Short days mean many farmers start their working day in the dark and often finish in the dark too. Wet, windy or frosty conditions also add to the difficulties of working throughout the winter.

During this period a tractor, maybe with loader or a dedicated materials handler, is among the busiest machines on the farm. To minimise the risk of injury during the winter, it is essential that the tractor or handler are in good and safe working order.

Much can be done by the farmer or driver to ensure the tractor or materials handler is as safe as possible. A quick daily walk-around can spot something before it becomes a potential risk to the driver or others working in the vicinity.

Visibility is a crucial factor when operating a tractor or materials handler at any time, but especially during the winter. Can the tractor be seen? Can the driver actually see out through all the cab’s glass? Are the tractor’s lights effective enough to be seen or to see where you are going?

Cleanliness, while a continuous battle, is a worthwhile one. Mud splashed up on rear lights makes them completely invisible to other road users. Mud on headlights or working lights again greatly reduce their effectiveness and increase the risk to the driver, other people around the farmyard and other road users.

Most farms around the country have a power washer of some sort, so don’t be afraid to use it. You don’t have to wash the tractor to showroom condition – just enough to make it safe.

The same applies to the glass in the tractor’s cab. It does get dirty and dusty, and can reduce visibility enormously. This is especially the case at night time around the farm or facing into traffic on the road. It is a big task to clean all the glass properly.

Outside, the power washer takes care of the heavy stuff. Inside, serious elbow grease and glass cleaner is required. It doesn’t have to be done very often – once at the start of the winter clears away all the grime and dust from spring and summer work.

Wet days present another big challenge for tractor users. Wiper heads are not expensive – €10 to €20 will usually be enough. They can be sourced either in your local dealer or autofactor.

Another aspect of wet or damp days is foggy windows. A functioning heating system should keep the windows clear and offer some level of comfort to the driver. If it’s not working, it may just be its fuse, so check the fuse and replace if required.

Practice good housekeeping inside the cab. Bundles of twines cut off bales are lethal and could potentially snare the driver on the way out, causing a nasty fall. Tools on the floor combined with wet or mucky boots can very easily cause a similar accident. Store tools in the proper place or add a suitable storage solution – homemade or otherwise.

A walk around the tractor can reveal much. If bulbs are blown or lights are broken, most of us are capable of sorting them out ourselves. It is just a matter of taking the time to do it. Mirrors are another crucial tool in the safe operation of a tractor or handler around the farm or on the road. In many instances just the glass can be replaced relatively inexpensively.

Tyres, on the other hand, are expensive. Perished tyres or tyres with a cut in them have the potential to blow out. On a car this is alarming enough. On a tractor there is a huge risk of it going out of control and/or turning over.

Tyre pressures are important too, especially on a loader tractor or materials handler. A slack tyre, particularly a front tyre, makes a tractor or handler with a load on it very unstable. Also inspect the front axle steering linkages for wear or damage. Worn linkages are unsafe in that they can break but also make the tractor unstable.

At the rear of the tractor, inspect the hitch for wear and make sure it latches correctly. If the tractor is fitted with lower linkage hook ends, check that the latch mechanisms are in place and working.

Lower link arm stabilisers or check-chains should also function correctly. A heavy implement swaying from side to side can make a tractor very unstable. The tractor’s own PTO cover should also be in place.

Damaged or perished hydraulic pipes can also be spotted quite easily on a walk around. If the tractor is fitted with a front loader, it is very important that its hydraulic pipes and couplings are in good condition.

According to the HSA, 73% of deaths due to tractors and farm vehicles from 2005 to 2014 were as a result of people being crushed.

The handbrake on a tractor or materials handler has to work and work properly. Otherwise, when the driver exits the tractor to open a gate, hitch to an implement or cut the twines off a bale, he or she becomes extremely vulnerable.

Regular servicing should be part of any tractor or materials handler maintenance regime.

Arthur Byrne’s top tip from ESB Networks

Overhead power lines are harder to see at night with tractor roof lights. Always plan when loading material this winter avoiding potential contact with power lines. It is very important to keep tractor windscreens clean, and travel with the loader in a safe low position where possible this winter.