The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is advising its members and farmer clients to coordinate silage harvesting by speaking to each other in advance.
The association has said that farmers and their advisors would benefit from arranging their work activities by having a conversation or meeting before the work starts.
According to the FCI, this will help contractors and farmers reach a common understanding and establish clear roles, responsibilities, and actions, as well as allowing them to manage health and safety risks.
With silage season set to hit its stride in the coming weeks, the contractor organisation has outlined some advice for farmers.
This includes preparing the farm and silage pit area in advance of the contractor’s arrival, and having field gates open and clear of obstructions.
The FCI also advises farmers to put a traffic management plan in place to reduce risks around a busy yard.
The association said: “Farmers need to make sure that any risks from farm work are reasonably managed to protect the health and safety of contractors and their operators. There may be new risks from any previous work carried out on the farm that need to be managed.
“It is important that farmers know that there can be strictly no passengers or children in machine cabs. The contractor needs to check with the farmer if there are children on the farm and how they are cared for.”
The FCI has reminded farmers and contractors that children under the age of seven cannot be legally carried on a tractor.
The association also advised farmers and contractors to agree in advance who will be responsible for covering the silage pit, and to agree in advance if there is to be an additional charge for this job.
The FCI pointed out that, as it takes over an hour to cover most silage pits, this will equate to lost time on the next job for the contractor and their team.
“Farmers need to be aware of the value of this service in covering silage pits for farmer customers.
“The [FCI] appeals to farmers to appreciate just how much the silage pit-covering process costs and how it impacts on the ability of the agricultural contractor to move to the next neighbouring farm, so farmers need to think of other farmers in the national silage harvesting campaign,” the group said.
“Despite the level of urgency surrounding the silage harvesting, the workflow can be made easier and less stressful by taking time to plan. The key to a smooth workflow is a combination of good planning and good communication,” according to the FCI.