Tips to Decrease Fire Risks during Harvesting Season

Every year, harvesting activity sees fires that damage crops, lives, and property. Fires during harvesting are a common risk. A fire can start either in the crops near the harvesting activity or inside the harvesting machinery, often while it’s being operated. You can learn how to minimize your risk. Here are some tips to ensure fire risks during harvesting season.

• Make sure to check the harvesting front by inspecting under guarded areas, where dust and chaff build-up goes unnoticed. Make sure that your knife drives gearboxes and bearings as they will probably overheat.

• Make sure to decrease the hydraulic motors as oil attracts dust and create a flammable compound that is difficult to remove.

• Do regular blowdowns, with a blowdown every half hour or every field bin round in extreme conditions. Use of a large air compressor for blowing down the machinery is necessary, starting at the top.

• Keep exhaust pipes and mufflers clean and free of chaff. When modifying exhaust pipes and mufflers, avoid creating additional entrapment points.

• Use heat-resistant paints on exhaust manifolds and turbochargers to create a more slippery surface which will prevent dust from settling on hot parts and assist with cleaning from the engine fans.

• Keep at least two fire extinguishers accessible on each and every one of your harvesting machines. Familiarize all your operators/employees with the procedure on how to use the extinguisher.
• No overloading electrical circuits. For example, by replacing fuses with a higher than original.
• Postpone work in paddocks during high fire risk periods is necessary, which typically sees low humidity, high winds, and vulnerable crop conditions.
• Farm insurance which covers damage due to fire risks will ensure that you won’t suffer any loss.

Thus, the tips mentioned above tell you how to lower down fire risks during harvesting season and how farm insurance can be beneficial in case of damage caused by fire.