Safety prime focus as crops come in

Speed and fatigue can end a farming career permanently. The Iowa Farm Safety Council wants to make sure that doesn't happen.

Agriculture is one of the most dangerous professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 317 farmers and ranches died on the job last year nationwide, second only to truck drivers at 815.

Producers are working long hours and at a fast pace to get corn in the bin. Safety specialists say the combination is often the contributing factor to farm accidents, and workers need to be extra careful so they don't end up a statistic.

"It's the perfect storm," said a nervous Doug Hickman, acting president of the safety council. "People are under a lot of pressure to get (corn) out. That's when accidents happen."

Harvest is more than two weeks behind. There's still nearly 3 million acres of corn to combine in the state worth more than $2 billion. And snow flakes have already fell from the sky.

It's zero hour, according to farmers and agriculture experts. The time of year producers will do anything -- work to the point of exhaustion and possibly ignore safety procedures -- before the winter claims their livelihood.

Ice and snowstorms aren't exactly uncommon in Northeast Iowa this time of year. Adverse weather can strand corn in fields, making it difficult to combine, or knock ears to the ground.

That could mean lost revenue. Still, Hickman, an insurance representative and farmer, said money isn't worth a life or limb. He implores colleagues to slow down and follow some simple rules.

Take time to check liquid propane lines for leaks and bury lines to avoid explosions.

Make sure all guards are in place and don't work on equipment until it's shut down.

Get plenty of sleep and take 15-minute breaks every two to three hours.

Eat healthy meals.

Make smart decisions on the road, like removing large corn heads.

"We try to make farmers think out of the box," Hickman said.

Accidents continue to happen, though. A long list of Iowa farmers have either been killed or injured this time of year.

The latest was Norman Kleinlein, 77, of Wadena. He was injured Monday after he lost control of a tractor, which went into the ditch and trapped him underneath.

Fatality expamples include a Hills farmer who died a year ago when he was pinned underneath a combine corn head. An Allison farmer and his son were fatally electrocuted several years ago after the raised auger they were moving hit a power line.

Safety experts said saving a few seconds or minutes isn't worth getting hurt or killed. Typical mistakes include not shutting off equipment before removing an obstruction, climbing over a moving power takeoff instead of walking around the implement and not engaging the mechanical locking device on a combine head before doing repair work.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 5.3 recordable cases on nonfatal injuries per 100 full-time workers in crop production last year. For those working with livestock, the number increased to 6.9.

That's compared to 2.9 in mining, 4.7 in construction and five in manufacturing.

Jim Wauters of Elberon knows he didn't pick the safest career. That's why he takes special precautions to keep himself and family members that help him safe.

Even with 100 acres of corn in the field, Wauters said they'll quit working at 8 p.m. every night to limit fatigue and always make sure guards are in place.

"You have to care for yourself, or you might take a chance when you shouldn't," Wauters said. "Machines (like combines and augers) are made to rip and grab things."

Farmers aren't the only ones putting in long hours during harvest. Many grain elevators are running 24/7 to take in Iowa's largest, and possibly wettest, corn crops ever.

With semis and tractors continually on the move, augers running and grain dryers never shutting down, elevators can be dangerous environment.

Many employees are putting in 70- to 80-hour weeks as well. To keep workers safe, the Farmers Cooperative in Dike has regular safety meetings and emphasizes maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions and fires. Employees are also rotated for breaks and given a night off when possible to keep them fresh.

"We emphasize safety here," said Fred Diers, manager of Farmers Co-op in Dike. "It's pretty dangerous these days with moving equipment and grain."