You see them dotting the rural landscape in freshly cut, satisfying rows throughout the summer and early fall. To the urban passerby, they are picturesque. But to producers, large bales can turn into life threatening wrecking balls if proper handling procedures aren’t followed.
Large, often round, bales began edging out small square varieties back in the 1970s, when the size of farming operations began to make the task of manually tossing thousands of 60 pound square bales back and forth between field and barn less than idyllic.
Today large bales are used widely and range from about 800 to 1,500 pounds for the predominant round variety, to between 1,000 to 2,000 pounds for their larger square cousins.
But there are some inherent downsides to these huge bundles. Firstly, their size and weight is unforgiving, ensuring that any improper handling technique could have serious consequences. Secondly, in the case of round bales, they are unstable. Like a wheel rolling down a hill, the utmost care must be taken when handling round bales to ensure they stay put.
Glen Blahey is the Agricultural Safety and Health Specialist for the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association.
“The majority of injuries occur when bales are being placed onto or removed from transport vehicles, or when an operator is lifting the bales incorrectly, either with improper spearing techniques or lifting the bales beyond their centre of gravity. If a bale falls, it could crush the operator or anyone nearby. So handlers need to ensure they are lifting correctly and that their operating space is totally clear of bystanders,” he says.
Blahey notes safe bale handling is one piece of the larger safety picture.
“Producers should always be scanning their operations for hazards, and developing strategies to make their work safer,” Blahey said.
Bruce Johnson is the executive director of the Farm and Ranch Safety and Health Association (FARSHA). He points out that when transporting bales, operators should ensure their hauling equipment is capable of handling the load and making sure all bales are secure before transport.
“Moving and transporting large bales whether round or square requires specialized equipment, usually things go wrong when proper equipment and procedures are not being used or followed. It is vital that operators and handlers are made aware by manufacturers and dealers of the equipment required to carry out the work efficiently and safely, and that they have received adequate training,” he says.
In 2013 so far, there have been three media reports of men in Canada being killed while transporting bales and another two of men incurring serious injury.
For more information on safe bale handling contact CASA at info@casa-acsa.ca or FARSHA at farmsafe@farsha.bc.ca, or visit agsafetyweek.ca to learn how to develop a complete farm safety plan.
