When it’s harvest season and you’re scrambling to get your work done, it can be easy to do the fast thing and not the safe thing. Here are five tips to stay safe this fall.
- Be sure to use personal protective gear like ear plugs, gloves, and safety glasses if needed.
- Always turn off your equipment before getting off of it for any reason. Wait until all parts of your equipment have stopped moving before you service your machine.
- Your health is important! Get adequate amounts of sleep and drink lots of water. Know when it is time to take a break, and don’t be hard on yourself about taking needed rest.
- Tractor rollovers are the single deadliest type of injury incident on farms in the United States. Make sure your tractor has a rollover protective structure (ROPS) to ensure that you aren’t part of that statistic. ROPS are roll bars or roll cages designed for agricultural tractors. Remember to click your seat belt as well. ROPS can’t keep you safe without a seat belt! Rim Guard’s Beet Juice Tire Ballast is also a great way to keep your tractor stable. For more information, click here.
- Have the proper lighting on your equipment for traveling on roadways, particularly if you will be traveling in early morning or evening. Use an escort vehicle when necessary.
Have a safe and enjoyable harvest season!