other potential dangers.

A farm is a dangerous place to live and work year-round. When under the great pressure that comes with harvest season, chores on the farm can become even more perilous.

Even with safety at the top of mind, accidents do happen, so it is in everyone’s best interest to be proactive and make sure that someone on your farm or at your business knows basic first aid and CPR.

Be sure you have a first aid kit and fire extinguisher readily available, just in case, and post important emergency phone numbers in an easily accessible location for all who live and work with you.

Get sleep and take short breaks to refresh your mind and body. Eat right and drink plenty of water.

Don’t get in a mad rush. Don’t cut corners. You are so much more important than any crop you will ever harvest.