With heavy rains and flooding this week and a short window before equipment needs to roll for harvest, an additional harvest safety check should include your field access routes. While roads departments will be out checking state and county roads, checking minimum maintenance roads, private farm crossings and fields are the operator’s responsibility. Gullies and compromised culverts or bridges can cause anything from minor delays to catastrophic equipment damage and potentially serious injury.
Heavy machinery already pushes the limits of our roads, so always follow any existing roads signage and weight limits. Previously safe routes may have been damaged.
Assessment Checklist
Take extreme caution and keep a safe distance from any damaged roadways, stream banks and gullies. Damage may not be visible and can cause sudden collapses. If in doubt, call your county roads department.
- Inspect for washouts. Look at where dirt and gravel or rock transitions over a bridge, culvert or ditch. Even if the road surface is smooth, floodwater often scours out materials, leaving hidden voids that can collapse under heavy equipment. Look for any sinking in the road. Inspect from the ditch side to see if gaps have formed. Significant soil loss along the edges of structures can compromise stability.
- Identify new or larger gullies. Even gullies only a couple feet deep can cause equipment to get stuck or become damaged. Inspect under crops and vegetation, paying close attention to areas where water flows, including ditches, waterways, terrace edges, etc.
- Inspect for ditch or stream channel erosion. Even if crop rows are still present, streambanks can be undercut and give way with heavy equipment. Recommended setbacks can range from 30 to 100 feet from the stream edge, depending on site conditions. Do not assume the lower end of that range is safe; maintain enough distance to avoid potentially unstable or undercut ground. Inspect from a safe distance, such as from the opposite bank, so you can observe any undercutting.
- Identify structure compromises. Look for shifting, splitting or cracking timber beams, corrosion or cracking in steel, or buckling of culvert pipes.
- Identify blockages. Debris can damage or entrap equipment. Look for soil, tree limbs, crop residue and other debris.
Create an Access Plan
- Choose alternative routes. If significant damage is apparent or county signage indicates a closure or restriction, plan a new route for field access.
- Communicate any hazards. Use high-visibility flags, tape or temporary fencing to alert yourself and anyone else who may be using the field access. If you notice damage along county or state roadways, contact your local roads department.
- Fix minor gullies or blockages. Smaller gullies can be smoothed or filled with rock. Field debris can be moved. Larger gullies, streambank erosion and bridge damage should only be repaired by professionals.
During harvest, continue to monitor for additional damage. Use a notebook or GPS to flag any additional issues, such as damage along waterways, terraces or fencelines. Then, after the rush of harvest, take time to revisit the damaged areas and create a plan for permanent repairs.
Taking time to create a safe route to your fields this season can be key to a successful harvest.
Additional Resources
Reviewed by Ellen Duysen, Risto Rautiainen Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health
