NOVEMBER 2020
Tractors with rollover protection structures and shields/protective collars on power takeoff shafts help protect farmers during harvest. (DTN/Progressive Farmer photo by Matthew Wilde)
Farming has always been a “busy” job and fall harvest is one of the busiest times of the year. Getting the crop out, repairing equipment, livestock chores, milking, moving snow and more are vying for your time. Short cuts and being in a hurry can and do result in injuries and fatalities. It is essential to avoid making permanent mistakes that will affect you, your family and your livelihood.
Matt Wilde, Progressive Farmer Crops Editor recently shared his personal childhood experience in a blog titled Don’t Sacrifice Safety for Speed During Weather Delays in the November 3, 2020 Progressive Farmer Production Blog. His close call happened years ago when he was seven, and he recalls it as it happened yesterday. Matt urges all farmers to slow down for safety, which is a message UMASH finds so important. We encourage farmers and farm workers to Stop – Think – Act before performing a task and agree with Matt to not sacrifice safety for speed.
Take a moment to read Matt’s blog and take your time for safety this fall and all year.
Stop Think Act Farm Safety Check
UMASH has developed a Farm Safety Check and poster to offer farms, farmers and workers an incentive to apply Stop Think Act to their operation.
Review the checklist and answer the questions before beginning a task. Use the poster in a break room or other visible place as a reminder to Stop Think Act. There are additional resources from UMASH and WSPS to assist in putting safety at the top of the to-do list.
Matt Wilde is a Crops Editor with Progressive Farmer. Raised on a diversified grain and livestock farm in north-central Iowa, Wilde was most recently the Senior Writer and Assistant Editorial Manager at the Iowa Soybean Association. His work was predominantly featured in the Iowa Soybean Review magazine and the association’s website newsroom. His portfolio included stories on crop production, ag policy and other topics. Wilde has also worked at two daily newspapers and was a U.S. Navy journalist.