Next week, Sept. 17-23, is National Farm Safety Week. This is good because there are lots of ways to get hurt on a farm. Tractor rollovers, grain suffocation, deadly fumes, goring, electrocution and heatstroke are just a few. 

Sometimes, these things are preventable. Maybe you’re still using that piece of machinery that should have been junked out years ago. Maybe the safety features have quit working or been disconnected because they were such a pain. Or maybe something is not labeled right, or the label has faded too much to read. These are all preventable problems, but they are also to be found on nearly every farm in the nation.

Of course, there are a few places that are run by people who do replace equipment when it needs it. They make sure all the safety features work and the workers use them. They make sure labels are clear and people know what they are doing. 

Usually, these people don’t have many friends. They are called “uptight” and “by the book” or “rich”…until something happens…and then they are called “smart”.

But in farming, as in many things, you can do everything wrong and still be okay…at least for a while. Or do everything right and still have problems. Nobody can predict exactly when things will go haywire. If they could they would be a gazillionaire. Things just happen. That’s how it is. 

But you can sure cut the odds of BAD things happening by simply using your head. Here are the top things that will help you cut the odds of having a bad farm accident.

• Don’t Be Stupid: Slow down, look twice, double check, watch loose clothing, have a working fire extinguisher, and for Pete’s sake, don’t drink and don’t text while driving. 

• Remember That Other People Are Stupid: Cars will crowd you. People will text you. Kids will distract you. Other workers will mess up. You have to think for everyone else, too. And in the middle of a busy harvest, this can be very hard to do. But if everyone is looking out for everyone, it helps.

• Figure the Trade Off: If there’s a pretty good chance that someone could get hurt doing something, it might be a good idea to do something else. Do it a different way or slower, or with help. I know you’re in a hurry and time is money, but accidents take time and money.

There are lots of other ways to be careful out there in harvest, so please do. Have a great, and safe, harvest.