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 “Harvest season reminds us how important farmers are to
Illinois’ economy and our way of life. But this busy time also
brings additional risks to agriculture workers,” said Michael
Kleinik, director of the Illinois Department of Labor. “We want
farmers to head home to their families safe and sound at the end
of each day.”
Vehicle safety is an especially important focus this time of
year. Tractor overturns are the leading cause of fatalities in
the agriculture industry, according to the Occupational Safety
and Health Administration. These accidents result in about 130
deaths each year nationwide.
“The roll overs and left-hand turns by farm vehicles on roadways
seem to be the top two safety issues,” said Dave Newcomb, Ag
Rescue Program Manager with the Illinois Fire Service Institute.
While tractor roll-over accidents most often occur on the farm,
roadways also pose a major safety hazard. Too often a vehicle
attempting to pass causes a collision before the tractor or farm
implement can finish a left-hand turn. Some collisions occur
simply because the driver fails to reduce speed for the slower
moving farm implement.
Newcomb says impatience and speed are a deadly combination on
rural roads this time of year. Sadly, a farm vehicle/car
collision this month near Sterling resulted in the death of a
9-year-old girl. The child was a passenger in a vehicle
attempting to pass a farm implement. The car struck a grain
cart.
“Please, be patient. Please, slow down,” said Newcomb.
Visibility is also a key to safety on the roads. All
agricultural vehicles using the public roadways must display the
fluorescent orange Slow Moving Vehicle triangle. Additionally,
tractors and other self-powered farm vehicles must have proper
lighting. According to Illinois law:
• Lighting is required from 30 minutes before sunset to 30
minutes after sunrise.
• There should be two white lamps on the front of the vehicle,
visible from at least 1000 feet to the front of the vehicle.
• There should be two red lamps on the rear of the vehicle,
visible from at least 1000 feet to the rear of the vehicle.
• There should be at least one flashing amber signal lamp on the
rear of the vehicle, mounted as high as possible and visible
from at least 500 feet, which can be used during daylight as
well.
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Drivers should remember that farm vehicle operators
have limited visibility to the rear. Anyone passing such a vehicle
needs to use extreme caution.
Modern farm equipment provides effective safety devices if they are
used properly. Death and serious injury from tractor roll overs can
be prevented by roll-over protective structures – a roll bar or cage
designed to provide a safe space around the driver.
But too often workers fail to use a vital part of this safety device
– a safety belt.
“We have had fatalities where the people were thrown from the
tractor and the roll-over protection pinned them to the ground and
in one situation actually drowned the person because they were not
buckled in,” said Newcomb. “You need to use all of the components.”
Newcomb offers three more words of advice to help avoid making
dangerous mistakes this harvest season. Rest. Nutrition. Hydration.
He knows of one farm operation this year that has decided to not
work on Sundays during harvest to give its employees needed rest.
“And they determined it only added one day to the overall length of
harvest,” said Newcomb, noting that it paid other benefits as well.
“He told me, ‘We weren’t tired, so we caught little (maintenance)
things before they became a real problem.’”
Farmers may not be convinced to take a whole day off during harvest,
but at a minimum, Newcomb urges them to take a break every couple of
hours – you can use it not only to stretch your legs but to make a
quick inspection of your tractor or combine. Also, your tractor
isn’t the only thing that needs fuel. Make sure to eat and drink
fluids to stay alert.
“It really doesn’t have to be non-stop. Take a few minutes for
yourself for safety’s sake,” said Newcomb.
[Illinois Office of Communication and
Information]
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