Make Safety Equipment Checks Part of Your Routine Maintenance

Rolling maintenance schedules are part of keeping your equipment running smoothly on the farm. Perhaps you grease your tractors every Friday afternoon, or check your fluids before each use. Maybe you keep a formal checklist of maintenance, or maybe it’s a verbal confirmation with other staff members. There are many points to touch on when it comes to maintaining your equipment, and safety features on the equipment should be included as well. This can be fairly simple to include, considering you’re working around the machine anyway!

Farm machinery has been developed over the years to be safer for the operator and for those around them. Consider adding this brief safety checklist into your maintenance schedule:

Safety FeaturePassesNeeds AttentionComments/Initial
SMV Emblem: Attached and visible   
Safety Stickers/Signs: Visible and in good condition   
Lights: All functioning   
Handrails, Steps, Platform: Clean, non-slip, good condition   
Horn: In working condition   
Seatbelt: Functioning, no signs of frays, properly adjusted   
Fire Extinguisher: Charged, easily accessible   
Brakes: Properly adjusted, able to lock together, no garbage or debris around pedal   
PTO Shields: In place, no damage, clean   
Other:     

Remember, Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Each farm is different, and you may need to add or subtract from this list to suit your farm. In any case, treating safety features just as you would mechanical features when it comes to maintenance is a practice that will help your safety program run as smoothly as a well-oiled machine.

If you’d like the above checklist as a printable document for your farm, download it here:

Safety Maintenance Checklist
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