4 Tips To Help Keep Safety In Mind During Harvest Season

By: Jana L. Davidson, Education Content Specialist for the Progressive Agriculture FoundationCutting corners and rushing to accomplish many tasks in a short amount of time during harvest season tends to cause more incidents and damage than a more patient approach. Nationwide®, a sponsor of the Progressive Agriculture safety Day® program, offers some great tips to help keep farmers safe during harvest.Keeping in mind these 4 practices can lead to both a healthy and happy harvest:

1. Be Organized – Maintain equipment and have all owner and operator manuals on-hand. Have an electric check of facility including wiring and electrical boxes. Provide safety proper training for employees & family. Before each task, do a safety walk-through making sure any potential hazards are taken care of and procedures are in place in case an incident occurs such as first aid kits and fire extinguishers on-hand, as well as warning signs on display.
2. Focus on Efficiency – Be sure grain-receiving equipment, bin aeration, and the grain dryers are clean and in good working order.
3. Know your Crop – Keep in mind both quantity and quality, stay in touch with local grain elevators for grain-marketing opportunities, and be smart when drying your corn & entering a grain bins. Properly care for combines and be aware of other farm equipment around you. Know your field and alert others of any potential hazards, such as erosion or washouts.
4. Use Caution with Farm Vehicles on Public Roads - Display the Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem on all off-road vehicles, use proper vehicle lighting & flashers when on public roads, and inspect hitches. Be sure to understand and comply with the laws for your state or province regarding headlights, taillights, and reflectors.

For additional harvest safety tips from Nationwide®, visit http://www.nationwide.com/pre-harvest-safety.jspThese safety tips are examples of what children & families learn when they attend a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® offered throughout North America. This year alone, more than 100,000 children & adults will participate in a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day® within their local community. Want to make a difference in your community? Apply to host a Progressive Agriculture Safety Day®, volunteer at a Safety Day, or donate to the program by visiting www.progressiveag.orgBe sure to LIKE us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/progressiveagriculture and FOLLOW US on Twitter @PAFSafetyDays for weekly safety tips.