By SAYDE RAYBURN
Farm World Intern-Indiana

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — With harvest season starting far later than usual, farmers should resist the urge to shortcut safety options and work too many hours, advised a farm safety specialist last week.
Farmers should remember the importance of farm safety and set priorities because of this year’s harvest conditions, said Bill Field, a safety specialist with the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service.

“This year has been an unusually wet fall resulting in high moisture levels in the grain, mold issues, continuous mud and drying problems which can cause potential safety hazards,” explained Field.

The USDA-NASS crop report for the week of Nov.15 reported that 41 percent of the corn crop has been harvested. By comparison, 87 percent had been harvested by Nov. 15, 2008, and the five-year average is  86 percent. The moisture content of harvested corn is 23 percent.

Tractor turnovers continue to be the leading cause of accidental farm deaths, Field said. There have been 25 deaths due to tractor rollovers in the past five years.

“Care should be exercised when crossing ditches and culverts into and out of fields,” Field said.

“One issue this year, unlike others, is the excessive amount of mud which will only increase the potential for tractor turnovers and injury, especially when trying to pull equipment out of the mud.”
Lafayette, Ind. farmer Josh Buck said this year’s field conditions add stress to growers’ decisions.

“Safety is easily overlooked, especially in a rushed season like this one,” Buck reported. “If you are not willing to take the time and practice safety you can pay for it in the end.”

Another potential hazard is engulfment and entrapment in grain bins, Field said.

“The real safety issue is not when the grain bins are being filled, but when farmers empty them in the coming months,” Field said.
If the grain is not dried below 14 percent moisture content when being put into the bin, the grain will crust at the top and make a hardened layer with loose grain underneath.

“There have been two documented suffocations in 2009 due to grain bin accidents.” Field said.

“What we typically encounter are incidents when farmers are trying to break up the layer to load out the free flowing grain, if the layer breaks while the farmer is standing on the grain surface in the bin and is pulled into the grain flow there is no way to save them.”
Buck explained that financial pressures often guide growers’ decisions.

“Every management decision that we make counts towards our bottom line, especially this year,” Buck said. “When we operate our dryer we have to be aware of the temperature so the introduction of foreign material, mold, mildew and future hazards are minimal.”
Field suggested a couple of concepts to keep in mind to be safe this season. He said farmers should set realistic goals for their machinery, team and family.

“You can only push yourself so hard before it becomes too much. Set goals that are achievable for all aspects of your operations,” Field said.

Buck concurred. “We have had to pack our workload into a small time frame and for us this creates a potential safety issue,” Buck said. “We are trying to be patient, go at a steady pace and be aware of our surroundings and the decisions that we make.”
Field added that farmers should set priorities and make a plan for achieving those goals.

“In the midst of farming, it is easy to lose track and get frustrated, farmers need to establish reasonable priorities and accomplish what is most important to them,” Field said. “I think farmers need to think about long-term consequences when making decisions in the moment.”

Buck urged motorists to be cautious of farm equipment, especially at night. “It is important to the motorist and the farmers to be aware of one another, this will keep us both safe,” Buck said.