Dennis
J. Murphy
Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension
A number
of Pennsylvania farmers lose fingers, hands, arms, and even
feet in corn harvesting equipment each year. Some lose their
lives. Nearly all of the accidents are preventable, but risk-taking,
carelessness, or lack of knowledge allow them to happen. Such
tragedies can be prevented, however, especially if farm workers
understand the hazards these machines present and practice
the safety precautions needed to avoid them.
Most
serious com harvesting accidents involve either cornpickers
or corn combines. Because these machines perform similar tasks,
the dangers that are related to their operation are similar,
too. Burns, severe cuts, entrapment, amputations and death
are hazards of both.
Cornpickers
are usually involved in most severe corn harvesting accidents,
mainly because of their easily clogged gathering mechanisms.
Characteristically, cornpicking accidents occur when the snapping
rolls become plugged and the operator tries to remove debris
or cornstalks while the machine is still running. As the operator
tugs at a plugged stalk or weed, the snapping rolls may suddenly
free up and begin to roll, yanking stalks or weeds forward at
nearly 12 feet per second. Before the operator can release his
grip, his hand and arm have traveled about three and a half
feet into the machine. To make matters worse, once the person
is entangled in the machine, it is often a very difficult and
time consuming task to get the victim out. Fortunately, avoiding
accidents like this is easy. Simply turn off the power to your
cornpicker before servicing it in any way!
The
gathering mechanisms on corn combines do not become plugged
as easily as those on cornpickers. Nevertheless, corn combine
operators also run the risk of losing hands, arms, or feet if
they try to unplug the rolls without first turning the machine
off. Most combine injuries occur when clothing, fingers, hands,
or legs are caught in exposed belts and gears. These accidents
usually result in burns and severe cuts although amputations
also occur. As with the cornpicker, shut your combine completely
off to avoid injury whenever you leave the operator's platform
to make adjustments. If some task must be carried out with the
machine running, wear clothing that is comfortable but close-fitting.
Be especially careful to avoid wearing floppy coveralls, and
loose sleeves and cuffs.
Because
of their size, it is dangerous to use corn harvesting equipment,
particularly combines, near ditches or streams. The banks
along these channels can give way under the picker or combine
and upset it. As a rule, to prevent accidents of this nature,
keep the center of gravity of your machine as far from the
edge of a channel as the channel is deep. For instance, if
the bank rises six feet from a ditch, keep at least six feet
between the bank's edge and the center of your machine.
Another
factor that affects safety during corn harvest is the weather.
During the rain and cold of late fall, corn is frequently wet
or icy. Wet or icy corn is more likely to clog the feeding mechanisms
of both pickers and combines. Wet or icy corn is also more likely
to fall over, adding to the problem of muddy and slick field
conditions. This may make it difficult to stay on the corn row.
If you must harvest crops under these conditions, slow your
ground speed and take in less corn then you normally would.
If you harvest corn early in the season, beware of hot and dry
conditions.
Dry
corn can catch fire and burn rapidly endangering not only
you and your equipment, but your crops as well. Be alert for
overheated bearings or belts and remove accumulations of chaff
and stalks from near the manifold. For added safety and the
ability to act quickly in an emergency, your harvesting machinery
should be equipped with a fire extinguisher at all times.
Harvesting
corn is a demanding task requiring constant alertness on the
part of the machine operator. Due to poorly operating equipment
and/or long working hours, farmers frequently become fatigued
and then cannot maintain the level of awareness that is required
to safely complete their task. This problem can be avoided,
however, through careful planning before the harvest. For
example, "downtime" can be reduced in most cases by inspecting
and repairing corn harvesting equipment before harvest day
arrives. And although long hours in the field are often necessary,
working time can be structured in a way that will allow you
to rest periodically. This can be done by setting up shifts
and changing off once or twice a day if you are able to share
the work with someone else, or by shutting off the machine
and taking a break every couple of hours when working alone.
On corn
harvesting equipment, as with all other farm vehicles, carrying
extra riders is a serious hazard. Unnecessary riders not only
run the risk of falling under the machinery or getting caught
in exposed belts or gears, they also distract the driver and
can affect his driving performance. When operating corn combines
make sure no one enters the grain tank or stands near the
stalk chopper when the machine is running. Occasionally children
may be drawn by curiosity or a sense of adventure o the corn
field where the harvesting is taking place. Therefore, always
be on the lookout for children in the field ahead. The best
way to prevent second party accidents, though, is to keep
all individuals not involved in the harvest, especially children,
far away from the corn harvesting operation.
A safe,
efficient corn harvest in autumn depends a great deal upon
how well you prepare for accidents. Be aware of the hazards
the weather, fatigue, second parties, and embankments pose.
Most of all, remember that the key factor in most corn harvesting
accidents is the failure of the operator to stop the power
before unclogging or servicing his equipment. Whenever you
need to leave your equipment to service it, do one very important
thing before you do anything else: TURN IT OFF!
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This document
was published in 1992 as Pennsylvania State University Fact Sheet
Safety
15
,
Pennsylvania Cooperative Extension Service. For more information,
contact Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural
Sciences, Agricultural Engineering Department, 246 Agricultural
Engineering Building, University Park, PA 16802.
Dennis
J. Murphy, professor, Agricultural Engineering Department,
Cooperative Extension Service, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, PA 16802.
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