Harvest Safety

By: Jason Hagelstrom – Director of Marketing

 As fall approaches many farmers are getting ready for, or already into their harvest.  As with any business, farmers are looking for ways to be more efficient and profitable.  What cannot get lost, in trying to be a more successful business, is safety.   A lot of serious things can happen at any time on the farm, and especially during harvest.  Some statistics from the CDC to think about:

• In 2017, 416 farmers or farm workers died from work related injury
• Everyday 100 ag workers suffer a lost-work-time injury
• In 2014, an estimated 12,000 youth were injured on farms
• 4,000 of these were due to farm work

Most farm businesses have small kids running around, which is why the statistic of 12,000 youth being injured in 2014 is so eye opening, according to this CDC article.  What is even more worrisome, is that only 4,000 of the 12,000 that were injured were doing farm work.  These little ones are running around, playing and being kids, but they do not realize the dangers around them.  That is where better vision comes in, being able to see what is behind you when operating large machinery.

The Dakota Micro AgCam camera systems are specifically designed and built for the agriculture industry to help farmers operate safely and be more productive.  With the standard Analog High Definition AgCam camera lens at a 92-degree field of view, it gives the operator a clear high definition picture that encompasses a large area.  There are also three custom lens cameras available in the AgCam camera line, which allows farmers to find the right view. 

Dakota Micro also offers a wide-angle flush mount 170-degree camera, called the RazerCam, that is ideal as a backup camera.  With the wide-angle lens, it allows you to see not only right behind you but what is off to each side.  The RazerCam is also an analog high definition camera that plugs directly into the Dakota Micro AHD monitors.

According to this Daily Yonder article, many injuries happen around grain bins.  From 2017 to 2019, grain bin entrapments rose by 39.47% and grain bin deaths rose by 47%.  These numbers show that many people are putting themselves in situations that are dangerous to get the job done.  A new trend with grain bin sites is having cameras in place, not only to be more productive but also to be safer.  Dakota Micro has many options, from a standard wireless set up with the AgCam camera, all the way up to a more advance set up with the InnoPro IP camera.  Adding cameras to the bin site, will help to curve the rise in the statistics we listed above, but it will also help with post-harvest crop loss. Losing crops in the field or a grain bin site is avoidable.

This FAO article says, that by the year 2050 the world will need 70% more food.  This is putting more pressure on farmers; they are required to not only provide more but at a faster pace than ever before.  The CDC has listed the agriculture industry as one of the most hazardous industries for workers.  With the expectations being put on farmers by the world, it is no wonder the statistics we listed are only increasing.  There needs to be solutions provided to farmers to help them to run a more productive, efficient, safer business, and at the top of that solution list is cameras. 

Seeing is believing. We can get more done at night in a room with the lights on because we can see.  If we cannot see, we find ourselves guessing and we end up stubbing our toe.  It is time to “turn the lights on” and, see what you’ve been missing, by getting a Dakota Micro camera system today!