Column: Put safety first at harvest time: Part 2

Julie Moore, ACIP CRM
Manager, AB Commercial Auto Underwriting
SGI CANADA Insurance Services Ltd, Alberta

You’re probably already out working in your field, but here are some more tips on staying safe during this busy season.

Make sure everyone knows what to do.

Before you head out on the field:

1.Make a list of what needs to be done to maintain your harvesting equipment, and then assign people to each task. This way, nothing will be overlooked or forgotten, and you’ll prevent safety and technical hiccups.

2.Review your equipment manuals – especially for machines you haven’t used in a while – and make sure any family members or workers who’ll be helping, have read them, too, especially if they’re newer to the job.

3.Train anyone who’s going to be using farm equipment. A lack of training is dangerous not only for the inexperienced person – if you’re new to a job, you have a greater risk of injuring yourself – but for everyone else working, too. Whoever is operating a piece of equipment needs to know basic procedures and safety precautions.

4.Put together an emergency communication plan, outlining who and how to call for help and what to do in an emergency, and make sure everyone on your team is familiar with it. If something goes wrong, someone needs to know where workers are at any given time (e.g. what field they’re in and/or what route they’re on). These plans ensure that when there’s an emergency, everyone knows how to respond right away, and help can arrive quickly. You’ll save time, and possibly even a life.

5.If you’ve got young children, make sure you know they’re safe and away from any machinery before you turn on any equipment. Consider creating a safe play space for kids to be while you’re working.

Share the road safely

In each of the prairie provinces – Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba – there are rules that spell out how, where, and when farm equipment can be transported on certain designated highways.

For example, in Saskatchewan, equipment that travels slower than 40 km/h must be equipped with a rear/centre slow-moving-vehicle sign, and machinery that extends more than 1.2 meters should be equipped with reflective devices to alert other drivers.

Alberta mandates that tractors be equipped with rear view mirrors, advance warning triangles, and fire extinguishers, and that operators confirm that all their lights are operating properly and are free of dust and dirt. And in Manitoba, farm equipment operating at night must have headlights, red tail lamps, and flashing amber warning lamps. They must also have a slow-moving vehicle emblem that’s visible from behind.

Combines, sprayers, swathers and tractors all take up more space and move slower than the average vehicle, and other drivers aren’t always patient or respectful of your vehicle’s size and speed limitations.

Collisions between motor vehicles and farm equipment aren’t frequent, but the ones that do occur are more likely to cause injuries. In Saskatchewan, for example, there were 96 collisions involving farm equipment between 2016 and 2020, resulting in 44 injuries and eight deaths. In Manitoba, the average is 48 collisions every year.

When you’re on a shared road or highway, be extra cautious and aware of the traffic around you, especially if you need to slow down or turn. Check and re-check in your rear and side mirrors to see if any other vehicles are coming up behind you or trying to pass, and if your vehicle is equipped with signal lights, use them.

Avoid hitting hazards

Since farming equipment is often bulky and awkward to turn, pay close attention to where hazards – such as your shop or equipment shed, grain bins, fences, large rocks, or power lines – are in relation to where you’re driving. Don’t leave any tools or small equipment lying around, and make sure any low-hanging tree limbs are trimmed back before you head in that direction.

Re-anchor your empty grain bins

Once you’ve finished harvesting and selling your grain, make sure you re-anchor any portable grain bins on your farm. Portable bins should be installed on either installed on either a gravel pad or on solid, compacted ground, and then secured by screw-in earth anchors.

Make sure you’re insured

If you’ve made any changes to your farm that could affect your coverage – such as adding buildings or purchasing new equipment – talk to your broker.

 
My most recent example is my colleague and friend Derek who I consider to be an inspirational leader. Recently, during one of our manager meetings, Derek completed a safety moment. Derek spoke on the real purpose of a leader and shared the photo included in this article, which explains the difference of what people think leadership is compared to what leadership really is. I believe we need more people to realize the power of real leadership, especially in our current climate because leadership can be in different forms and levels. 
 
Last year was tough, but you know what? We are tougher. As we navigate 2021, I believe it is necessary for us to lead with optimism, and to encourage positive growth in our industry regardless of the position we are in. This year, we have already experienced unique challenges, and depending on which news channel you tune into, the foreseeable future will bring more. As a result, we have the opportunity to implement creative solutions – solutions that overcome how things have always been done. 
 
Now, you may be asking, how on earth will we create these solutions? Although I will not claim to know all the answers, I do have a couple of beliefs that I am confident will work along the way. First and foremost, it starts with us. We, as people, need to operate with integrity and commit to doing the right thing, regardless of how “hard” that may be. 
 
Secondly, and equally as important, we need to remove the self-identification of “just”. What I mean by this, is eliminating the outlook that we are “just” our jobs. In my experience, those who approach their day knowing what and whom they are working for, such as their families, their friends, or loved ones, operate in a much safer way, than those who just identify as a “job title”. 
 
Finally, we need to celebrate our wins and provide empathy when losses occur. One thing that I constantly communicate to my 10-year-old son when he experiences a loss is when you fall down, you need to get back up. 
 
This year, I believe our greatest success stories will occur when we simply get out of our own way, and rise to the occasion to lead the way. 
 
Thank you, 
Josh Hannaberry