JEFF BLOOM’s family has owned the Case IH dealership since 1962. Since then, numerous safety features have been added to farm equipment, but farm safety still come down to human judgment.
JEFF BLOOM’s family has owned the Case IH dealership since 1962. Since then, numerous safety features have been added to farm equipment, but farm safety still come down to human judgment.
Jeff Bloom knows the importance of farm safety. The owner of Lake County International doesn’t have to look further than his family to see why improved safety measures on farm equipment is important.
“My grampa had all his fingers cut off in a corn picker,” he said in a recent interview, holding up one hand to illustrate. In his grandfather’s generation, injuries like that were seen in every community.
“Everybody was part of farming. It wasn’t uncommon to see an older farmer missing a couple fingers,” he added.
(This is Farm Safety Week. See ads and stories throughout today’s paper.)
Today, farm equipment has safety shields, safety locks and rollover protection. While Bloom, whose family-owned business is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, can easily talk about all of these, he mentions an entirely different innovation when asked what he believes has had the greatest impact on farm safety.
“Cameras,” he said without hesitation. “We can put cameras on just about anything anymore. If you install a camera on the back of a combine, where you can’t see, that’s a real safety feature.”
According to the National Ag Safety Database, which is funded through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, non-fatal injuries occur to about one-third of the farm population annually. The same source indicates that farm accidents result in 60 to 70 deaths per 100,000 annually.
“Farm accidents are at their peak in June, July and August – the most active period of crop production and harvest,” NASDonline.org indicates.
Bloom believes that being able to see is crucial to farm safety.
“When you’re operating a 40-foot header, you can’t see out to the edge,” he said.
Those blind spots create opportunities for equipment damage and personal injury. Equipment damage can even lead to injuries, especially if a farmer is working at night after the local dealer or service center is closed.
“It seems like equipment never breaks down at noon on Wednesday. It breaks down at midnight when no one is open,” Bloom said.
Feeling an urgency to proceed with the harvest, an operator may not want to wait so repairs can be made properly, he explained. Instead, the operator will attempt to make the repairs in the field, which is far from ideal.
“First of all, you’re tired. Then, the light isn’t as good,” Bloom indicated. In addition, the operator may not have the proper tools at hand and may attempt to improvise.
For this reason, he also believes the lights on new equipment are a great improvement. They allow farmers to see better when they work late into the night and to avoid areas in fields which could lead to equipment damage.
While manufacturers are doing what they can to make farm equipment safe, the human factor must also be taken into consideration, according to Bloom. He provided several examples.
Manufacturers may add safety shields, but operators have to use them. Manufacturers may add rollover protection, but the operator has to use a seat belt to be protected.
“All of these features are wonderful, but until we use them properly, they’re no good to us,” Bloom said.
He believes farm safety also includes proper equipment maintenance. This is true because properly maintained equipment is less likely to break down.
“Then, you’re less likely to have to work on it in the middle of the night,” he said.
In the same way, the operator must choose the right piece of equipment for the job at hand.
“If you’re packing silage, you want [a tractor] that has four-wheel drive and duals on it,” Bloom said to illustrate that point. Using the wrong piece of equipment can lead to injury accidents or fatalities.
The list could go on and on. Case IH posts safety tips on its website. NASD publishes basic safety information on its website. This information is readily available because ignoring it can have dire consequences.
“A farm accident rocks the whole community. It’s something we want to avoid,” Bloom said. “We want to do everything we can to keep our farm communities and our farm families safe.”
