Before harvest season kicks off it’s important to review and plan for a safe successful one. Harvest season can be a very busy time on tillage farms with lots of machinery on the move around the farm. It’s vital to plan ahead in order to maintain safety and minimise any risk to those working with you during harvest season.
In this article, we’ll take you through ways to ensure farm safety during harvest season.
Routinely check machinery
It’s important to make sure that all farm machinery is in good working order. Take the time to check that the lights on your machinery are working and that the windows are clean. This will be a big help to you when using public roads so you can see clearly and alert people to your movements. Regularly cleaning your machinery also helps reduce the risk of fires.
Ensure machines and tractors are only operated by trained personnel
Machines and tractors that are used on a farm are often very big and powerful items of machinery. It’s important that you ensure that anyone who is operating these machines or tractors are trained correctly and have the right level of experience necessary.
Road safety
When driving a tractor on a public road it’s important that you follow the rules of the road and pull in to allow other road users to pass when it’s safe to do so.
Stacking bales
When stacking bales in fields or onto trailers, keep an eye out for overhead wires and make sure your load is secured properly for travelling on the road.
Children and school holidays
When children are on their school holidays they love to help out around the farm so it’s important that you exercise caution to ensure their safety on the farm. Check out our guide with tips on keeping kids safe on the farm to find out ways you can ensure any children on your farm are safe.
Let's make this harvest season one we'd like to remember and not one we'd rather forget because of an accident.
Review your farm insurance policy
It’s important to regularly review your farm insurance policy to ensure that you’ve got the right level of cover for your needs. To keep you and your farm protected, our farm insurance offering includes cover for all types of farms (including tillage farms), fire cover for growing crops and a range of cover for farm machinery.
At AXA, we’re proud to provide cover for over 25,000 farmers. Our dedicated farm insurance specialists have the right blend of industry knowledge and experience to help you get the most from your cover. It means they can offer you tailor-made solutions that fit your needs to drive you and your farm forward.
