Safety must be the first priority at harvest time

The temperatures have cooled off this week, but farmers still have to be prepared for a fire risk at harvest time.

Combine harvesters, balers and many more machines work in straw, dust and dry conditions. They need to be kept clean at all times, as well as being serviced and greased.

These machines pose a fire risk, like any machine really, but they work in dry conditions, so it’s extra risky.

Keep machines clean. This also helps to reduce the spread of grass weeds, if you clean machines between fields and farms.

No doubt some people will think this takes a long time, but a strong leaf blower can do the job in a matter of minutes or if you are near a compressor this is ideal for cleaning down machines.

It is also important to note that cleaning a combine or a baler could save you a lot of time in the long run when it comes to grass weeds. If you clean down a combine or a baler and stop weed seeds moving to another field or farm then that can save you a lot of time and money controlling those grass weeds in the future.

Keep fire extinguishers in tractors and other machines too. Make sure that fire extinguishers are easy to access – this means they should not be hiding under the seat.

Talk to an expert on what fire extinguishers to have in machinery and on the farmyard and make sure you have the right fire extinguishers in place to be covered by insurance.

It is also a good idea on very hot days to have a slurry spreader filled with water in the fields.

If a machine goes on fire the straw and crop are also at risk.

If fire does break out call the emergency services and get yourself to safety. If there is a fear it could spread, attaching a tractor to a cultivator and tilling a strip in the field, far enough away from the fire to be safe, can create a fire break.

However, extreme caution is needed if doing this.