Ontario Grain Farmer - September 2021

14 protection structures (ROPS), in conjunction with seat belts, are 99 per cent effective in preventing injury or death in the event of a rollover (without a seat belt, the effectiveness drops to 70 per cent). However, half of all U.S. tractors do not have ROPS. SAFETY MEASURES That’s one reason Yoder and Gobeil are bullish on modern technology that improves safety, or cutting-edge approaches that take farmers out of harm’s way, such as autonomous vehicles and drones. For their part, farmers flock to new technology when they can. Equipment sales are strong this year because overall commodity prices are high and machinery replacement is overdue. The Association for Equipment Manufacturers says new equipment is being snapped up with great enthusiasm, and that this trend is likely to continue through 2021. However, in many cases, old machinery is not being totally withdrawn from service. Instead, says Yoder, it’s being relegated to secondary duty, such as maintenance, instead of production. That means instead of performing tasks in broad, flat fields, it is now being used in steep ditches or hills for cutting grass and similar chores. And typically, those jobs are being done by less experienced or more at-risk operators — the young, or the old. But what are farmers to do? With staffing being such a huge problem on modern farms, operators tend to spend more time in the driver’s seat. And when a crop needs to come off or be significantly downgraded in quality, operating time increases along with stress and other mental health issues. Gobeil urges farmers to plan ahead for such peak times. Get enough sleep, be aware of what you are eating and drinking and — this is key, he says — stay alert. In the event of a tip over, for example, you only have about five seconds to react. Distractions can be deadly. And even though labour is hard to come by, perhaps you can enlist someone else’s services to spell you off for a while, he suggests. Even then, though, you still need to be aware of potential problems. “You are knowledgeable continued from page 13 Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting says 84 Canadian children and youth lost their lives due to agriculture-related injuries between 2006 and 2015. To promote greater farm safety with children, in early July BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions, with support from the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA), launched a program called BASF Safety Scouts. The program provides participants with a free safety vest and toolkit designed to make them what BASF calls safety scouts. The kit contains safety-themed activity and colouring sheets, a customizable name badge, and a membership certificate declaring them official BASF Safety Scouts. Nicole McAuley, head of communications and public affairs at BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions, says the company is focused on raising awareness about farm safety “in a fun, educational way, by bringing this program to farming families across Canada…. the BASF Safety Scouts program aims to engage the next generation and ensure a safe, bright future for Canadian agriculture.” Registration is available through the Kid’s Safety Hub on CASA’s website. Go to the ‘For Kids’ page under the ‘Resources’ tab at www.casa-acsa.ca . BASF SAFETY SCOUTS FLOWING GRAIN CAN BE PRECARIOUS. ALWAYS ENSURE NO ONE ENTERS A WAGON OR BIN WHERE GRAIN IS BEING TRANSFERRED.