Thursday, September 25, 2008

High Risk Environment

In the not-too-distant past, farm families were often devastated by accidents that maimed or killed. This photo makes me cringe, seeing the long dress so close to cogs and chains that are running the drag behind the wagon. The man's overalls are also an easy grab for the cog on the elevator. Tumble-rods like the one above have killed plenty of people and farm animals, too. It's just natural for folks to push harder during harvest, and Safety-First is sometimes forgotten.


Handling grain is much more efficient than it used to be, and one person can perform the whole harvest operation if need be. The big killer nowadays is drowning in flowing grain. Shelled corn that is moving will not support a person, and even though the danger is well publicized, farmers are killed every year when they get in a hurry. Farm country newspapers are posting safety articles now to remind farm workers of the danger.


Modern methods make the harvest a quick process if the weather cooperates. I don't think I have heard any farmer wish for "The Good Old Days." We like to see the old machinery demonstrated, but farm life is much easier with today's equipment.



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