Everyone knows harvest season is important. Less discussed, however, is the importance of harvest season safety. Championing safety this season can boost your productivity and lower your risk of potential personal injury, helping you through harvest on schedule. 

Harvest safety can be broken down into two categories: engaging in best practices and maintaining necessary safety equipment. Let’s look at both — and examine how each can optimize your operation.

Harvest best practices

A preharvest checklist is key to making sure your efforts don’t go wasted. Invest in these best practices before you set foot in the field this season:

• Schedule a combine inspection. Not only are broken or worn parts inefficient, but also they’re dangerous. Work with trusted partners — like your Case IH dealer — to schedule a combine inspection this fall or get ahead of the 2022 season by scheduling an inspection right after this year’s harvest.
  
  
• Protect against falls. Wear well-fitting shoes with non-slip soles, clean steps and other work areas, use grab bars when mounting, and be sure your position is stable before operating equipment.
  
  
• Use shields and clean regularly. Making sure all your guards and shields are in place before you begin harvesting is a necessary way to protect yourself and your team. Cleaning is important, too. Regularly clean your combine and other essential equipment, making sure to do so only after all moving parts have stopped on your machine.
  
  

Harvest equipment

Some of the most important safety measures come from updating and replacing equipment parts. And while it’s always a good idea to do routine safety checks of all farm equipment, here are a few key components to focus on during harvest season:

• LED lighting. Days are getting shorter. Visibility is getting lower. Upgrading to LED work lights is your best defense against unseen objects at night — increasing your visibility of both the crop and any field obstacles you might want to watch out for. LED beacons can help identify you to others while on the road, which is a safety must-have.
  
  
• Observation cameras. Large implements and harvesters are difficult to see around both in and out of the field. Observation cameras are important for taking stock of your surroundings and preventing accidental collisions.
  
  
• Hands-free devices. Sometimes you need to take a call in-cab. We get it. But do it safely! Bluetooth radios are great ways to continue to communicate with your team while maintaining control of your equipment.
  
  
• RAM mounts. Keeping your cell phone in a safe place while operating is key. An X-Grip® phone holder is a great way to keep your device secure.

Whether you’re shoring up your safety plan or looking to invest in new equipment this harvest season, your local Redline Equipment can help by providing more information about which products and plans are a good fit for your operation.