Safely working with machines on the farm

Balers, planters, harvesters. Machines are everywhere on farms and each of them is powerful and can be dangerous to operate and to work around.

To avoid serious injury make sure you understand how to work with machinery safely.

So, before you do any activities on the farm, use the Stop Think Act model to make sure you'll be safe.

First, STOP. Before you begin work, make sure you fully understand the job. If not, talk to your supervisor to get the right training you need before doing any work. 

Ask yourself how bad it could be if things went wrong? Could you be injured?

Would you need to take time away from the farm? Could you work again?

Has anything changed since the last time you did the job? Are you working in a new area using new equipment?

Are you physically and mentally prepared to work?

Then, THINK. Before working with machines, make sure that your hair, hoodie strings, lanyards, and loose clothing are tucked in or tied back and clothing is tight against the body.

The correct guards are in place to protect you from coming into contact with its moving parts and are securely in place.

You know the lockout procedure before stepping inside a machine. Check out our Lockout/Tagout video to learn more.

Make sure the equipment is safe to use. Has it been inspected? If you're not sure, do not conduct the work and talk to your supervisor.

Now you are ready to ACT and begin to work with the machinery to get the job done.

When you're using the machinery, follow these tips.

Never remove or invalidate safety guards or safety controls like e-stops and interlocks.

Never go around, over, under, or through any guard.

If you have any questions or see anything unsafe, talk to your supervisor. By staying alert and aware, you can go home safe at the end of the day.

You can also watch the video version of Safely working with machines on the farm.