Wet paddock warning for farmers

GROWERS have been encouraged by Grains Research Development Corporation to take extra precautions before and during harvesting on wet paddocks this year.

Extension specialist and deputy chairperson of the GRDC Southern Panel Pru Cook said it was important for growers and harvest workers to look after themselves this harvest.  

“Harvest will be a long, drawn-out process which will present a range of physical and mental challenges for growers and harvest workers,” Ms Cook said.

“We want to remind everyone involved in harvest operations this year to take their time to prepare, understand the risks and how to reduce them, and to look out for each other.”

GRDC and the Rural Safety and Health Alliance have published guidelines for safe work this harvest.

One potentially fatal risk of harvesting in wet conditions is retrieving bogged headers.

“We used to use chains or cables to pull out bogged headers,” contractor Rod Gribble said.

“I had the chain break once and it came hurtling back at me.

“It hit the back of the tractor and was only a metre away from breaking the window and taking me out.”

He now uses snatch straps to pull out equipment as they are less likely to break and do damage, but caution is still required.

“People have got to be patient,” Mr Gribble said.

“Someone will get bogged, and when you do, just stop.

“Remember a header might weigh 25 to 30 tonnes, but you’re probably going to bog it when it’s got a fully loaded grain tank.

“The effort to pull out a loaded header is much greater — they are a dead weight stuck in the ground.

“Unload the grain first, take your time and clear the mud away from all the tires with a shovel or excavator.”

Mr Gribble emphasised growers should also review their machinery’s operator’s manual and learn the specific guidance for retrieving equipment should it get bogged.

AgHealth Australia reports tractors are the leading cause of unintentional deaths on farms, responsible for 251 fatalities between 2001 and 2020.