Warm weather tips for keeping machines and operators safe

Greasing of the machine is paramount to keeping temperatures down in bearings and other moving parts. Check bearings on the ends of baler rolls regularly for early signs of failure and replace if showing signs of overheating. Any rotating part has the ability to create enough heat to cause a fire if it is not lubricated properly.

It is important to keep crop, chaff, twine and net wrap material from building up on the machine near potentially hot areas, such as bearings, on ends of baler rolls and around the slip clutch.

Cleaning of this material should be undertaken using high-pressure air. Avoid high-pressure power-washing in the areas adjacent to the bearings on ends of baler rolls to prevent damaging seals.

When undertaking this process, it is very important to wear correct PPE in order to stop debris from entering the operator’s eyes or causing irritation.

If a machine breaks down in the field, great care is required to make sure that any risk of fire is reduced. When removing any parts that may be hot, the area where the part is being placed should be cleared of all flammable material. If you do need to use a welder, cutting torch or grinder on the machine, be especially careful. First remove any chaff or crop from the area of work.

When working in these warm conditions it is very important to drink lots of water and keep hydrated at all times. With the good weather tends to come long working days but it is of the utmost importance to be well rested and fresh each day.

With the strong sun, it is very important to either keep covered up or to wear sun screen with a high factor. If the operator is a smoker it is very important to make sure that all butts are fully extinguished and discarded in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.

If the fire gets out of hand, do not attempt to control it. Personal safety must always come first. Once started, baler fires will quickly ignite, engulfing the entire machine and there may not be some time to detach the machine from the tractor.

Always carry a dry chemical fire extinguisher (many balers have water fire extinguishers) on the tractor. Large-capacity water fire extinguishers are useful because application of water can cool hot parts to prevent a fire.