At the 2010 National Fodder Conference, AFIA member Suzanne Woods from Calingiri, Western Australia, presented her safety sign to create awareness of the dangers of falling hay bales from stacks and trucks. The seriousness of this situation was bought home to the Woods family when Suzanne’s father was killed in an accident involving falling bales on their farm in October last year. She now wants to see clear signage wherever large bales are stacked to prevent the same tragedy happening again.
“The signs are designed to be used in a variety of situations and can be customised to suit different locations. Whether it is in the form of a portable sign while a truck is being loaded or unloaded or adhesive signs on hayshed walls and columns, the simple graphic image gives a clear and immediate message,” Suzanne said.
At the conference Suzanne outlined the risk of bales being stacked with a straight wall or face. “The ends of the stack without support should be stepped to reduce the risk of the end bales collapsing”.
Trying to get as many bales in the shed with a straight wall or face could come at the cost of a serious injury or fatality.
Suzanne has made several versions of her sign available to download and can be forwarded to a printer or sign maker of your choice.