A serious incident near Lake Cargelligo last week resulted in a 45-year-old man having his left arm amputated in a grain harvester.
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NSW Farmers Griffith branch president Helen Dalton said farmers were under a lot of pressure come harvest which meant people have to be at their sharpest.
“Without knowing the circumstances behind this incident, things like this usually can be avoidable,” she said.
“You have to be really diligent.
“I know it sounds a bit harsh but sometimes people have no common sense and while you're working around machines you must be mindful of the dangers.
“Often the farmer has done everything he can to make it safe, but one incident like this is too many.”
She said fatigue could play a big role in these type of events.
“People are in a hurry,” she said.
“We've had a lot of harvest bans and as soon as it rains the quality of the grain diminishes, so the financial pressure on the farmers is definitely there.
“People are harvesting up until midnight in some cases and then they're back on it at six.
“So it's been an extreme pressure on farmers to pay their bills.”
NSW Ambulance Superintendent Brad Porter said each year paramedics attend patients who have been injured during the harvest.
“These accidents are happening due to a few aspects, one being that people are working extremely long hours; they’re working late into the night and in the dark,” Superintendent Porter said.
He added that in some case the patients were itinerant workers who were not completely familiar with the vehicles and machinery they were operating.
“This can include massive harvesters, road train trucks, and tractors with big chaser bins that are pulling 40 tonnes of grain – equipment that requires a high level of skill to operate.
“These key aspects are leading to some high-risk situations where people have the potential to be maimed and critically injured.”
Superintendent Porter urged workers to be fully briefed before operating heavy machinery, and to also be mindful of fatigue and personal safety.
“We appreciate the demands involved at harvest time, but a few safety checks and suitable education will ensure workers return home safely to their families each day and that they are in a position to return for future harvests.”