Machinery and Hydraulic Safety During Harvest
BY CAITRIONA LETHERT / LAST UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2026
Farm Safety Starts with Your Equipment
In recognition of National Farm Safety and Health Week 2026, take a little extra time to ensure your equipment is not just running, but running as safely and efficiently as possible.
Harvest season puts more strain on people and equipment than any other time of year. Long hours, high grain volumes and pressure to keep operations moving all raise the risk of injury. A surprising number of risks trace back to two things: hydraulic systems under pressure and moving machinery. Here’s what every farm operation and grain facility should have covered to protect their crews and their harvest days alike.
Hydraulic Hose and Hose Fitting Safety: Small Parts, Big Impact
The hydraulic systems on your machines function just like the systems in the human body; after long, strenuous days of work, machines start to show wear similarly to the operators who run them. High pressures, intense heat, and long runtimes put immense strain on the hoses and fittings that circulate the fluids that keep the equipment moving. Checking the health of these vital parts prolongs machine lifespan and puts the people involved at a much lower risk of accidents and injury.
Never check for leaks with your hands. Use cardboard or a similar material to locate a suspected leak. Fluid injected under the skin is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention. Injected substances can pass quickly through the body and cause severe damage.
Relieve pressure before disconnecting or inspecting any line. A hose or fitting that lets go under pressure can whip violently or spray fluid with enough force to cause serious injury. Always cycle equipment down and relieve system pressure before attempting to work on it.
Inspect hoses regularly, not just when something fails. Look for cracking, bulging, abrasion or soft sports, especially where hoses rub against frame or other components during operation. A hose that has been chafing under the radar all season is a failure waiting to happen at the worst moment.
Match fittings and hose ratings to the application. Mismatched or improperly crimped fittings are a common failure point. If a hose assembly wasn’t built or rated for the pressure and fluid type it is running, it’s a hazard, not just a maintenance issue.
Keep replacement components on hand. During harvest, a failed hydraulic hose doesn’t just create a safety risk - it stops equipment dead in its tracks. Every minute of downtime is lost profits during harvest season. Having the right hoses and fittings on site means getting back to work ASAP without cutting corners and compromising safety. Nott Company is there to make sure you’re never caught without the hose or fitting you need.
Machinery Safety: The Basics
Most machinery injuries during harvest don’t happen because someone didn’t know the rules. They happen because everyone is moving fast and a five-minutes safety check feels like five-minutes no one has. Some reminders for safe working:
Guard everything that moves. Belt guards, shaft shields, and PTO covers get removed for repairs and don’t always go back on before the next task. Make reinstalling guards a mandatory last step on every work order, not an afterthought.
Respect pinch points. Augers, conveyors, and belt drives don’t care how experienced the operator is; loose clothing, gloves, and even hair have no business near an unguarded pinch point.
Lockout, every time. Any time someone is clearing a jam, adjusting a belt or working near a leg or conveyor, the power needs to be locked out. This is the single most preventable cause of serious machinery injuries, and it’s the rule most likely to get skipped when everyone is in a hurry.
Watch for fatigue-driven shortcuts. Long harvest shifts are when experienced people make uncharacteristic mistakes. Build in rest breaks and encourage slowing down for a few minutes without treating it as falling behind.
Making Safety a Pillar of Business, Even Under Pressure
The hardest part of harvest safety isn’t knowing what to do, but rather keeping it prioritized even when operations are at their most hectic. A few things that help:
- Pre-season safety walkthroughs. Catch worn hoses, missing guards, and pinch-point hazards before harvest volumes puts everything under maximum stress.
- Clear reporting culture. Make it easy and expected for crew members to flag a hydraulic leak or a missing guard without feeling like they’re slowing down operation.
- Stocked critical spares. Keep extra hoses, fittings, and guard hardware on hand so a safety fix doesn’t get delayed by a parts order. Visit a Nott Company store or shop online for your restock.
Machinery and hydraulic failures during harvest aren’t just downtime problems - they’re safety problems first. The facilities that tackle the most harvest days with no upsets are usually the ones that treated their pre-harvest equipment check list as a safety inspection, not a maintenance task.
The 2022 data for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agricultural sector is still the most dangerous in America with 417 fatalities. Fall harvest time can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for the agriculture industry. A few extra minutes can be all the difference.
Farm Safety Resources
Looking for more ways to make safety a priority on the farm? These organizations offer additional agricultural safety information, training and resources:
- National Education Center for Agricultural Safety
- AgriSafe Network
- National Safety Council — Free safety resources, training materials and tools.
- NIOSH / CDC: Agricultural Safety and Health Centers — Research and resources focused on preventing agricultural injuries and illnesses.
- OSHA: Agricultural Operations Safety Resources — Farm safety publications, training materials and resources covering machinery, grain handling, PPE and more.
- Ag Safety and Health: Agricultural Safety and Health Resources — Research, education and practical agricultural safety resources.
A few extra minutes spent on safety can make a difference. Make equipment checks and safe work practices part of every season - not just harvest.
Don't let a small part stop a big harvest.
From hydraulic hoses and fittings to the components that keep your equipment moving, Nott Company can help you stay prepared for harvest and beyond. Visit a Nott ParkerStore or shop online to stock up on the parts and supplies you need to keep your equipment running safely and reliably.