Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Farm Safety is no accident.  Long hours and heavy equipment make for the best conditions to have accidents happen, but they don't have to.  This time of the year, well in advance of spring work is the perfect time to plan for the coming year, and SAFETY should be a big part of that plan.  It is very easy to convince yourself "it won't happen to me" and you may even think theres nothing that can be done in advance, but I'll say your wrong if thats your approach to a safe farm.

Had a close call last summer that illustrates the situation well.  I was in a hurry to hook up to an old three furrow plough to finish off the corners and around some utility towers in the wheat field.  The problem with the plough was the hitch pins were too short for my tractor, so I had to lock the three point hitch bars in place to sandwich the plough into place.  I had changed out one of the pins, but the second is part of a weldment and can't be replaced without cutting off the old one and welding a new pin in place.  Since this repair/modification would take a good part of a day and a access to a lathe, I didn't bother.  

Fortunately I wear steel toed boots/shoes almost all the time.  While hooking onto the plough, and struggling to latch in the stabilizer links on the three point hitch, the plough fell onto my foot.  Had I not been wearing those safety shoes, I would have three less toes today.  The shank came down squarely across my shoe and rolled onto my foot.  The pinch behind the steel toe was enough to break a toe bone and cut through the skin.  Also fortunately I was strong enough to lift the plough off my foot to get free.

This is no story of how proper safety equipment saved a trip to hospital, but rather a warning for all the things I neglected and missed.  Who knew I was hooking up equipment to even look for me if I was in trouble?  Why didn't I have my cell phone handy when working alone? Why did I not ask for help from my wife for the few minutes it would take?  And why didn't i fix this issue last winter, I knew it had to be done.  The entire situation was avoidable.

Now think back to those quick fixes you made in the field to get the job done, have you gone back over that equipment to finish the repair.  I am no saint when it comes to this, that pair of vise-grips clamped on the the adjustment thread for the one wheel of the cultivator is still there.  What will happen when that finally falls off, if I'm lucky I will work some ground a bit too deep or shallow, if I am less lucky while walking by the wheel will swing down and strike me.  Its a trip to the hardware store for a nut and 5 minutes to fix.  But when spring comes, its time to be in the field, not driving around looking for nuts and bolts.  

I will do myself a big favour and walk around my equipment over the next few weeks.  My goal, fix one issue every weekend.  At that rate, come spring all the little issues will be taken care of, and although the safety shoes will still be worn, I won't be planning on relying them.  If something looks dangerous, it probably is, take the time to make it safe when have the time, then you won't put yourself at risk, for no reason, later. 

Views: 150

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

John Deere Launches the New V452M Round Baler, Built for Productivity

John Deere (NYSE: DE) today announced the introduction of the V452M round baler to the North American lineup, providing enhanced productivity and precision to larger-scale hay and forage operations. The V452M headlines the newly updated lineup of VR and CR round baler models, introducing a new naming convention and advanced features purpose-built for heavy crop and silage conditions, while the current 1 Series round balers remain and continue to serve customers with their baling needs. "The V452M and the broader VR and CR model updates are designed for more density, more productivity and more actionable data," said Kaylene Ballesteros, John Deere marketing manager. "This update enhances our variable chamber and combination balers with features that support high-volume silage and heavy crop conditions, while complementing the proven performance of our 1 Series models. It's about giving our farmers and ranchers the right tool for their operation, whether they're baling 500 or 5,000 bale

John Deere Expands Operations Center Experience with New Customer E-Commerce Capabilities

John Deere Operations Center™ is now integrated with Shop.Deere.com enabling simplified parts ordering. Customers with factory maintenance plans can add parts for scheduled services directly to their cart and complete purchases. Customers and their approved John Deere dealers or independent service providers can jointly monitor and manage maintenance plans and parts ordering to help maximize uptime. Enhancing on-the-job convenience and expanding customer accessibility to machine data, John Deere unveils new user capabilities within John Deere Operations Center™. Customers utilizing Operations Center can now benefit from streamlined parts ordering through the newly integrated Shop.Deere.com feature. Customers with factory maintenance plans can add parts for scheduled services directly to their cart and complete purchases with confidence and ease. "We are continuously evolving John Deere Operations Center to simplify and enhance our customers' digital experience," said Katie Voelliger,

Tips and Tools to Make CBAM Emissions Reporting Easier

After a two-year transition period, full implementation of the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is set to begin on Jan. 1, 2026.   Designed to support the EU’s decarbonization goals, CBAM functions as a tariff placed on carbon emitted during the production of specific carbon intensive goods entering the EU single market, including aluminum, iron, and steel. This carbon tax requires companies to gather detailed supply chain information to determine the direct and indirect emissions associated with their products.  “CBAM charges a tariff on the embedded carbon content of certain imports from non-EU countries,” explained Amy Ryu, head of product at Tracera, an AI-powered sustainability data collection platform. This tariff is designed to counter the risk of “carbon leakage” that results from EU companies importing carbon intensive raw materials from abroad, as opposed to buying them from companies in the EU that must pay a carbon price. To that end, CBAM seeks

AEM Offers Recently Updated Industrial Ag Mower Safety Manual

AEM recently updated its Industrial Ag Mower Safety Manual in accordance with the association’s longstanding mission to provide up-to-date and industry-consensus safety materials that encourage safe equipment operation.  New updates include the use of pictorials from AEM’s Pictorial Database, modern formatting, and additional information on safe operation and maintenance. Its easy-to-follow pictorials and clearly stated safety warnings will help ensure operators understand the equipment's operation, capacity, mechanisms, maintenance, and intended uses.  “AEM member companies and their product safety experts play a crucial role in ensuring our manuals and safety materials represent best practices for safe equipment operation,” said AEM Safety Materials Manager Becca Basten.?“The Industrial Ag Mower Safety Manual is a longstanding safety resource for the operation of ag mowers, and it serves as a valuable resource for strengthening safety and training programs.”  The Industrial Ag Mow

Setting Foundations for Higher Yielding Soybeans

Timely planting, strong roots, balanced fertility, and disease control can help farmers boost soybean yields while keeping operations profitable and sustainable.

© 2025   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service