Tips to ensure a safe fall harvest

Fall harvest can approach quickly and with a sense of urgency. However, it’s essential to keep safety in mind to prevent injuries and accidents.

Use this checklist to ensure you’ve taken the proper precautions to have a seamless harvest this year.

Equipment check

• Always used tractors equipped with rollover protective structures when possible.
• Before harvest, go over all of your equipment to make sure everything is in working order and all safety guards are in place.
• Make sure you have the recommended lighting on your tractor and implements and all of the lights are in working order. This is especially important when traveling on roads in the early mornings and evenings.
• Use proper signage to alert other vehicles on the road that you are driving a slow-moving vehicle.
• Avoid traveling on busy roads during morning and evening commute times whenever possible and use an escort vehicle when necessary.
• Always turn off the tractor before you get off for any reason, even if it’s just for a quick equipment check or to unclog a piece of equipment.
• Use a hitching system to reduce the number of times you need to get on and off the tractor to switch wagons.

Take care of yourself

• There’s a lot to get done during harvest season, however, rest and nutrition are needed to remain alert. Penn State Extension recommends taking short breaks to get out of the tractor to stretch, staying hydrated and packing nutritious snacks and meals when doing fieldwork.
• It’s also important to get adequate sleep every night so your body can recover from a hard day’s work and prepare for the next demanding day.
• Use personal protective equipment such as ear plugs, gloves and safety glasses.
• Make more trips carrying lighter loads for crops that require hand harvesting and heavy lifting. It’s better to make more trips than to strain your body by lifting or carrying too much. Lift heavy objects using your knees rather than your back and carry them as close to your body as possible.
• When getting on and off the tractor, avoid jumping off or skipping tractor steps to decrease the risk of an injury and reduce wear and tear on your joints over time.

Farm workers

• There’s so much to do during harvest season, farmers can use all the help they can get. Sometimes a neighbor, friend or family member may volunteer to help get the job done, which is great. However, everyone working on the farm and around the equipment should have farm safety training related to the task they will be helping with beforehand.
• Youth workers should also have safety training before doing any work on the farm. Then they should be evaluated to make sure they are mentally, cognitively and physically able to do an assigned job, safely. All youth workers should be checked on periodically to ensure they are making good progress and safety measures are being maintained.

Resources

• Penn State Extension