Forage Crop Harvesting Machinery Safety

Background

• The variety of special machines (e.g., choppers, balers, windrowers) used to harvest hay and silage crops can be hazardous.
• Accidents involving forage harvesting machinery are often very serious.
• In addition, machinery malfunction or break down in the field leads to reduced productivity and greater likelihood of someone incurring an injury.
• Because forage harvesting may require extra help, proper training and supervision of workers in machinery operation is an added concern.

Tips

• Look over the operator's manual for each machine used in forage harvesting.
• Check out each machine before using it to ensure that all systems are working properly.
• Keep all forage harvesting machinery adjusted correctly for crop conditions to avoid plugs and winding.
• Keep machine guards in place.
• Provide barriers for power drives that are not guarded properly.
• Before unplugging or repairing a machine, stop it and turn off the engine.
• With a big round baler,
  1. make certain everyone is clear before opening the rear gates;
  2. drop the bales on relatively level surfaces where they cannot roll;
  3. use a rear-mounted bale handler; and
  4. equip a front-end loader with grapple hooks, keeping the load low and speed slow to avoid a tip-over.
• With a forage chopper,
  1. shut off the engine and make sure the cutter head has stopped rotating before opening the access plate or door; and
  2. work with extra care and heed safety precautions in your operator's manual when sharpening the knives or making any adjustments.
• Keep children away from forage harvesting machinery.
• Adequately train and supervise any extra helpers if they are not familiar with their assigned tasks.

(Also see "Safe Forage Crop Harvesting" under Crop Storage/Handling)