HSE issues timely safety warning as harvest gets into full swing

Published on Wednesday 5 August 2009 19:24

HARVEST is the busiest period of the year for arable farmers, but it is also one of the potentially most hazardous.

In the past five years 82 UK workers and farmers suffered fatal injuries between July and the end of October. That, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) means that over 50 per cent of fatalities occurred during a brief window in late summer and early autumn and many of these lives might have been saved if a degree of patience had been exercised.

Alan Plom, head of safety for agriculture with HSE, said: "Farm work is one of the most dangerous ways to make a living and never is this more evident than during harvest, when farmers are working to immense time pressures. There is always a temptation to cut corners.

"Our message to farmers is to stop and think. Stopping a machine and making sure it comes to a halt costs nothing more than a few seconds of time. Those seconds may prevent an injury that lasts a lifetime, or worse."

HSE has come out with a simple checklist and their research reveals that one in eight handbrakes on tractors are defective. A couple of minutes with a spanner will resolve that problem.

But combine harvesters pose the greatest risk, especially during a difficult season. The temptation in the event of a blockage is for the driver to leap out of the cab and clear the feed augers. This is highly dangerous, according to the HSE. "Before you attempt to clear a blockage on a machine make sure it is brought to a complete stop, the handbrake applied and the engine shut off – every time," it cautions.

"Check that the all the guards covering dangerous parts of the machinery, like chains and sprockets and pulley drives, are in place on all machines.

"Deaths and injuries happen when people are rushing to get the job done. Take a few seconds before you act."