Greene County Daily World: Local News: Area young farmers help promote harvest safety (10/20/09)

By Nick Schneider The fall harvest is under way for Greene County farmers. Here, a combine moves through a Cass Township soybean field. Farmers are hoping for a few dry days to proceed with clearing the field's of this year's crop.
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This is the time of the year when area farmers are spending long hours in the fields harvesting their corn and soybean crops.

Safety is a key concern and an area Young Farmers Association group is doing its part to make sure this is also a safe harvest season.

For three or four years now, the West Central Indiana Young Farmers -- which includes members from Greene, Clay and Owen counties -- has been putting together paper bags that aren't filled with traditional safety items like roadside flares or first aid supplies.

Instead, these free safety bags are filled with items designed to keep the farmers alert while they in the fields -- like peanut butter crackers, apples, "power bars" and other healthy snacks. Also, included in the bags is some printed information about safety practices as reminders for the farmers, according to Kenna Slough, who serves as an advisor for the group.

Slough also is an agriculture teacher and FFA chapter sponsor at Shakamak Junior-Senior High School in Jasonville.

The chapter meets as a group and assembles packages for each farmer who may want one during an activity at the school. This year that happened just a few evenings ago. Then one or more members distribute their packages to local retailers, primarily those who service farmers in the fall. As farmers come into the store, they can pick up their packet, Slough explains.

The unique safety project received mention in a recent edition of Indiana Prairie Farmer magazine.

This year about 200 paper bags were assembled and placed at PD Graham Elevator in Shelburn. The group also has plans to place some bags at White River Co-op in Worthington.

Slough said the main idea behind the project is to just reinforce safety to the farmers in the field during this busy harvest season.

"We know they get tired and these things (in the safety bags) will help them wake up a little bit," she added.

The trend in farm related fatalities for 30 years in Indiana had been down, but in the past two years farm fatalities have increased, 24 in 2007 and according to the latest report released at the start of National Farm Safety and Health Week in September, Indiana had 28 farm related deaths in 2008.

"The biggest killer was tractor overturns, which it has been for the last 25 years," said Bill Field, Professor in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department at Purdue University. "But the others were so scattered that we couldn't find any real pattern, and that's been a little bit of a concern, it's a wide diversity of activities that people are involved with that are resulting in these fatal injuries."

The average age of the farm fatality victims in 2008 was 49.4 years, while the average age for the past 10 years was 52.6.

Gail Deboy, Purdue agricultural safety engineer, says the three Indiana counties with the most recorded fatalities during the last 30 years include Greene, Elkhart and LaGrange counties, which all have a large Amish population.

Greene County reported one fatality in 2008.

"One thing not in the report is that in 2008 five of the 28 fatalities were caused by hydraulic failure or operator error in operating hydraulics," Deboy said.

Field and Deboy worked together to compile the 2008 Indiana Farm Fatality Report, for the Purdue University Agricultural Safety and Health Program.

The most common mistakes resulting in farm-related fatalities include using older tractors without rollover protective structures on hillsides and being in too much of a hurry and not using safety devices or switches on equipment.

Eight deaths in 2008 were attributed to tractor rollovers, and five deaths were caused by machinery crushings or pinnings, according to the report.

"Most farmers don't spend much time thinking about safety, and we hope this report helps create more of an awareness in the farming community, especially right before harvest," Deboy said.

Deboy recommends farmers take the following safety measures this fall:

* Avoid working when tired. Farmers should take frequent breaks and get enough sleep.

* Slow down and pay attention to details.

* Keep all equipment shields in place. If a shield is removed to work on something, be sure to put it back on.

* Use all safety locks and safety equipment. Don't override safety locks thinking they will slow down productivity.

* Use tractors with rollover protective structures.

* Make sure the slow-moving vehicle emblem is visible and in good condition on all tractors and equipment.

* Use hazard lights when operating tractors and equipment on roadways.

Slough said the feedback from the area farmers who have picked up the safety bags in the past has been positive and encouraging to her group.

She feels this is something that can be done to help keep farmers be more safety-minded and also give them something extra for their efforts during harvest time.

"They (the farmers) like them (the safety bags) and they think they are sort of a treat for them," she concluded.